Early Interventions

Instructors and Participants left, backrow, Jennie Maschek, Debbie Chapus, Abigail Chappell, Melissa Klocke, Melinda Kirsch; Robin Bull, Kristen Anson, Beckey Panagos, D.J. Butcher; front left Ann Straw, Jennifer Westbrook, Amanda Gibson, Darla Wells, Debra Nadeu, Dr. Bess Dennison

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting dedicated pre-12 grade teachers who work with children who have visual impairments.  We studied under Dr. Bess Dennison, from Utah State and Ann Straw, Co-Instructor.  Thanks to a grant coordinated by Missouri School for the Blind Outreach Services Coordinator, we learned, discussed, and were exposed to important skills such as making adaptations to pre-school activities of circle time, snack time, playing games, teaching emergent literacy, math activities, using a Braille Writer and performing functional vision assessments. Homework includes practicum experiences and readings (we left with literally thousands of pages and two notebooks of materials).  In March we meet for three days to conclude the workshop.  A very special thank you to Dr. Dennison for the beautiful hand-made bookmark!

Presentation” Tools, Strategies, and Activities for Communicating with At-Risk Families”

I had the pleasure of presenting at the National Parents as Teachers Conference last week.  Reflecting on my beginning relationship as a parent in the pilot program in the Ferguson-Florissant School District back in 1982, I shared the impact Parents as Teachers has made on my life and numerous others.  Initially, when I was pregnant with my daughter Anne, several of us were introduced at Parker Road Elementary School as members of the pilot project.  We immediately realized that we were neighbors, in our second or third trimester, close in age and giving birth to our first child.  Little did we know then that we would become life-long friends and maintain our support group throughout our passage through life.  We have held each others’ hands and dried each others’ tears through joys and sorrows.  Lisa and Sarah were bridesmaids in Anne’s wedding, as were Anne and Lisa in Sarah’s wedding.  Parents as Teachers fellow pilot Mom Mary Ellen has baked our wedding cakes.  (The last wedding will be this May.)  Yes, our children remained close friends, most recently sharing each others’ 30th birthdays.  (The sons are always there, too!)  At the conference, I attached materials and directions to make and take Christmas ornament/bookmark with their families at home visits that are a replica of the thumbprint ornament that my daughter Anne “made” when she was 7 months old.  (Yes, I carry it with me.) 

As I presented “Tools, Strategies, and Activities for Communicating with the At-Risk Parent”, I noted how much the Parents as Teachers program has changed since I was a Mom in the program.  In response to my query, every parent educator in the audience replied that he/she served high need families.  However, many voiced surprise when I shared that my daughter pays for Stay in Play, her neighborhood school district’s Parents as Teachers’ playgroup and would have to pay for home visits.  Mentioning social media, high and low tech tools, one parent educator shared her positive experiences with using a blog to reach and communicate with her families.  Others shared that they were using FaceBook to talk to their families.  Being a very active audience for such a large group (I ran out of the 100 handouts I’d taken), others shared technology apps and systems that they found helpful to use in their homevisits. 

We discussed the importance of establishing a rapport from the first home visit and I shared the development of a Family Facilitated Plan (FFP) and Worksheet designed for the parent to record, maintain, update, keep, own and share at his/her desire.  The FFP empowers the parent to identify and recognize their strengths and natural, intermediate and community supports that currently exist in the child’s life.  While the FFP might look like many other tools, such as, Circles of Support, MAPs, Futures Planning, Ecological Inventories, or Eco-maps, the FFP encompasses all of life’s passages, encouraging the parent to add/update any transitions or changes as they occur and take with them from one agency, service provider, or school to another.  Receiving positive responses, I encouraged participants to email me how they were using the FFP in their practice and noted that I hoped to report research results at a future conference.

Dana Bush, Lighthouse for the Blind Scholarship Recepient

Dana Bush recently received a scholarship from Lighthouse for the Blind to help complete her goal of working with children who have vision impairments.  Currently working as a Low Incidence teacher in Francis Howell, Dana will attend Western Michigan University next fall to obtain her Orientation and Mobility certificate.  Dana is a graduate student in the Early Interventions in Autism and Other Sensory Impairments program, planning to graduate in May 2013.  The Lighthouse for the Blind has multiple scholarship programs, which Dana discovered while researching for a class at Lindenwood.  There are many guidelines for the scholarship, which include: specializing in the field of service to persons who are blind or visually impaired, minimum GPA of 3.0, two letters of reference, and a personal essay on why the person has chosen this field.  Dana received the maximum amount of that is awarded for scholarship by the Lighthouse for the Blind. The Lighthouse for the Blind mission is to assist individuals who are legally blind maintain dignity and independence by making available employment, education and support services.

LU SCEC at Walk Now for Autism Speaks

More than 20 members of the Lindenwood Student Council for Exceptional Children joined hundreds of thousands of others to raise funds and awareness for Autism Speaks.  Held at Forest Park, the event on Oct. 13^th promises to raise over$1,000 for the event, matching last year’s Silver Recognition and award.  Thank you to all of our supporters and sponsors!

As a”digital immigrant”, I’ve recently experienced a startling realization.  We are in the midst of an educational movement driven by parents-the App Revolution!  As an educator, I am impelled to follow and keep up!  At the Touch Technology Conference here in St. Louis on Sept 17-18^th  I attended sessions given by parents and professionals.  The parents presented how they were using various apps in their home and school with their children of all abilities.  That in itself is reason for applause, yet these parents not only presented the apps, they themselves developed them.  I instantly recognized picture schedules (that I had previously used in notebooks using Velcro and clip art) for preschool to grade 12 students that can now be spontaneously made with the student’s photo or video and inserted into a living, virtual binder.  Enter Hannah who graciously showed me (and all those watching KSDK news that night) how she uses her iPad.  On November 7th, Hannah and her parents are presenting at 5:00 on Janet Serles’ Special Education Counseling class on the St. Charles campus.  (Hannah and her parents also make the Chat Bag that allows Hannah to wear her iPad from class to class.)   Follow this link for more information on the Touch Technology Conference.

Graduate Scholar Maria Lindsay with Dr. Bill Cope, Plenary Speaker and Abigail Mannekin, Conference Producer.

Please join me in celebrating Maria Lindsay’s recent accomplishment.  Graduate student Maria Lindsay of the Early Interventions in Autism and Sensory Impairments program recently received the recognition of Graduate Scholar for her work at The 19^th International Conference on Learning at the University of London August 16th.  Maria facilitated conference sessions and introduced presenters that hosted 520 scholars from over 47 countries.  To read the conference news, follow 2012 Graduate Scholar Awardee.