Family Resource Group- November '24

From cooler weather to exciting events, there are so many reasons to welcome the Fall season. This edition of the newsletter features new resources, tips and upcoming events.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at any time. We also ask you to provide feedback by completing the survey at the end of the newsletter.

We also invite the teachers, therapists and school staff who work with your child to register to receive a copy of the newsletter as well. There is a question on the registration page for professionals so that we can contact them. Please pass this on to everyone that supports your child.

Tess Nasehi

Family Resource Group BVI Editor

tnasehi@pattankop.net

Please complete the Family Feedback survey by clicking the link below, or find it at the end of the newsletter, so we know how to better serve you.

Complete the Family Feedback Survey

• F2MAX Foundational Courses: Please join us Wednesdays at Noon or Thursdays at 7:00 PM for the FAMILIES TO THE MAX Foundational Courses. Topics include presuming competence: fostering high expectations, access to the general education curriculum across all settings, maximizing communication and learning for your child, collaborating with school teams in ways that make a difference, and leading change. You can choose to attend one or more of these sessions.

• 2024 Virtual Village Series: It takes a village! As parents of children with disabilities, often times we are left feeling alone. Well, not anymore! F2MAX is your village. Join us for an hour of networking and sharing.

• Insights Needed to Enhance PA Early Transition & Family Engagement: We need your help! You have a wealth of knowledge and experiences that can truly make a difference. By taking a few moments to complete a brief survey, you can help us refine the transition process for children who receive Preschool Early Intervention services, making it as seamless and effective as possible.

The TSBVI event calendar shares several resources, from articles to virtual discussions, for families:

• Coffee Hour: Involving Dads- How to Encourage & Support Involvement by Dads: 11/4/2024
• Family Recharge Zone: Navigating Your Child's Evaluations with Confidence and Advocacy: 11/7/2024
• Coffee Hour: Providing Opportunities for all Children- Meeting Families Where They Are: 11/11/2024
• Coffee Hour: Supporting Families of Children with Complex Health Care Needs in Grief Across the Lifespan: 11/11/2024

This 3-part virtual training series from The Oregon DeafBlind Project focuses on:

• integrating communication, tactile support, and assistive technology into mobility lessons
• collaborating with teams and families on Orientation & Mobility activities
• Orientation & Mobility: Successfully Planning and Documenting progress

These webinars will take place on November 6, 13 and 20 from 2:00PM to 4:00PM and is free to attend.

Registration Note: For the "Register" button to appear, you must have an account on this website and be logged in. If you have an account, simply sign in to register. Users new to our website may create a free account by clicking on the "register" link in the upper right corner of the webpage. Once logged in, return to the event listing to register.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is hosting their annual convention in Erie, PA. This is a great opportunity to meet and learn alongside other parents, students, professionals and community members.

When: November 7-10, 2024

Where: Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center, 7794 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509

Visit their website to learn more about the 2024 NFBPA Convention.

Camp Abilities NJ @ Rowan University is an educational sports camp for children ages 6-17 who have visual impairments. The goal of CANJRU is to empower youth with visual impairments through sport, physical activity, and wellness education. At camp, children participate in a variety of sports and activities including canoeing, rock climbing, and making a healthy meal. Athletes are paired 1:1 with trained coaches throughout all activities.

Date: November 8, 2024 (day only) 9:00am - 3:30pm

Contact: Coach Maria at LeporeStevens@Rowan.edu

Camp Abilities NJ @ Rowan University Website

Join Dr. Carole Clancy, Director of PA's Bureau of Special Education, and Ms. Sherri Landis, Executive Director of the Arc of PA, to discuss the rejuvenation of Pennsylvania's Local Task Forces (LTFs).

Listening sessions will be held at the regional PaTTAN offices to learn of best practices, as well as needs of local task force groups. The goal is to identify supports needed to build consistencies in LTF operations across the commonwealth.

Be a part of the solution that ensures effective collaboration among families, schools, and agencies on behalf of students with disabilities. Families, Advocates, Intermediate Unit Staff, Special Education Administrators, and Interagency Personnel are encouraged to attend.

• November 12, 2024 from 10:00am-12:00pm (in-person at PaTTAN's West office)
• November 13, 2024 from 2:00pm-4:00pm (in-person at PaTTAN's East office)
• November 14, 2024 from 2:00pm-4:00pm (in-person at PaTTAN's Central office)
• November 14, 2024 from 4:15pm-6:15pm (virtual, online)

Register for the virtual local task force listening session or visit PaTTAN's training calendar to register for an in-person session.

You can also learn more about PA's State Task Force by visiting PaTTAN's website and share information with others by downloading the flyer linked below.

​The goal of the Tether Conference is to provide educators, professionals, parents, and self-advocates with the tools necessary to connect students with visual impairments to high-quality physical activity programs in their schools and communities.

​This one-day, interactive conference will cover inclusion practices, instructional strategies, and adaptations for physical education and sport for children with visual impairments. The conference will provide opportunities for professional development/ continuing ed credits for PA and DE educators.

When: November 15, 2024 from 9:00am to 3:45pm

Where: Kutztown University

Cost: $10-20 (depending on your role)

Visit Camp Abilities Delaware's website to learn more about the Tether Foundation Conference.

Students who are blind or visually impaired are taught skills from the 9 areas of the expanded core curriculum (ECC), which are key to development. You might already be teaching or reinforcing some of these skills at home. Read on to find ways to continue reinforcing the ECC in your own home and community and click here to learn more about the ECC.

We will spotlight a new area of the ECC each month! This month, we're highlighting career education.

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) offers many resources to learn more about the importance and ways of teaching career education to your child.

• CareerConnect offers job seekers of all ages and employers a variety of resources to help with the job search and hiring process.
• FamilyConnect shares articles and resources on career education topics, such as skills for toddlers to teenagers, stories of blind people succeeding in work and life, and more.
• APH Access Academy also shares related videos on their YouTube channel on topics, such as career education for children with dual diagnoses, career readiness for preschool, elementary, middle and high school students, and many more.
• The Hive also offers an online course on career education for blind children.

The Perkins School for the Blind houses a vast library of articles and videos on career education. Anyone can visit the Perkins website and search for career education resources. Below are a few examples of what Perkins has to offer in this area.

• Career readiness stories and resources
• "Career Education: A Student's Perspective" video from Nancy Moskowicz
• "Career Education" article from Courtney Tabor-Abbott
• "Career Education for Children Who are Blind or Visually Impaired" video/article from Dr. Karen Wolffe
• "Getting to work: assessment and skill-building for careers" article from Perkins
• "What is customized employment?" article from Perkins
• "Technology goals required for the workplace" article from Perkins
• "Working Blind Series: Interviews" guide from Perkins

NLS provides a free braille and talking book library service. Follow the steps shown on the National Library Service website to enroll and receive:

• books and magazines, including bestsellers, biographies, fiction, how-to books, music scores and instructional materials
• in braille or audio formats
• instantly downloadable or mailed to your door for free

PaTTAN hosts a collection of publications, videos, podcasts, and websites to help families and educators better understand special education information. Listed below are a few popular resources, but you can also search PaTTAN's website and PaTTAN's YouTube channel to find more. Many of our publications are also available in other languages.

• Family's Quick Start Guide to Special Education Bundle
• Blind-Visual Impairment page
• Blind/Visual impairment publications
• Family Information
  
• Student-Led IEP Process
• IEP Information