Coffee Hour

Moving Instruction Out of the Storage Closet and Into the Classroom!

Open captioned. Join us as we explore the benefits and strategies to move instruction for blind and low vision students out of the closet and into the classroom. Push In services benefit students by ensuring immediate access to curriculum, peer interaction and socialization, teacher collaboration, efficient use of resources, promotes independence and is an inclusive environment.

Calendar Systems and Routines – What are they and how do we use them?

Open captioned. During this session, we will cover:
1. Introduction to Calendars: Quick overview of calendars systems, their advantages, and where to find more information.
2. Establishing Routines: Explore the importance of routines in creating meaningful instruction, predictability, and reducing stress for students.
3. Supporting Teams and Teachers: Offer strategies for establishing and integrating calendars and routines into the classroom setting. While also discussing how to encourage “buy-in” and provide ongoing support and resources for the teacher and team.

Highlighting Potential: A Beginners Guide to Evaluating Students with Blindness, Low Vision and Deafblindness

Open captioned. Diagnosticians and LSSPs will gain essential insights and strategies for assessing the unique needs of these students. This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct thorough and compassionate evaluations, ensuring each student's abilities and potential are fully recognized.

Functional Tactile-Bodily Evaluation for Students who are Deafblind

Open captioned. This session will explain what a Functional Tactile-Bodily Evaluation is, who should conduct it, and what tools they can use to guide their evaluation.

Essential Tools of the Trade, 2nd Edition

Open captioned. ETT 2nd Edition includes everything you need to conduct rigorous, comprehensive FVE, NVSA, LMA, and ECC evaluations for school-aged students who are blind, or have low vision with or without complex access needs (CAN).

OT Sensory Efficiency Skills

Our senses (vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell) bring information from the outside world to our brains and allow us to understand what is happening around us. This is the basis for all learning. The sensory system develops in stages throughout our lifetimes. However, if this system is interrupted or impaired due to lack of sensory information to the brain or lack of sensory integration within the brain these stages may not occur in a typical fashion. In this session participants will:
Learn the ways in which our senses develop across time and experience
Understand how sensory development and processing shape our interactions with the world around us
Closed captioned

Managing Self-Care as You Care for the Children and Their Families You Support

“I cannot do ALL THE GOOD the world needs, but the world needs all the good I can do.” -Jana Stanfield

How do you manage the caring and compassion that is included in your profession? Have you found yourself over-invested, exhausted, and ‘not enough’ for the families and children you serve? Self-care can be seen as a necessity for self-preservation. In this presentation, we will be focusing on how provider fatigue can impact one’s health, similar to caregiver fatigue. Becoming more self-aware of what we can control, what boundaries we need to maintain, and how to STOP and breath will help us become more effective in our job. Open captioned.

The Stress-Trauma Continuum in Students with Visual Impairment

Open captioned. A mean comment about glasses, getting hit by a ball in PE, an inaccessible science graphic, or an embarrassing missed social cue are examples of experiences that might trigger the nervous systems of students and their families. For health and well-being, activated nervous systems need to return to a state of calm. When stress accumulates or trauma is unprocessed, mental health becomes compromised. This Coffee Talk explores the stress-trauma continuum in the context of visual impairment, potential effects on students and their families, and strategies for providing support.

Mental Health Matters – Managing Burnout and Boosting Resilience

Open captioned. Through fostering resilience, individuals can increase their ability to bounce back from adversity, maintain well-being, and thrive in both personal and professional spheres. Come ready to explore actionable strategies for recognizing and managing burnout, including setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and seeking support.

Braille Literacy for Babies and Toddlers: What Are You Waiting For?

Open Captioned. Introduction to braille is critical for babies and young children who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind. Too many barriers exist for their literacy access and it's not as complicated as it sounds. Join us to learn about the importance of early braille exposure and access to resources.