Perkins eLearning To Go

We are continuing our “How to help your child with CVI” series today with “Teamwork” Teamwork is so important in many aspects of our lives, and certainly when it comes to helping a child with CVI. During this podcast you will hear, as always, from Dr. Mary Zatta who will be discussing importance of teamwork and collaboration for children with CVI and strategies that you can use to encourage your child’s team to work together. Then you will hear from some of the parents whose children have CVI as they recount their experiences with their own teams.Also, don’t forget, if you are a professional and would like to earn professional development credits from this series, please visit our website at perkinselearning.orgEnjoy this podcast.

This weeks podcast is the 3rd in our series “How to help your child with CVI” The past few weeks we have looked at Diagnosis and Assessment, this week the focus will be on Intervention.It is always good to have someone knowledgeable to “Show you the ropes” so to speak. During this podcast, you will learn how to identify intervention strategies and know what qualifications to looks for in a professional provide appropriate services to a child with CVIJust like the last two podcasts, we will hear from Dr. Mary Zatta who will provide information regarding this topic and then hear from parents who will share their experiences in this area.As a reminder, for professionals who are listening to this podcast, you are able to earn professional development credits by completing the self paced tutorial on this subject. For more information, please visit our website at perkisnelearning.org. 

We are continuing our new series "How to help your child with CVI".  Todays podcast will focus on Educational Assessment.  As with last weeks podcast, you will hear from Dr. Mary Zatta.  She will be discussing the importance of Education Assessments, and then we will hear from parents who will share their experiences in this area.  

Hello!  We are starting a new series on this podcast titled "How to help your child with CVI".  This is based on a self-paced tutorial offered at no charge on perkinselearning.org - only in podcast form!  We hope this series will be of help to parents and professionals who may have questions regarding CVI.

This weeks podcast we will be discussing Guide Dogs.  I had a delightful conversation with Jake Koch, community outreach specialist with Guide Dogs for the blind,  we discussed a variety of topics in regards to guide dogs.  When is a good time to think about getting a guide dog?  Are there things that should be completed prior to getting a guide dog?  Which is better,  guide dog or cane?  All of these and more are discussed during this podcast.  Please enjoy!If you are interested in contacting Jake, please visit Guide Dogs for the Blind website at https://www.guidedogs.com/ 

In this podcast, Ike Presley talks about the world of assistive technology and walks us through a range of assistive technology options. He shares some of the strategies involved in conducting an assessment as well as in choosing the right assistive technology tool for the learner. Presley also provides guidance regarding how often learners should be reassessed and resources for staying current with assistive technologies.

Charlotte Cushman is back on the podcast to discuss Virtual ExCEL Academy.  As you will hear, this virtual classroom is available at no charge to students, teachers, parents, or anyone who is interested in attending.  If you are interested: https://www.aph.org/join-virtual-lessons-for-at-home-education/It is always a delight to speak with Charlotte.

Today we have a special guest. Kelly Fonner took some time to talk with me. Kelly is a self-employed consultant and trainer in assistive and educational technology. As you will learn, she has a well developed career in assistive technologies spanning over 30 years. She and I spoke about her journey, and discussed the needs for classroom today, and also what is the latest trends in assistive technology? 

Karen Wolffe, Ph.D. describes the importance of career education for students who are blind or visually impaired. Dr. Wolffe describes the importance of starting very early in a child’s development in order for the student to develop the necessary skills to achieve success in the future.In addition she talks about the “golden opportunity” of career awareness and the role this instruction plays in the student’s dreams and choices they make for the future.

Welcome to Perkins eLearning to go! Todays podcast will be a reboot of one of our webcasts. In this webcast, Lucia Hasty discusses teaching children with visual impairments braille. We have many requests for courses on this, so I hope this podcast will be helpful.

 Hello!  Welcome to Perkins e-Learning to-go!  Today's podcast is an audio version of one of our classic webcasts - a reboot.  We will be learning about Mealtime Skills for Children with Visual Impairments today.Sue Shannon, an occupational therapist, describes some of the challenges faced by students who are blind in learning mealtime skills. It focuses on and  provides video demonstrations of effective strategies for teaching the skills of pouring, serving, utensil use and cutting.The presentation shows different techniques for each skill and the adaptations for students at different levels of learning.  

Hello and Welcome to Perkins eLearning to go – this is Valerie.  What will we listen to today?  Well, I had the opportunity to talk with a very special person.  She has spent over 30 years as a speech pathologist and has spanned states to focus on teaching children, with multiple disabilities-  including deafblindness, visual impairment and autism how to communicate.    We at Perkins eLearning are honored to have her instruct one of our courses “Autism and Visual Impairment, The Better together curriculum”.  And to top all this off, she is an amazing person and wonderful to speak with.  Of course I am talking about Linda Hagood.  I was joined by my colleague, Robin Sitten, for this interview and had a wonderful conversation with Linda.  Please visit the micro-site for Linda's work here 

Perkins teacher Kate Fraser presents teachable moments in the area of science, from tactile modeling to managing safety in laboratory instruction. Learn more about science instruction in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind by contacting science@perkins.org .Click here for an accessible transcript on the Perkins eLearning website.

Lotfi Merabet joins us and discusses his journey to becoming interested in CVI,  successes he recognizes with research in this area, and what is happening now and what is in store for the future? Dr. Merabet is an optometrist-scientist and is active in clinical research relating to individuals' adaptations to blindness. As director of the Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity, Dr. Merabet's main research interests include the development of assistive technology for the blind and understanding how the brain adapts to the loss of sight (both from ocular and brain-related causes). (Massachusetts Eye & Ear) Click here for an accessible transcript on the Perkins eLearning website

Today we bring you one of our pre-recorded webinars. This one is titled Considerations for Reducing Complexity with the Home which was presented by Marguerite TibaudoMarguerite Tibaudo reviews the complications that complex environments pose for children who have CVI, specifically targeting the home environment, and provide discussion points on the development of creating visually accessible environments with an emphasizes on teaching strategies to build compensatory skill development.Marguerite is a CVI mentor and lead teacher with Perkins school for the blind.

Teachable moments are back! What is a teachable moment?  It is a short (4 minutes) recording on a specific teaching strategy that is easily adaptable into the classroom.  Want to see what these look like in person?  Not to worry, here are the links so you can view the video when you have time. Multi-Step Object CalendarObject Schedule SystemsPartial and Tactile Calendar SystemSchedules and Calendars  Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Today is the third podcast in our College Success series. Leslie Thatcher and Kate Katulak are back to discuss orientation and mobility and how important these skills are for independent living.  This is a big topic so they brought along an expert, HuyenTran Vo an orientation and mobility specialist here at Perkins.  I have relinquished my microphone to them and have asked them to make the podcast their own.  It is an interesting discussion, I hope you enjoy it. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Hello! We are on a short break,  please enjoy this "classic" Perkins eLearning to go podcast.  Evaluating a classrooms complexity for a child with cortical visual impairment can be a challenge.  Thankfully, Matt Tietjen explains how this can be accomplished and allow your student to have a visually accessible school day.Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

The ability to develop friendships and interact with other students is a common concern for parents of children with visual impairments. In this webcast, Tom Miller looks at social skills development for students with visual impairment, including analyzing and adapting teaching activities to teach social skills to students who are visually impaired or deafblind on an equivalent level with their peers. Tom's presentation on Social Skills for Children and Youth with Visual Impairments is part of a larger book called "Welcoming Students with Visual Impairments to Your School." and is currently available in the Amazon store. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

On today’s podcast we have some familiar voices, Leslie Thatcher and Kate Katulak are back to discuss transitioning to college.  Today’s topic?  Technology.  As you can imagine, technology is extremely important for any college bound young adult, but this is especially important for those with a visual impairment.  Leslie and Kate will discuss this and the importance of learning the basics of technology from an early age, what they should be learning, and who should be teaching themClick here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

It is time for a few teachable moments!  What is a teachable moment?  It is a short (4 minutes) recording on a specific teaching strategy that is easily adaptable into the classroom.  Today we will be listening to 5 teachable moments on adapting books for children with visual impairments. Want to see what these look like in person?  Not to worry, here are the links so you can view the video when you have time. Shape surpriseThe Tiny SeedPolar BearSupermarket BookWhat's for lunch Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

Did you know you can teach a child about the beach using a plastic or paper plate, some card stock, and a few pom poms?  Enter Gwyn McCormack, founder of Positive Eye.  Gwyn has been using her visionary skills for the past 12 years to educate children, in a very creative and fun way.  In this podcast, she will provide many teaching ideas, most using items found around the home or in a craft store.  She will also share with us a few exciting projects she is working on to help facilitate a child's learning in a new way.  

Dr. Jan van Dijk of the Netherlands, was an international leader with more than 50 years of experience in the field of deafblindness. In this podcast, he shares his expertise on child-guided assessment. Dr. van Dijk assessed children by observing and following their movements, emotions and interest to gain insight into each child’s learning process. His child-guided method of assessing is recognized and used throughout the world. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website 

In this weeks podcast we are airing a reboot of one of our webcasts.  The webcast, Charge Syndrome an overview is brought to us by Pam Ryan.  During this webcast Pam will discuss the features of charge, medical complications, and how this syndrome can effect a child's learning.  Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

This is part 1 of 4 in our college success series.  Leslie Thatcher and Kate Katulak are here to discuss what can help someone with a vision impairment get ready for college.  This can start early on in the students life with learning braille and finding out what type of assistive technology method(s) will be useful for the student to succeed in their classes.  What else does it mean to get ready for the transition to college, and what else should be on their "to-do" lists?  Lets find out. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

"The most important part of science is not so much being able to answer questions correctly on a test or knowing who discovered what. It's being able to become a problem solver and a thinker and develop critical thinking." - Kate Fraser.  Please enjoy this webcast reboot of "Accessible Science for Students with Visual Impairment"  during this podcast we will virtually enter the classroom with Kate Fraser, and discover how she teaches her students about topics in science.Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Rachel Bennett is a mom to Clara and Henry.  She is a busy mom, balancing her work and home life.  Bringing the kids to their various appointments, play dates, school, etc.  She is also learning as much as she can about Henry's CVI diagnosis and doing everything she can to advocate for him (and others) and teach him how best to use his vision.  This amazing woman came to talk with me, and we had a great conversation.  Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Diana Autin offers deafblindness guidance based on Educational Service Guidelines that were developed by New Jersey's Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). Guides include fact sheets, mini-guides and an IEP Meeting Checklist. Educators can use these guidelines to understand the implications of combined vision and hearing loss on learning, and to recognize the need for specialized assessment, program planning and service delivery.  Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

As children with CVI enter phase II, two functions are improving.The ability to understand symbols - moving from a 3D object to 2D photo, and color highlighting - outlining areas in a favorite color so the child can determine where objects are.During this teachable moment,  Ellen Mazel will be discussing these two topics.  Click here for an accessibly transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

As young adults are transitioning to college, there are many unknowns for the student.  What is the best school? How will they find classes? Will they make friends?  For many, this might be their first time out on their own.  First time they had to figure out where to eat, or even how to do their laundry.  This can be intimidating for any young adult.We will be talking with Kate Katulak and Leslie Thatcher about transitioning.  They will be presenting some tips and thought pauses on how this process to transition can be a smooth one.  I am also excited to tell you this will be a 4-part series.Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Have you ever wondered what it might be like as a vision impaired person in the 1800s? Early 1900’s?  What was around for assistive technology when Helen Keller was at Perkins?  I spoke with Jen Hale and Susanna Coit from Perkins Archives to find out the ins and outs of this department and had an amazing talk with them.... wait till you hear the most interesting "items" in the collection. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Graphics provide so much information to a sighted reader, and symbols conveying what a story is about or what’s being displayed can be really important and meaningful to a braille reader as well. In this webcast Lucia discusses spatial relationship and graphic literacy, moving from models to graphics and strategies for teaching students to read tactile graphics.Lucia Hasty has held teaching and administrative positions in special education for more than 30 years. Retired from education, she is a consultant, presenting workshops and developing training materials for a variety of audiences. If you are interested in learning more about this podcast, please visit our website at www.perkinselearning.org Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

How do you know if your student/child is available for learning? Are they attentive and ready to learn?Should you postpone learning if a child is not alert? When is the best time for learning?Chris Russell from the New York collaborative is joining us and will be answering these questions and more. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Jenna Friedman's work as a Speech Pathologist led her to do extensive research about Cortical Visual Impairment, after many of her clients’ families reported they were not sure if their children could see. Friedman considers the CVI Range© Assessment part of all comprehensive speech and feeding evaluations she conduct for children with indicators for CVI, to ensure that all children are supported by accommodating for their visual skills and needs. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

In this audio version of a webinar, Susan Abu-Jaber focuses on birth to three orientation and mobility. Together, we will look at skills in this age range knowing that each child is unique, and will develop at their own pace. Susan Abu-Jaber is an orientation and mobility specialist and currently works at the Perkins campus. She has worked with students with visual impairments, deaf-blindness and other challenges for 31 years. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

Imagine losing your vision at 17 years old. Think of how much your world has just changed.This is what happened with Ashley Purdy. A couple years ago, she lost her vision. She has needed to "start over" what most of us take for granted. She has a very interesting story andwas a pleasure to talk with. I think you will agree she is a pretty amazing young adult. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

How can you reach a child in the sensorimotor stage of development?  We talked with an expert in this topic and she explains it all.   Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

This weeks podcast is a special recording from Perkins own CVI symposium. Listen and learn about all of the latest news in CVI! Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Lacey Smith a parent of a three year old girl with CVI talks about the challenges she experiences in transitioning her daughter from early childhood services to preschool. Smith talks about important topics such as developing the first Individualized Educational Program and finding the most appropriate placement and provides advice to parents in this regard. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Megan Mogan is a former Speech-Language Pathologist at Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, who specializes in working with students who are early communicators, including deafblind learners and VI students with multiple disabilities. Currently, Megan is going through a career change, we talk about this and what led her to change her career path. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Ellen Mazel discusses how vision is processed in a child with cortical vision impairment (CVI), how the child understands the visual part of their world, and the importance of early intervention. She also offers strategies for assessment and intervention.Ellen works as the CVI Program Manager for Perkins School for the Blind. She joined the administrative leadership team at Perkins School for the Blind to create and oversee Perkins CVI assessment program. The position includes continued research with Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, a leader in the field, as well as several vision professionals at MIT, Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School to advance knowledge about CVI. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on Perkins eLearning website.

Perkins eLearning offers a variety of online courses, tutorials, and webinars. We talk with Robin Sitten, program manager for Perkins eLearning, to discuss Perkins eLearning inside and out. Hear what goes on behind the scenes, how topics for classes are considered, and what the future holds for online learning at Perkins!Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning websiteIn this episode we have a special host, Robin Sitten from Perkins eLearning, interviews Dr. Alan Lantzy to discuss all things Cortical Vision Impairment – from the beginning when assessment was new or non-existent, to what has evolved and changed over the past 15 years (and who was driving this change.)  It is a very special episode of Perkins eLearning to-go.

Yue Ting Siu provides us with an introduction to current technologies employed to help access instructional materials. In addition, she guides us in exploring new and emerging technologies for the digital classroom, including image and video description, and multimodal data displays. Finally, Yue Ting talks about the focus on braille and tactile literacy in the digital age and the issues related to reconciling these priorities with technology.Ting is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) with 14 years of experience working with students with visual impairments, severe/multiple disabilities, and deafblindness. Ting's research includes: Assistive technology development and implementation, teacher preparation and professional development, digital inclusion, and multimedia accessibility. She also provides research and consulting support to bridge technology development and teachers' adoption of tools for the classroom. (www.tplus.education) Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

Diane is our guru for Paths to Technology. As the web-manager, she joins us to discuss the website and how you could become a blogger for paths to Technology (and possibly make some extra money in the process).Diane is an educational accessibility consultant collaborating with various educational app developers and agencies. She splits her time between managing the Perkins eLearning website, Paths to Technology, presenting workshops on a national level and working on accessibility-related projects.Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

What can happen when a diverse group of people come together to tackle challenges facing children with CVI? Ed Bosso, Superintendent and Executive Director of Educational Programs at Perkins School for the Blind, talks with us about fostering a unified approach to solve complex problems.If you're interested in taking part in breaking down challenges facing children with CVI, you can join us at the 5th annual CVI symposium July 11 and 12. For more information visit www.perkinselearning.org/symposium. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

Dr. Lueck provides an overview of cerebral visual impairment and the challenges that parents and professionals face in terms of understanding how children with CVI use their vision. She emphasizes the importance of assessing the child to understand what they see.Amanda Hall Lueck, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Special Education & Communicative Disorders at San Francisco State University has worked in the field of visual impairments for over 40 years. At the University of California, Berkeley Low Vision Clinic, Dr. Lueck coordinated education and rehabilitation services. She has been a teacher in California and Wisconsin, and she was the Director of the Assessment Center for the Visually Impaired, an outreach unit of the California School for the Blind. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website.

What is Active Learning? Charlotte Cushman knows and is here to discuss all things Active Learning. Charlotte Cushman is the driving force behind Paths to Literacy; she manages this website for Perkins School for the Blind and Texas School for the Blind. In addition, Charlotte is an active blogger for Paths to Literacy. Charlotte is also the website manager for Active Learning Space, she sat down with me to discuss this site and how Active Learning can be of assistance when teaching children with visual impairments. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Amber Bobnar is a parent of a young boy with visual impairment and additional disabilities. In this webcast, she talks about how important it is to involve children with disabilities in their community and gives advice on how to make this happen. Amber is the creator of the WonderBaby.org, a website which provides a support network and a multitude of resources for parents of children with visual impairment. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning webiste

We are in for a treat! After completing a live webinar for Perkins eLearning Dr. Blackstone and Dr. Roman- Lantzy stayed to discuss the exemplary work being done at The Bridge School in California.Dr. Sarah W. Blackstone is past president and fellow of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) and a founder and board member of its US Chapter. Dr. Blackstone is a contributing author to Cortical Visual Impairment: Advanced Principles, where she addresses the AAC needs of children with cortical visual impairment.Dr. Christine Roman developed the CVI Range©. She and Perkins eLearning work in partnership to offer courses on CVI and the CVI Range©, as well as the Perkins-Roman CVI Range Endorsement. Dr. Roman is the Director of The Pediatric View Program at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. Click here for an accessible transcript of this episode on the Perkins eLearning website

Welcome to Perkins eLearning To Go! We're excited you found us, take a quick listen to our teaser podcast to see what's in store.Transcription:[MUSIC PLAYING]Valerie[00:01] Hello, and welcome to Perkins eLearning to Go. This is Valerie. Thank you so much for your interest in our podcast. I just wanted to take a moment to explain what you can expect from our podcast. Well, they will contain recordings from past events at Perkins eLearning, interviews with leaders in the field of visual impairment and everything Perkins eLearning is known for.[00:22] They're just in a to go format. Our hope is you will find our podcast enjoyable and entertaining. All the while, providing a piece of something new that will help improve your skills with children who are visually impaired.[00:35] If you enjoy our content, please make certain to subscribe, follow, rate, and review. And if you would like more information on the topics and courses we offer, please head over to perkinselearning.org. Thank you so much and enjoy.