In Early Intervention, We Advocate for Babies and Toddlers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

We’ve all heard the saying comparing children to sponges—soaking up all the verbal and nonverbal cues from the world around them. Just as a sponge placed in the vicinity of an expanding puddle will inevitably absorb and store the contents into its many pores, so will a child, exposed to various sensory information, have access … Continued

The Indelible Impact of Louis Braille

When I decided to go back to school to become a teacher of students with visual impairments, I shared my decision with a friend and teacher’s assistant in special education for over 21 years. While her class is not specifically for students with visual impairments, she has always made a point to read the story … Continued

The Expanded Core Curriculum for Students with Visual Impairments: It Takes a Village

By Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald with Sean Tikkun, guest blogger When discussing the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) and the multifaceted responsibilities that come along with the territory—providing the skills and training associated with the curriculum—one person comes to mind, the teacher of students with visual impairments. But, as we learned in our last post, this is not … Continued

The Expanded Core Curriculum for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: Start Earlier, Do More

By Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald with Sean Tikkun, guest blogger The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) has a very specific purpose. It was created as a strategic method to address the needs of students with visual impairments, ensuring that they receive the necessary specialized instruction and skills to benefit from their general education. To achieve this large task, … Continued

In the Hands of the Beholder: Artist Who Is Blind and Deaf Shares Why Not Doing Art Because You’re Blind Is No Longer an Excuse

Decades before Carol Saylor started to notice that the colors on her canvas were not as bright, and years before the sounds in the classroom and studio were reduced to a low hum, she chose a lifelong path steeped in creation and expression through the fine arts. She listened to her internal voice; she committed … Continued

Reinforcing Music Literacy: Lighthouse-SF Blind Music Academy

This past summer, we discussed the unique value that music lessons and music therapy add to your child’s expanded core curriculum (ECC). We highlighted some of the ways that private music lessons, music therapy sessions, and access to music programs in elementary and high schools across the country can enhance social interaction skills, regulate emotions, … Continued

Inclusion in Life: Ted Talk Speaker Kristin Smedley Shares About Her Children with Visual Impairments

In the opening of her Ted Talk this past May, Kristin Smedley shared a very honest story about one of many very hard days as the mother of a blind toddler. Michael was three years old, bouncy and delightful. She was paralyzed daily by the fear, anger, and grief that his CRB1 diagnosis caused her. … Continued

How Music Therapy in the Expanded Core Curriculum Can Improve Your Visually Impaired Child’s Life

Michael Bertolami is a Board-Certified Music Therapist at Perkins School for the Blind and, for the last 18 years, has been observing the benefits of music as an auditory experience, a method of communication, and as a facilitator for social interaction and connection. As Perkins is a multi-program school with an early learning, elementary/middle, deaf-blind, … Continued

How Music Therapy in the Expanded Core Curriculum Can Improve Your Visually Impaired Child’s Life

Michael Bertolami is a Board-Certified Music Therapist at Perkins School for the Blind and, for the last 18 years, has been observing the benefits of music as an auditory experience, a method of communication, and as a facilitator for social interaction and connection. As Perkins is a multi-program school with an early learning, elementary/middle, deaf-blind, … Continued

In Italy, “I” Stands for Inclusion, Part 2: A Closer Look at Italy’s Approach to Educating Blind and Visually Impaired Students of Today

Editor’s Note: In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (Thursday, May 18), we are sharing two stories about the education of children who are blind or visually impaired in Italy. Today’s story dives into Italy’s current approach to educating children with visual impairment. If you missed part one of this series, check out “Gabriele Colantonio … Continued