Family Resource Group- Dec. 2025

In this edition of the newsletter, we’re highlighting upcoming events and ways you can stay involved in your child's journey. Your partnership and support make a meaningful difference every day — thank you for being an essential part of our educational community.

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.

Complete the Family Feedback Survey

International Day of Persons with Disabilities- 12/3

Transition Talks Family Workshops from Perkins are a series of free, monthly workshops, designed for parents and professionals to learn the many aspects of transition planning for young adults with disabilities.

Learn from Perkins and industry experts on options and supportive services available to students after high school graduation. Remember, it's never too early to start talking about secondary transition!

These virtual workshops are free to attend, and registering for one session registers you for all the sessions. Session topics include:

• From High School to the Workplace: Setting an Expectation for Employment- 1/20/26, 6-7pm
• Innovative Technology Solutions for Self-Determination and Lifelong Supports- 2/3/26, 6-7pm
• Empowering Fathers- 5/19/26, 6-7pm

Save the dates for this 6-part Schools Engaging Families Webinar training series, which will provide information to assist school staff with the planning and implementation of a successful program to enhance family-school partnerships.

Each session will reflect on family engagement research, resources, best practices, and strategies, designed for educators; however, families, related service providers, community members and others interested in bolstering student achievement by family-school-community partnerships are encouraged to attend.

Session Details:

• Session 3 (1/22/26, 4:00-5:00pm): Partnering to Support Student Success
• Session 4 (2/18/26, 12:00-1:00pm): Speaking Up for Every Child
• Session 5 (3/19/26, 12:00-1:00pm): Shared Decision Making
• Session 6 (4/20/26, 4:00-5:00pm): Collaborating with the Community

Register for each Schools Engaging Families Webinar Series session or for the topics that interest you most.

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)/Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) Summer Academy Program is designed to offer high school age students with visual impairments an opportunity to develop their knowledge, experiences, and awareness as it relates to their future academic and employment goals. Students will participate in 7-day program on a college campus where they will receive assessments, information, and educational experiences in various curriculum areas.

• Program Dates: Monday, June 15, 2026, to Monday, June 22, 2026
• 2026 Summer Academy Student Application

• Application Deadline: February 3, 2026

Join us for the annual Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education's premiere conference: 2026 MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Educational Practices That Work! The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education conference brings together families, school leaders, teachers, related service providers, community organizations, and other experts in general and special education.

Dates: February 25 - 27, 2026

Location: Hershey, PA

More details and registration information to follow.

Join Portland State University for the 9th annual Mobility Matters Conference: Charting New Paths: Self-Determination, Disability-Driven Access, and Mobility.

This is a virtual conference exploring the connection between navigation and community, bringing together thought leaders and experts from a variety of fields with a central focus on inclusion and accessibility for people who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind, as well as individuals with other disabilities.

This event is appropriate for anyone interested in accessible maps, environmental literacy, multimodal transportation, and community partnerships.

Date: Thursday, February 26th 8:30am-3:00pm PST.

Cost: $40 for family members (scholarship opportunities are also available)

Mobility Matters Registration

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 social interaction 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! By participating, students may see other students' ECC experiences, discover they are not alone in their ECC journey and gain an ECC community. We hope you'll have fun and learn a lot in the process, should you choose to participate.

Paths to Literacy shares helpful tips and ideas to get you started on this month's challenge!

• FamilyConnect shares articles and resources on social interaction skills for students of all ages, such as "Social Communication Skills With Your Child Who is Blind or Low Vision", "Helping Your Child Who Is Blind or Has Low Vision Learn How to Make Friends", "It's a Matter of Safety: What Kinds of Touch are Okay?", "Friendship in the Teen Years for Individuals Who Are Blind or Low Vision", and many more.
• APH Access Academy also shares related videos on their YouTube channel, such as "Communication Strategies for Children with Visual Impairments and Additional Disabilities", "Stand Up & Speak Up", and many more.

• "Developing Social Skills in Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" (video by Dr. Sharon Sacks)
• "Teaching Children with Autism and Visual Impairment" (interview with Linda Hagood)
  
• "Developing social skills in students who are blind" (article from Perkins)

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

• The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) offers several articles on the topic of social skills, including "Fitting in Socially," "Social Skills for the Younger Years: Interaction and Play," "On Being a Disabled Introvert and the Follies of Social Skills Training," and more.
• The website Teaching Students with Visual Impairments shares an article titled "Social Interactions."

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.