Meet Families Just Like Yours—Families with Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

As parents of a child who is blind or visually impaired, it’s one thing to utilize FamilyConnect to read about teaching your young blind child to read and write, learning the role of the teacher of students with visual impairments, helping your child manage his or her feelings about having a disability, or understanding advanced … Continued

Meet Families Just Like Yours—Families with Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

As parents of a child who is blind or visually impaired, it’s one thing to utilize FamilyConnect to read about teaching your young blind child to read and write, learning the role of the teacher of students with visual impairments, helping your child manage his or her feelings about having a disability, or understanding advanced … 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

Holiday Gift Ideas for Children and Teens with Visual Impairments, a Round-Table Discussion

One of my favorite things about our FamilyConnect community is the opportunity to brainstorm together. While we may not have the chance to get together with a group of local friends who are parents of similar age children with visual impairments, we have the ability to do so right here. While sometimes we convene over … Continued

New Article: Creating a DIY Tactile Map for Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

You want to intentionally teach your child orientation and mobility skills, so you invite your child who is blind or visually impaired on motivating excursions such as practicing a trick-or-treat route or walking to the neighborhood park. To help your child orient to the area and to provide instruction in utilizing a map, you decide … Continued

New Article: How to Master Cardinal Directions

You intend to teach your child who is blind or visually impaired orientation and mobility concepts, so you’d like to use compass/cardinal directions to state which direction you’re driving or walking. The only problem is, if you’re like most, cardinal directions aren’t exactly on your list of "things mastered." The temptation arises to simply let … Continued

FamilyConnect’s Latest Article Series: Orientation and Mobility for Blind and Visually Impaired Babies, Preschoolers, Grade Schoolers, and Teenagers

If your child is blind or visually impaired, your child’s education (from birth through the completion of high school) should include more than the core curriculum. It should include the expanded core curriculum, which provides your child with the skills needed to not only access the core curriculum but also to live a satisfying life … Continued

FamilyConnect’s Latest Article Series: Orientation and Mobility for Blind and Visually Impaired Babies, Preschoolers, Grade Schoolers, and Teenagers

If your child is blind or visually impaired, your child’s education (from birth through the completion of high school) should include more than the core curriculum. It should include the expanded core curriculum, which provides your child with the skills needed to not only access the core curriculum but also to live a satisfying life … Continued

New Diagnosis? The Most Common Questions Asked by Parents of Children with Visual Impairments

You’re here because your child has recently been diagnosed with an eye condition. You likely weren’t at all prepared for the emotional impact of the diagnosis, you certainly can’t foresee coping with vision loss, and you don’t understand what to do next. You feel consumed with questions; lost at sea. FamilyConnect Can Help If this … Continued

Attending Conferences for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments

I’d like to initiate a dialogue regarding attending conferences for parents of children who are blind or visually impaired. On behalf of parents who have not attended a conference of the sort, and for my own interest, perhaps former attendees would be willing to answer the following questions: Which conference or conferences did you attend? … Continued