Let's Make a Gardening Sensory Bin

Gardening isn’t for everyone. Some children with blindness or visual impairments are easily overwhelmed by new textures or smells; others have limited mobility that makes getting outside more challenging. Instead of growing a real garden, you can make a sensory bin filled with garden-themed materials to teach the same concepts about nature and the outdoors. Learn more HERE.

Grow a love for gardening with your child who's visually impaired! Click HERE for more fun gardening ideas.

Deaf Blind Awareness Week Starts June 27 Helen Keller Deaf Blind Awareness Week is June 27 to July 3. This national advocacy campaign has been held each year since 1984 when President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation in recognition of this meaningful week.  Just in time for the celebration, Mattel just unveiled their new Helen Keller Barbie doll. Not only is she wearing historically accurate clothing, Ms. Keller is also carrying a real braille book, and there’s braille on the toy’s packaging.

How to Communicate with Your Child Who Is Deaf and Blind All babies communicate. It is through communication that you form and sustain your relationship with your child. You learn how to interpret and respond to your baby’s communications to form the bonds that become the foundation for development.  When your child has both a visual impairment and hearing loss, however, it may be more difficult to understand what they are trying to tell you and you may not be sure how you can best communicate and interact with them. HERE is a new parent resource from the National Center on Deaf-Blindness with ideas on how you can make your child’s world safe and understandable and enjoy many “conversations” together, whether your child has a vision or hearing loss, or both.

Spotlight on Maggie Tutt Maggie joined A Shared Vision as an Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired in 2019. She also works full time as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments for the Douglas County School District. Maggie enjoys the unique relationships she’s been able to build with her families. “The thing that I love the most about early intervention is the close connection that we are able to have with families." “When I am in the home, I am able to listen to and help the caregivers just as much as the child. I feel that the connections, coaching, and work that we do together allows the family to feel a sense of unwavering support in a time that can be ever changing for these families. I also think that the work that we do in early intervention helps set the family and the child up for success as they move into life-long learning.” Read about Maggie HERE. A SHARED VISION IS DOING HOME VISITS AGAIN!

Sign Up for Training

Basic Strategies for Babies & Toddlers with Blindness or Visual Impairments. Join this 1-hour virtual briefing on June 25 to learn about basic strategies for supporting very young children who are blind or visually impaired. Basic strategies include hand-under-hand, wait time, verbal descriptions, and reading child's cues. Several key principles will also be discussed including the importance of observation, fundamental differences in learning, and active learning when engaging with children who are blind or visually impaired. This training is recommended for parents and other caregivers, early intervention providers, and CCB service coordinators. Sign up NOW. Check out our training offerings HERE

We're Hiring! Do you love working with babies and toddlers? Are you interested in supporting little ones with blindness or visual impairments? Referrals across the state for vision services are increasing for children birth to age three! We would like to find teachers to help meet these statewide needs. A Shared Vision is the leading provider of early intervention vision services in Colorado. We’re looking for collaborative, sensitive, licensed Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments who are interested in a flexible work schedule. We will support the training and mentoring to help you succeed in early intervention – it is different providing services to caregivers, rather than students! If interested, please send an email HERE with your resume and a short paragraph on why you're interested in supporting families with children, birth to age three.

A Shared Vision is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the leading provider of in-home and community early intervention vision services in Colorado. We inspire and empower families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so that all children may discover their brightest future.

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