Presenters: Peggy Tutor Mynga Chi

1. Los Angeles Unified School DistrictEarly Childhood EducationProgram for the Visually ImpairedEarly Start Program Presenters: Peggy Tutor Mynga Chi

2. Philosophy • Children and Families are Visually Impaired Together. • Parents are children’s first and primary teachers and their relationships with their children make it possible for them to more fully promote children’s growth and development. • Best practice services require appropriate collaboration between parents, teachers and other providers to support child development.

3. Philosophy • Learning strategies and activities should be embedded in children’s and families’ daily routines. • Quality interactions with parents, siblings and other family members are key precursors to optimum child development. • Children and families must be actively engaged in activities for learning to occur. • Materials found everyday in the home can be used to facilitate child and parent growth, development and learning.

4. Home made toy

5. Infant/Toddler VI Population • Current active caseload Partially Sighted Blind DBL LAUSD VI services only LAUSD & RC (All DBL) services Pending approximately 120

6. Major Diagnoses of VI Children Served • Optic Nerve Hypoplasia-range of vision needs as well as health issues. • Albinism- extreme sensitivity to light and a range of vision disabilities. • Cortical-Neurological Vision Impairment –eye structure intact however, neurologic impairment is present. • Retinopathy of Prematurity – range of vision needs depending the severity of the condition. • Cataracts • Various syndromes • Overwhelming majority of children we serve have congenital, not adventitious (post-birth trauma) visual impairment.

7. Learning Needs of Children with Visual Impairment • The learning needs of children with visual impairment vary. Low vision Vision is the primary sensory channel. Functionally blind Limited vision for functional tasks but need their tactile and auditory channels for learning. Totally blind Use tactile and auditory channels for learning and for functional tasks. (Project Ideas, Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2008)

8. Educational Strategies for the Visually Impaired • Variability- spectrum from mild to moderately visually impaired • Supporting/facilitating parent child interaction • Experienced based learning • Repeated opportunities for hands on learning • Incorporating skills learned into daily routines • Visual stimulation activities • Verbal description of activities/Simple language • Use of other senses to access the environment

9. Unique Characteristics of the Young Blind Child • Potential difficulties in mother-child bonding and attachment • Delayed and hard to elicit smile • Low verbalization rates • Lack of eye contact • Passive infant • More subtle cues than a typical developing child, mother has to learn to “read” the child • Tactile defensiveness • Mannerisms

10. Challenges • Challenges of providing comprehensive vision services to a diverse population: Children have a range of health issues (other than vision). Children have a range of visual disabilities. Children and families abilities vary.

11. Challenges • Multi-cultural considerations 1. Child/family home language when it differs from that of the teacher. 2. There is an additional level of collaboration necessary when a bilingual special education assistant/trainee is required. 3. Families’ cultural backgrounds, educational expectations of parents, parental views on disabilities.

12. Challenges • Providing services in the home 1. Families have different socioeconomic levels 2. There are different size of the physical space or accommodations of parents’ homes. 3. Materials available for home educational uses differ 4. There are different levels of safety in neighborhoods.

13. Challenges • Timely and appropriate collaborations with community and district partners do not always flow smoothly. • Each child and family is unique in terms of disability, family systems and support that are required. Even children with the exact diagnosis and background have different needs and skill levels.

14. Benefits • Benefits of providing comprehensive services to children and families: It is exciting to see growth and change in individual children in all areas of development. We have the opportunity to empower parents and families in various areas of their lives and their children’s educational development.

15. Benefits • Benefits of providing comprehensive services to children and families: We have built powerful relationships with families and with our community partners that facilitate quality service delivery to children and families.   We are able to engage in program evaluation and brainstorm with partners how to jointly serve the overall needs of children and families.

16. Benefits • We have the opportunity to participate in life long and life changing events that shape both children’s and parents/families’ outlooks and attitudes. • We witness child and parent bonding and the amazing courage, resiliency and love family members display toward one another.

17. Strategies and Supports Teaming with parents/caregiver- combining teacher expertise regarding visual impairment/ diseases, knowledge of eye anatomy, and child development with parent knowledge of individual child likes, dislikes, habits, motivation, developmental strengths and challenges to provide quality services.

18. Strategies and Supports • Discovering through observation, informal and formal assessment and parent interview how vision impairment impacts child’s overall cognitive, communication, adaptive, social-emotional, fine and gross motor development. • Developing and implementing with families a family service plan (IFSP), looking at the family’s priorities and needs, including low vision, functionally blind and totally blind educational strategies as appropriate, positioning, sensory, and support strategies, activities that encourages voluntary movement, orientation and mobility and exploration of the physical environment.

19. Strategies and Supports • Coaching, modeling and demonstrating techniques repetitively to ensure parent-caregiver participation • Promoting parent-caregiver repetitive turn-taking involvement in all activities. • Sharing relevant information with parents and/or caregivers regarding child’s vision loss, strengths and challenges and overall development • Reinforcing parent efforts in learning activities and appropriate development dialogue serve to empower parents. • Use of appropriate specialized equipment and materials

20. Light Box Activity

21. Little Room

22. Strategies and Supports • Use of appropriate assessment tools • Quality collaboration with multidisciplinary team members • Families’ use of and involvement with appropriate community agencies and resources • Educational planning and implementation designed to meet the unique strengths and challenges of individual children and families.

23. Strategies and Supports • Evidence and content-based best practice strategies and techniques EBP is a decision-making process that integrates the best available research evidence with family and professional wisdom and values. EBP facilitates decision-making regarding the best ways to deliver instruction. The What Works Clearinghouse established by the U.S. Department of Education Sciences provides a central, independent and trusted source of scientific evidence of what works in education (wwwcinfor@w-w-c.org). (Buysee, V. et al., Evidence-Based Practice, What does it Really Mean for Early Education and Intervention, 2006)

24. Program Features • Ongoing Observation/Assessment – Informal and formal Oregon Project ELAP – Early Learning Accomplishment Profile Checklists High Risk Signs of Visual Impairment Level of Vision Development Informal observational assessment of Hearing Speech and Language Development

25. Program Features • Curriculum The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers Developmental Guide for Infants and Toddlers who are Blind Developmental Guidelines for Infants with Visual Impairment (Deborah Chen, Amanda Hall Lueck, Linda S. Kekelis) • Natural environment and supports Home Family or community day care setting

26. Program Features • Family Support Centers Parent peer support, group learning working on social play and self help skills Valley site – Tarzana Elementary City site – Blend School Once a week for 150 minutes Psychiatric Social Worker Supported by Nurse, O & M, OT and PT

27. Blend Family Support Center Circle Time

28. Tarzana Family Support Center Music Time

29. Program Features • Family oriented/centered services Services are coordinated with parents and caregivers who serve as equal team members in developing educational plans. Evidenced-based strategies, techniques and practices are implemented. Parental participation facilitates parent education and promotes increased positive relationships and appropriate behavioral support. Encourages appropriate parenting skills and higher quality parent verbalizations. (Home Visiting: Strengthening Families by Promoting Parenting Success. Policy Brief, 2007)

30. Program Features • Relationship-based services This model focuses on responsive care-giving. The teacher mirrors the attributes and attitudes that are fostered by the parent. This practice facilitates optimal parent-child interactions. (Wilcox & Weber, Infant Child Research Program, ASU-Tempe, 2001)

31. Parent-Child Interaction

32. Program Features • Early literacy Everyday home and community activities, routines and events serve to encourage infants and toddlers to listen, talk and learn the building blocks of everyday literacy. Introduction to books, Braille books, real objects, and concept box. Assisting parents in developing scripts to recite or read when completing daily routines. (Allai, Gultentag et al., Journal of Primary Prevention, 2008)

33. The Hungry Caterpillar

34. Program Features • Desired Results for children/families 1. Children are personally and socially competent. 2. Children are effective learners. 3. Children show physical and motor competence. 4. Children are safe and healthy. 1. Families support their children’s learning and development. 2. Families achieve their goals. (CA State Department of Education)

35. Program Features • Infant Massage Promotes attachment and bonding between child and parent Facilitates communication and promotes body awareness Clinical observation – Improved postural tone, symmetry and decrease of hypersensitivity (Occupational Therapy Forum, October 1988)

36. Program Features • Qualified Staff-Professional Team – Masters degree/Credentialed Staff Six teachers of the visually impaired Two orientation and mobility specialists • Bilingual (Spanish) special education trainee/assistant support Support instructional activities through modeling and demonstration Share relevant child information with teachers and parents Interpret and translate oral and written information.

37. Program Features • Psychiatric social worker Networking with community agencies for appropriate family resources Family assessments – coping mechanisms, stages of grief Short-term family counseling – personal growth Parenting support, behavioral management techniques Crises support – housing, immigration, abuse

38. Program Features • Occupational therapist Supports sensory skill development, tactile and oral motor explorations Supports play appropriate skills and facilitation of developmental play Bilateral exploration of objects and materials Referral to community agencies

39. Sensory skill development

40. Program Features • Physical therapist Positioning support Movement exploration and motor skill development Referral to community resources • Nurse Facilitate understanding of child’s disability Ensures child’s physical tolerance and health for educational services Update child’s medical information Facilitate referrals for appropriate medical support and sharing of relevant medical information Promote general child and family healthy lifestyles

41. Program Features • Educational Supports CSMT – Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology APH Registry – American Printing House for the Blind Babies Count Low Incidence Funds for specialized materials/equipment

42. Community Collaborative Partners • 6 Regional Centers in the LAUSD catchment area Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center Harbor Regional Center Lanterman Regional Center North Los Angeles County Regional Center South Central Los Angeles Regional Center Westside Regional Center

43. Community Collaborative Partners • Early Head Start Agencies El Nido Family Center Children’s Institute Inc. Hope St. Family Center Volunteers of America USC UCLA HomeSafe/Vista de Mar

44. Community Collaborative Partners • Private and Community Agencies Braille Institute CA Deaf/Blind Services Junior Blind of America Therapeutic Learning Center Blind Children’s Center Center for the Partially Sighted Community/Family Day Care Centers Medical Community Hospitals Physicians Clinics

45. Collaborative Partners-LAUSD • Early Childhood Education programs Early Education Centers Ready for School Centers District EHS Centers - future • Preschool Special Education Part C Transition to Preschool IFSPs Transition Service Facilitators • Preschool Intake and Assessment Teams Part B - FVA Assessors Preschool Assessment Preschool program visits Preschool Transition IEP meeting Head Start Agencies

46. Collaborative Techniques • Annual procedural and program descriptive meetings • Family Resource Center and Vendor Meetings • Assigned contact persons • Numerous Telephone contacts

47. Collaborative Techniques • Interagency Agreements • Memorandums of Understanding Background Purpose Responsibilities of each agency Child Find Referral procedures Fax, mail, e-mail Confidentiality and exchange of information IFSP development

48. Collaborative Techniques • Interagency Agreements • Memorandums of Understanding Transition procedures Training and technical assistance Community partnership Conflict Resolution Period of agreement Approvals Signatures Appendixes (not mandatory)

49. Collaborative Techniques • Joint IFSP Development – Initial, 6-month review, Annual and Transition Attend in person, by report, by phone Receipt – fax, mail, e-mail • Referrals and Parent Meetings • Releases of Information • Accompanying parents when attending medical (primarily ophthalmological) appointments.

50. Resources • www.fpg.unc.edu/~edin/resbytype.cfm?type=19 • www.wonderbaby.org • http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/eyes-of-me/film.html