Welcome to December! We are in the mist of the holiday season with our winter break soon to be here. Your work with students who are visually impaired is no less than amazing. We see your work in the schools where we visit and grateful to call you our colleagues.

In the sprit of the holidays, the Described and Captioned Media Program has produced the Magic School Bus Holiday Special appropriate for students in grades 2-6. It's the last day of school before the winter holidays, and Wanda plans to see the Nutcracker ballet. But during a trip to a recycling plant, her toy soldier accidentally gets recycled. Devastated, Wanda wishes for a world without recycling. Ms. Frizzle activates the bus's un-recycler, taking the class on a song-filled field trip. Click the link below to view the preview and see an introduction to the services they provide.

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We are very excited to invite you to come together for an in-person Regional Meeting. We will be sharing updated information about the following: changes to the legal framework as it relates to VI eligibility criteria, working with your lead evaluation team members, DeafBlind resources, hearing from our community partners including ECI, HHSC, TWC transition, TSBVI and University programs. Registration for this event is now open in ESC works through the Region 10 website. This event will offer ACVREP credit as well. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Have some time during an extended lunch hour to learn? We have some cutting edge topics for you to consider. ACVREP credits are available for these sessions.

December 16, 2021 Conversation Boxes-This session will cover what a conversation box is and how it can be used to promote communication, concept development, increasing independence, shared attention and use within a structured routine.

Hold the Dates for the following titles. Registration will be available soon.

January 5, 2022 The Hierarchy of Cueing and Prompting-This session will cover information on sharing how we can fade support to students in order to increase independence.

March 11, 2022 Sensory Boxes for VI Students-This session will cover different types of sensory boxes (calming, alerting and exposure to textures with hands) and how to use them with students with visual impairments.

Do you have a young child on your caseload that may likely to become a braille reader? Many young children with visual impairments may not have early literacy experiences similar to those of their sighted peers. This training addresses the unique needs of early braille/tactual learners and supports their teachers and families through the use of assessment tools, curricular materials and hands-on experiential activities that promote emergent literacy in the home and in transition to early childhood education.

After a “virtual” Introductory session slated for January 26, 2021, the training will consist of four half-day meeting times for teachers throughout the spring. After the training sessions, there will be a culminating event with the families and their children. For registration information, click the link.

TSBVI is offering a series of Coffee Hours on Mondays from 3-4pm. Here are the options for December.

December 6, 2021 Registration of Students in Texas with Visual Impairments & Texas Deafblind Child Count--In January each year, two important counts are made on behalf of the Texas Education Agency related to students with visual impairments and students who are Deafblind by TSBVI Outreach. These are known respectively as the Registration of Students in Texas with Visual Impairment and the Texas Deafblind Child Count. Join us as we discuss this yearly process. We will demonstrate how to navigate the online web applications. We will also give best tips and practices for making student entries.

December 13, 2021 Resources for VI Professionals: TVIs, COMS and Paraeducators

Learn about up-to-date resources to support your continuous learning and instruction of students with visual impairments. Invite your team, including braillists and paraeducators, to attend this presentation.

AER Professional Development Opportunities-

“So You Want to Go to Work? Innovative Employment Options for Clients who are Blind or Visually Impaired” – December 7, 12:00 pm Eastern--The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a number of aspects of vocational rehabilitation and employment for persons who are blind or visually impaired. One aspect that remains constant are the emergence of new and innovative ways to enable clients of the VR system to obtain employment. This webinar provides an overview of four such aspects.

AER On Demand Webinars

Access to Inclusion: Adaptive Sports & Recreation for the Visually Impaired STRIVE4You will discuss methods, equipment and techniques for adapting recreational and sporting activities for people who are visually impaired or blind using their Access to Inclusion Plan. Presented by Ricky Jones and Christy Ray

Transition to Independence: O&M Modules which Contribute to Independent Travel on a College Campus Through the proposed online modules, students will begin developing a plan of action to identify and locate existing services on campus that can be used to address Orientation and Mobility needs. Presented by Dr. Nicholas Casias.

Blindness is Not a Barrier to Success, Perceptions Are! Kristen Smedley will open your eyes to SEE blindness in a new light. Warning: her stories of raising two blind sons and a sighted daughter cause a lot of laughter!

Partnering with Families of Individuals who are Blind or Have Low Vision Parents, spouses, children and extended family or friends often experience an emotional adjustment to their family member's vision diagnosis. Participants will learn about the adjustment process of family members and how to partner with them to maximize outcomes of services. Presented by Kendra Farrow

Funding for Families in Texas-Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) gives a $1,500 one-time online grant to parents of eligible students served by special education who are enrolled in a Texas public school. Families can use this money to purchase educational goods and services for their student. For more information in both English/Spanish and to apply, use this link- https://sses.tea.texas.gov.

Babies' Day Out-Save the Date! April 28, 2022 from 10am - 2pm. For parents or guardians of children ages birth to 3 who are visually impaired, blind, or deafblind, deaf or hard of hearing. The Babies' Day Out Committee is planning an in-person event to be held at Region 10. More information coming out soon.

Technology Olympics is coming on February 18, 2022-Save the Date!

The Texas School for the Blind is offering two classes for high school students with low vision.

The Low Vision series is designed for high school students with low vision who are primarily print users and would benefit from a class focused on access technology, self-determination, and social connections with peers who face similar issues and challenges. Lessons are co-taught by three vision professionals who have low vision themselves, with specific content developed to meet the assessed needs and interests of the group. The series is set to begin in January and end in May 2022 and is online.

In the Driver's Seat: An Introduction to Safe Driving with Low Vision In this weekend workshop, students in grades 9-12 and families will explore the topic of driving with low vision. For most teenagers, driving is not only a dream, but a rite of passage. Students with low vision often wonder, “Will I be able to drive?” Determining the answer to this question is a process between the students and their families which involves gathering facts, facing emotions, and ultimately making important decisions. This short-term course will be held in-person at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired on March 4-6. 2022. Referrals are due by January 21, 2022.

Council for Exceptional Children 100 Years of Leading Special Education will be held in Orlando, Florida on January 16-19, 2022.

Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference is scheduled for January 26-29, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. The conference showcases the latest in Assistive Technology Development. The conference has both in-person and virtual options.

Texas Focus Virtual - February 10-12, 2022 Registration is open now. Join us for Texas Focus 2022 to explore tools and strategies to empower all children with visual impairments. As noted in this year's title, sessions will largely focus on evaluation and implementation. As always, the end goal of this conference is to provide children with greater voice, meaningful options, and increased participation in their lives!

TAER 2022 Conference “A Whole New World: Renew, Recharge, Refocus!” The conference will be held March 31-April 2, 2022, at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock. Click this link for more information about the conference. Registration is now open.

AERBVI Biennial International Conference July 20-24, 2022 will be in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, go to AER – Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (aerbvi.org)

Looking for more information. Here are some links to other newsletters and new publications.

Students with Visual Impairments: Eligibility for Special Education Released on November 30, 2021, this is a new TEA approved document that explains the new eligibility criteria for visual impairments. The key change involves the definition of a visual impairment. A visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. 34 CFR 300.8 (c)(13)

Guidance for Behavioral Intervention and Support for Children and Young Adults with DeafBlindness or Visual and Multiple Impairments This document developed by TSBVI Outreach Programs provides ways to foster safety, success, independence, connectedness by using proactive and responsive strategies. It also address how meeting these needs can impact behavior and lay the foundation for all development and learning.

Psychological assessment of individuals with deafblindness

Psychological assessment can be used as a tool for promoting learning, health, and development in children with congenital deafblindness. If the psychologists detect and describe the child’s developmental level, possibilities as well as difficulties, it gives information about what kind of interventions can optimize development. This publication gives insights to the complexity of the psychological assessment process in the field of deafblindness, deepen the knowledge in the field and expand the clinical use of psychological assessment. This report is intended to help psychologists assessing cognition – and thus be able to elaborate adapted strategies so that people with congenital deafblindness can develop their full potential.

The Council for Exceptional Children has just released the Fall 2021 Parents and Families Special Issue focusing on topics important in involving families in the education process. It features articles written by one of our own parents, Beth Jones, Ph.D.

Feds update rules for disability employment

New federal guidance is spelling out what qualifies as competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education issued an updated frequently asked questions document that serves as guidance for the vocational rehabilitation program.

Texas Sensory Support Network Active Learning Approach for Students with Multiple Disabilities

Region 10 Monthly LID Update November 2021

SenseAbilities A publication about Visual Impairment and DeafBlindness for families and professionals. TX SenseAbilities