Family Resource Group- Apr 2024

Welcome to spring! While it might be wet outside, remember- April showers bring May flowers. And this edition of the newsletter brings new resources and events to keep on your radar. Read on to learn more.

Updated newsletters will be shared at the beginning of each month. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at any time. We encourage you to also provide feedback by completing the survey at the bottom of the newsletter. To be sure that you continue to receive all future updates, directly to your email address, sign-up by clicking the button below.

Tess Nasehi

Family Resource Group BVI Editor

tnasehi@pattankop.net

Please complete the survey at the end of the newsletter, so we know how to better serve you.

- Important Federal Quota Program Updates -

- For Spring -

-For Summer -

- ECC at Home -

- Resources to Keep -

- Feedback Survey -

*Each section contains 1-5 topics.

Is your child with a visual impairment receiving educational services from a Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) or Certified Orientation & Mobility Instructor (COMS)? If so, by giving permission for your child to be counted in the American Printing House for the Blinds (APH) Federal Quota Child Census, your child’s TVI/COMS will have the opportunity to purchase specialized learning materials (e.g., accessible textbooks, aids for low vision, adapted materials for tactile and/or auditory learning, etc.) to incorporate in your child’s and others instruction.

This APH program is funded by the federal government and has recently broadened the eligibility criteria to allow more students to benefit from this program.

Parent permission is required (and must be given to your child’s TVI or COMS). Click the buttons below, and talk with your child’s TVI, COMS or Tess Nasehi (PaTTAN’s Blindness/Visual Impairment Family Support Specialist, tnasehi@gmail.com), to learn more and view the Federal Quota parent permission form (in English or Spanish).

Save the date for Cane Quest- the exciting and challenging orientation & mobility contest for students in grades 3-12! With three competition categories to choose from, students are sure to have their travel skills put to the test. Stay tuned for further details.

This event will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Please direct questions to (610) 737-8217 or theveeringcane@gmail.com.

Click the button below for more information.

If your child has both a vision and hearing loss, your family (parents/guardians, siblings and child with deaf-blindness) is welcome to join us for our hybrid Family Learning Conference!

Come experience sharing, caring and learning together with staff from the Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project, PaTTAN, and other families living with deaf-blindness.

Date: June 21-22, 2024

Where: virtual or in-person at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center

Camp Abilities provides fun and enriching opportunities for visually impaired youth to participate in a wide range of sports and wellness activities. The Mid-Atlantic Camp Abilities teams offer several summer camp opportunities for students ages 5 (DE), 6 (NJ), or 7 (PA) through 17 to participate in this year.

• Camp Abilities PA @ WCU: May 24-27 in West Chester, PA. Overnight camp featuring triathlon, beep baseball, goalball, cross-country, field events, and soccer.
• Camp Abilities New Jersey @ Rowan University: July 19-21 in Glassboro, NJ. Overnight camp featuring rock climbing, ropes course, canoeing, orienteering, skateboarding, and first aid.
• Camp Abilities Delaware: August 4-9 in Newark, DE. Overnight camp featuring soccer, swimming, golf, hiking, cross-country running, wellness lessons, and O&M skills.
• Camp Abilities New Jersey @ Field of Dreams: August 21-23 in Tom's River, NJ. Day camp featuring beep baseball, beep kickball, golf, track & field, basketball, and soccer. Contact stribina@kean.edu for more information.

The mission of the Helen L. Diller: Vacation Home for Blind Children is to create a complete and varied recreational program for visually impaired children, and introduce them to the many new experiences that the seashore has to offer. Registration for summer camp sessions is now open. These camps are offered at no cost to families for campers ages 7-15 with a visual impairment that can be verified with an eye report. Read on or visit their website for more details.

2024 Camp Dates (Sunday to Saturday):

• Week 1: June 16-June 22 (sighted sibling)
• Week 2: June 23-29
• Week 3: June 30-July 6 (Alumni)
• Week 4: July 7-13
• Week 5: July 14-20 (Alumni)
• Week 6: July 21-27 (Sighted Sibling)
• Week 7: July 28-Aug. 3
• Week 8: Aug. 4-10

Beacon Lodge camp was designed for blind youth and now provides specialized recreation for a variety of campers with special needs. Registration for Beacon Lodge youth and family summer camps is now open. Their Children's Village features cabins, arts and crafts, a nature center, outdoor *Beacon Lodge camps require fee for enrollment. Read on or visit their website for details.

Youth Programs

• Camp Sensational: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - June 22-27
• Camp LEAP: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - June 29-July 4
• Camp AD(H)Dventure: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - July 6-11
• Camp ConnXions: 11 Day / 5 Night Session - July 13-20

Family Programs

• Camp Unite (Children's Village): For families with a child up to age 18 living with a disability - July 27-31
• Adult Family Camp: For Families with an adult age 18+ living with a disability - June 15-19

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.

Areas of the ECC include assistive technology, compensatory skills, career education, recreation and leisure, orientation & mobility (O&M), social skills, self-determination or advocacy skills, visual efficiency, and independent living skills. 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 recreation and leisure skills.

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) offers many resources to learn more about the importance of and ways of teaching recreation and leisure skills for your child who is visually impaired.

• FamilyConnect shares articles and resources on recreation and leisure skills, such as the importance of recreation skills, physical activity webinar programs, making sports accessible, and more.
• APH's ConnectCenter also shares accessible activity ideas related to camping, swimming, knitting, skiing, hiking, bowling, playing cards and games, and more.
• APH Access Academy also shares related videos on their YouTube channel on topics, such as recreational activities, finding your hobby, summer-time fun, outdoor adventure, music, accessible media, and many more.
• The Hive also offers an online course on recreational and leisure skills for blind children.

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

• Free braille art and tactile image libraries, guide from Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes
• "How Music Connects to Skills Growth Related to the Expanded Core Curriculum" video from Martino, Bertolami, and Sacala
  
• "Fast facts about audio description" guide from Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes
• "Requesting Extracurricular Accommodations" guide from Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes
• "Gaming is for Everyone!" article by Patricia Fahle
• "What inclusive, accessible arts education looks like" article
• "My favorite digital library resources for low vision" guide from Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes

There are many other organizations that offer a variety of independent living skills resources. Listed below are some examples:

• Hadley shares a ton of virtual, on-demand workshops on recreation and leisure skills. *Free registration is required for full access.
  
• Mississippi State University lists several national blind sports and recreation resources.
• The Blind Sports Organization hosts a variety of recreational programs for blind athletes.
• The Cook Forest Sensory Trail offers individuals with disabilities an exciting and accessible way to experience nature.
• Equi-librium provides a therapeutic experience through horses.
• Philadelphia Blind Hockey supports individuals with visual impairments in participating in adaptive hockey.

PA Parents of Blind Children is a division of the NFB of Pennsylvania (NFBP). It is the mission of the PA Parents of Blind Children to provide resources and information to parents with blind and low vision children living in the commonwealth. Families can connect with others who have had similar journeys so that no parent feels alone.

Click here to visit PA Parents of Blind Children's Facebook page.

NFBP also has a division for students with visual impairments: the PA Association of Blind Students. Details about scholarships, workshops, conventions, and internship possibilities are distributed throughout the year.

Click here for more information on the PA Assocation of Blind Students.

The mission of the Bureau is to assist Pennsylvanians who are blind or visually impaired gain the skills necessary to live and work independently in their communities. Services offered can include but are not limited to: counseling and guidance, blindness skills training, mobility (travel) instruction, instruction on performing daily living activities, vocational and college training, job placement services, and more.

Click here to visit BBVS's website.

This division of NFB offers a national membership and advocacy organization of families and friends of blind children. Their goal is to help families and blind children maximize the child’s skills, independence, and opportunities, while holding high expectations for all of our children. Families may connect with them and the resources, support, and expertise of blind people who can serve as mentors and role models for us and our children.

Click here to visit NOPBC's website.

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) presents the Family Recharge Zone- a virtual space just for families to network and collaborate. Families may join TSBVI on the first Thursday of each month for 90 minutes of learning, connection, and encouragement.

Click here to learn more.

APH (American Printing House for the Blind) FamilyConnect and the Chicago Lighthouse have partnered together to provide a virtual support group that bring families of visually impaired children on the first Wednesday of every month from 7:30pm-8:30pm (ET).

Click here for more information on the next support meeting.

This dedicated group of families, professionals, and community members is leading change by building awareness, empowering families, presuming competence, and fostering high expectations of students with disabilities. Click here to learn more about F2MAX.

PEAL works with families, youth and young adults with disabilities and special health care needs to help them understand their rights and advocate for themselves.

Click here to visit the PEAL Center's website.

HUNE is a non-profit organization that offers free bilingual (English and Spanish) programs, supports, and services on all aspects of special education. HUNE also offers an after-school and summer program. Click here to visit HUNE's website.

Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania aims to connect and empower families by building a supportive community. Families can connect with others who have had similar journeys so that no parent feels alone. Click here to visit Parent to Parent of PA.

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

• Pennsylvania Parent Guide to Special Education for School-Age Children
• Parents' Rights: Understanding the Procedural Safeguards Notice
• Pennsylvania State Performance Plan Parent Survey
  
• Parent Consultants: Supporting Family-School Partnerships for Student Success
• IEP Team Members video series
• Student-Led IEP Resource Hub