Family Resource Group- Feb 2024

The February 2024 newsletter is here! It's time to grab your hot cocoa and warm up with information that's hot off the press. Though it may not feel like it, spring and summer are just around the corner. We'll be here to share all you need to know about spring programs, summer camps, and more as the seasons approach. Read on to learn about upcoming events and resources for the month of February and beyond.

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 Winter -

- For Spring -

- 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).

Registration is now open for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education's signature event. This annual statewide conference offers an opportunity to learn and engage with nationally recognized presenters, as well as families and educators from across the state, highlighting effective instructional strategies and interventions designed to make an educational difference for all students.

Conference registration will close at 4:00pm on Friday, February 13, 2024.

The time to apply for your teenager to attend The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation/Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS)'s Summer Academy is here! This week-long program is designed to offer high school age students with visual impairment the opportunity to expand their knowledge, experiences, and skills in the areas of independent living, travel, assistive technology, as well as college and career readiness. Selected students will stay overnight on a college campus where they will receive assessments, information, and educational experiences aimed at helping students reach their future academic and employment goals. Click the button below to learn more and apply.

If further assistance is needed to complete this form, please reach out to Kiley Foley at kifoley@pa.gov or (814)-949-7960.

Applications must be submitted no later than Monday, February 5th, 2024.

The Braille Challenge is the only academic competition of its kind held in January through March each year in North America for students who are blind or visually impaired. The Braille Institute developed the Braille Challenge to motivate students to practice and hone their braille literacy skills, which are essential to academic and employment success.

This event will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024

at the PaTTAN Central office located at 6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112.

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

Follow the buttons below for more information and to register your child.

The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) and the American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project (ADP) believe that awareness of and engagement with audio description can greatly enhance the educational experiences of students with no or low vision. The Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) essay contest invites young people ages 7–21 to compete for great prizes by watching a film with audio description and submitting a brief evaluation of the strengths (and/or weaknesses) of the audio description.

The 2024 Winter Camp, hosted by Camp Abilities Delaware, is an educational sports camp for athletes with visual impairment, ages 5-17. Last year's camp featured instruction in tennis, football, lacrosse, golf, as well as first aid and fire safety. Students cooked lunches and also participated in evening activities, such as bowling and an escape room.

The Winter Camp runs from February 17-19, 2024 and will be held in Lewes, DE at the University of Delaware's Virden Center. Pennsylvania students are welcome to register. A $25 deposit per child is required. However, families are encouraged to contact Camp Abilities Delaware about potential scholarship opportunities at CampAbilitiesDelaware@gmail.com. Click the button below for more information and to register.

The InSights Art competition from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is back! This international art competition, for both amateur and professional artists who happen to be blind, has been running since 1992. Winners will earn prizes, have their artwork displayed in APH's annual exhibit, and have the opportunity to attend APH's annual InSights Art awards celebration in Louisville, Kentucky. Click the button below to learn more and sign up!

Submissions will be accepted until March 29, 2024.

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.

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 social skills.

If you're wondering why social skills should be specifically taught to students with visual impairments, you're not alone. Social skills are often thought to "develop naturally," or they are viewed as skills that cannot be taught. Perhaps some people feel that other learning areas are more important, so teaching social skills is delayed or entirely left out.

However, social skills are just as important as other curricular or extra-curricular areas. Humans depend on social skills to navigate school, work and their personal lives. Strong social skills can also help us remain safe and satisfied in our environments.

While some families and classrooms teach social skills, children with typical sight might gather a lot of information "incidentally" or by chance. They may learn about social concepts based on facial expressions, body gestures, personal space, or other silent clues. Children with visual impairments often benefit from learning other ways to understand social cues, as they might miss out on visual information. Read on to find helpful resources with more details.

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

• 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.

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

• "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."

ALL students can reach their maximum potential!

That is the fundamental belief of the FAMILIES TO THE MAX: Pennsylvania Statewide Family Network (F2MAX). This dedicated group of families, professionals, and community members is leading change in our homes, schools, and communities. By building awareness, empowering families, presuming competence, and fostering high expectations of students with disabilities, the Network is leading change in Pennsylvania. Click the link below to learn more.

PA Parents of Blind Children is a division of the NFB of Pennsylvania. 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 the button below 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 is distributed during the year.

The division conducts monthly conference calls via Zoom on the second Saturday starting at 7:30 PM. To verify the date and time of the meeting, obtain the participation details, and to learn more about the division, please contact President Simon Bonenfant at 610-212-0016 or sbonenfant2@gmail.com.

Click the button below for more information.

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.

Are you interested in connecting with other parents and families of children who are blind or visually impaired? APH (American Printing House for the Blind) FamilyConnect and the Chicago Lighthouse have partnered together to provide a virtual support group that connects on the first Wednesday of every month from 7:30pm-8:30pm (ET). Click the buttons below for more information and to register for the next support group meeting.

Looking for a little help navigating the special education process? This bundle includes several different publications that provide essential, comprehendible information to families who are new to special education.

Topics include procedural safeguards, special education resources, special education evaluation and reevaluation, a glossary of special education terms, and more!