When Brian and Danielle Ford learned their son, Benjamin, had albinism, they didnât quite know where to begin. Brian shared his experience with APH FamilyConnect, writing about the diagnosis and the pursuit of getting Benjamin all the resources he needed. One of those resources was Melisa Matthews, a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) who … Continued
Share Your Insights and Concerns with the Office of Special Education Programs. Weâre Listening! By Rebecca Sheffield and Eric Caruso As project officers in the U.S. Department of Educationâs Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), we work with grant-funded projects and centers across the United States to support the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities … Continued
Editorâs note: September is Albinism Awareness Month. In effort to increase awareness of albinism and subsequent low vision in children, APH FamilyConnect shares a dadâs story of learning his young son has albinism. A Dadâs Perspective: Learning My Son Has Albinism Benjamin was born in November 2017. He was fair-skinned and blonde and looked exactly … Continued
APH CareerConnect Advisor and friend of APH FamilyConnect, Lisa Lloyd, and her husband have a 14-year-old who is blind whom they adopted from India just before her 5th birthday. If you know Lisa and her husband, you know they are fierce advocates for the truly unique needs of their children. Lisa shares, âOur daughter is … Continued
by Dr. Lauren Lieberman and Ruth Childs Editorâs Note: Dr. Lauren Lieberman and Ruth Childs share information about a seven-part APH ConnectCenter webinar series where Dr. Lieberman and additional experts will provide information, examples, and tools to support access to recreation and physical activity for all children, including those who are blind or low vision. … Continued
What does a parent or caregiver need to know about the IEP process? So far weâve looked at the purpose of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP): An âIEPâ is designed to set forth the way a school will meet the educational and disability-related needs of the child. Weâve also looked at the components of an IEP meeting, including what will be discussed and … Continued
As we celebrate Louis Brailleâs birthday and World Braille Day on January 4 â and Braille Literacy Month throughout January â itâs an ideal time to consider how important it is for all students who are blind or visually impaired to learn braille. Of course, there are plenty of ways to take in language without sight, from … Continued
APHâs Director of Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion, Tai Tomasi, J.D., M.P.A. (she/her/hers), knows a thing or two about learning to be self-sufficient from an early age. One of 27 children adopted from around the world, Tai was born blind due to retinopathy of prematurity. From the beginning, her parents made sure Tai had early intervention … Continued
What was your childâs first word? This question seems innocent enough, but it caused a great deal of heartache for me every time someone asked it. With respect to my daughter Mary, that first word was never spoken. Throughout our years in Early Intervention, we focused a great deal of effort and energy on encouraging … Continued
Last year, a document was created by the Council of Schools and Services for the Blind (COSB) and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI). The document is titled, âA Bill of Rights for All Children with Visual Impairment and their Families.â The idea for this document came about … Continued