TX SenseAbilities – Spring 2021 Issue
Featured Article
Wearing Masks…and Glasses…and Hearing Aids
A parent shares tips to promote the use of mask-wearing for children who are deafblind.
Download Article (PDF)Family Wisdom
My Success Story
Garland, a student with CHARGE Syndrome, describes his public school experiences and the supports that allowed him to participate completely and successfully.
White Cane Safety Day – Spring 2021
The author shares information about the history behind the celebration of White Cane Safety Day and how it is recognized across the state of Texas.
Effective Practices
Early Intervention 101: A Virtual Reality
Karen Borg shares information on providing teleintervention services for children aged birth to 3. This article, based on a TSBVI Coffee Hour that she presented with four Early Intervention Vision Specialists from the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, also provides an explanation of Parts B and C of IDEA and offers suggestions for all who provide services to young students with visual impairments.
Literacy for Little Ones
The authors present information about early developmental skills that are prerequisites for formal reading instruction for children with visual impairment. This information was created as part of an early literacy training program for VI professionals and families presented at several regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) in Texas.
Aidan’s Story: An Alternate Path to Braille and Literacy
This article shares information about an innovative program of instruction created by Sherry Airhart, a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) in Frenship ISD, for a student who struggled with braille and literacy skills. Her willingness and ability to “think outside the box” resulted in an alternate path to braille, a program we called “APB: Aidan’s Path to Braille”.
News & Views
TSBVI in the New Year – 2021
TSBVI’s superintendent shares her message on changes that happened in education in 2020 and new directions for 2021.
Job Choice?
Career assessments can help students, families, and professionals in planning for the employment future of the student. Dr. Jo Stouter explains how Texas Workforce Commission’s Vocational Diagnostic Unit provides career assessments that have been developed specifically for students who are blind and visually impaired. These assessments can also be completed virtually during a pandemic.
TSBVI Short-Term Programs: Connections Despite Separation
TSBVI’s Short-Term Programs (STP) has adapted to remote learning just like other educational programs. This article describes how they creatively modified their existing classes and also developed new classes to meet the needs of students throughout Texas.