Family Resource Group- Sept. 2025

The new school year is here, bringing fresh beginnings and exciting opportunities! We hope you had a wonderful summer and are feeling prepared for the 2025–2026 school year. In this edition, we’re highlighting back-to-school resources, helpful tips, and upcoming events to help you start the year strong.

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.

Teachers, therapists and school staff who work with your child are invited to subscribe to receive a copy of this newsletter as well. Education staff may visit the registration page to sign up. Please pass this information on to the professionals who support your child.

Tess Nasehi

Family Resource Group BVI Editor

tnasehi@pattankop.net

This newsletter is not an endorsement of any organization or product that may appear.

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.

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Usher Syndrome Awareness Day- 9/20

CVI Awareness Month

Start the school year off right by (re)engaging with your child's individualized education plan (IEP). Your child can partake too! Use these tools to help along the way as you both encounter new routines, new educators, and new opportunities this year.

The National Federation of the Blind's website houses a library of articles related to IEPs for students who are blind or visually impaired. Learn more about the IEP process, IEP goals, student and family rights, and much more.

The New England Low Vision and Blindness agency shares a wealth of helpful reminders and considerations in this article titled "Back-to-School Checklist for Visually Impaired Students: Essential Tips and Resources for a Smooth Start."

Find checklists of and information regarding personal supplies, braille and large print materials, IEPs, daily living, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and much more.

Join us for the second annual Technology Adventure for Students with Hearing & Vision Needs -- connecting students, families, educators, assistive technology (AT) representatives, and community agencies in your region!

Explore new technology, chat with vendors, find helpful resources, and ask any questions you may have. Participate in sessions with the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to learn more about the supports available for students before and after graduation, including assistive technology services.

Don't miss this chance to embark on this adventure, grow your skills, learn, and explore together right in your community. Register by choosing your desired location below or through the PaTTAN training calendar (filter by blind/visual impairment). See you there!

Locations:

• Western Region Event October 13th; 8:45 am- 3:45 pm
• Eastern Region Event November 18th; 8:45 am- 3:45 pm
• Central Region Event November 20th; 8:45 am- 3:45 pm

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 self-determination and advocacy skills.

Students, family members, and teachers can participate in the Maryland School for the Blind's Monthly ECC Challenge for the 2025-26 School Year. Each month will highlight a different area of the Expanded Core Curriculum. Participants may complete activities related to the monthly focus to learn new skills and share proof of participation for a chance to win prizes! We hope you'll have fun and learn a lot in the process, should you choose to participate.

PaTTAN shares several self-determination and advocacy resources including:

• Student-Led IEP Process information
• "Speak Up! Self-Advocacy" PaTTANpod
• "Secondary Transition: Understanding Self-Advocacy" publication

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) offers many resources to learn more about the importance and ways of teaching self-determination and advocacy skills to your child.

• FamilyConnect shares related resources, such as "Teaching Your Child About Self-Advocacy" and more.
• APH Access Academy shares related videos on their YouTube channel, including "The Dignity of Risk and The Needs for Self-Advocacy" and more.
• The Hive offers online courses on assistive technology for blind children.

The Perkins School for the Blind houses a vast library of articles, videos, activities and more on self-determination and advocacy skills. Anyone can visit the Perkins website and search for self-determination or self-advocacy. Below are a few examples of what Perkins has to offer in this area.

• "Self-Determination: A Student's Perspective" video
• "College readiness tip: Self-advocacy & self-determination skills" video
• "Learning to self-advocate" guide
• "Self-Determination: Setting IEP Goals" activity
• Paths to Literacy shares the "A Moment of Outreach with Expanded Core Curriculum Videos."
• Perkins also shares information on CVI and the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)

The I'm Determined project focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior. This project facilitates youth, especially those with disabilities to undertake a measure of control in their lives, helping to set and steer the course rather than remaining the silent passenger.

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

This newsletter is not an endorsement of any organization or product that may appear.