Visually-guided reach (VGR) is a skill that we typically assess and often try to promote in our students, but what about students who have limited motor control and may not be able to extend their arms or control their reach at all? Many students with...
Multiple Disabilities

Posted by Julianne Lemman
Pictello is an iOS app made by AssistiveWare that can be used to create experience stories and social stories using pictures, text, audio recordings, and video. Pictello can be used to build literacy skills, social skills, communication, social-emotional...

Posted by Sharon Elliott
We have successfully transitioned my son who is non-verbal and scored at a 2.5 on The CVI Range (Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy) at his initial assessment to a current score of 5++ by using whole objects in an object schedule system to using photographs of...

Posted by Liamsmom
I am a mother of two sweet boys. My oldest, Liam, is 6 years old. He is deafblind. My youngest, Finn, is 3 years old. He has typical vision and hearing. I really look forward to the Christmas season. I enjoy finding...

Posted by Liz Eagan
As I teach my students cooking skills, we also learn how to write a grocery list for what we're cooking. But what if a student can't write the list? What if pictures are the media used to communicate, as well as read and write?
I found this cool...

Posted by Ann Bolin
My goal in working with students to create vision portfolios is to promote self-determination skills when talking to their classmates or teacher. I want all of my students to be able to say more than just, "I wear glasses".
I am sharing an...

Posted by SarahSteele
and by Julie Lemman
It can be difficult for learners with multiple disabilities or Deafblindness to understand various COVID-related concepts, such as the importance of wearing masks, staying home, and washing hands frequently. We have put together two...

Posted by Adam Wilton
The lightbox is a tool to provide access to literacy materials for students with multiple disabilities, including those with cortical or cerebral visual impairments (CVI). In the past, the lightbox has typically been used to promote sensory efficiency,...

Posted by Julianne Lemman
and by Sarah Steele
As a follow up to our last blog post Family Engagement During Remote Instruction of Students with Deafblindness and Multiple Disabilities, we wanted to share some strategies that we have found help to optimize online learning for...

Posted by Stacey Chambers
and by Angela Campbell
Each year brings new team members such as new classroom teachers, related services staff, speech pathologists, and paraprofessionals. This year has brought a new, very important member to our collaborative team - our families and...

Posted by Derya Uyar
This week summer vacation ended and schools have started with distance education in Turkey. We continue online classes with our students.
I have 3 students this year. All of them are with MDVI (multiple disabilities and visual impairment). This year I...

Family Engagement During Remote Instruction of Students with Deafblindness and Multiple Disabilities
Posted by SarahSteele
and Julianne Lemman
During the last six months of online instruction, we have found that finding ways to support families of students with multiple disabilities or deafblindness is the key to success.
Acknowledge Different Levels of Support at Home...

Posted by Amy Flores
Some children rely on others to help with activities of daily living, due to motor limitations. Nonetheless, we can help build understanding and anticipation which will allow the child to mentally prepare for having their personal space entered to...

Posted by Amber Rundle Kahn
“I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be.” – Fred Rogers
We had early snow in Denver this past school year. The lesson that inspired this post...

Posted by Amy Flores
Students who are visually impaired and blind may be visual, auditory or tactile learners. For many students, despite their visual impairment or legal blindness, print or large print is their primary learning media. However, some students use braille or...

Posted by Jay Hiller
Hey, was working and teaching from home in your plan a month ago? It wasn’t in mine either. But here I sit, writing home based activities for my students in my adult daughter’s former bedroom, accompanied by two young dogs that...

Posted by Sarah Blackstone
This post is adapted with permission from the authors Aileen Arai, MA, Director of Education, The Bridge School and Sarah W. Blackstone, PhD, CCC-SLP, PI, CVI/AAC Project, The Bridge School, from a presentation at the Getting in Touch with Literacy conference...

Posted by Regina Quaid
and Misty Epperson
All children love to play hidden object games. Here is an activity that I found on Pinterest that students with vision impairments can participate in with a few minor accommodations.
I Spy Tubes
First make the “I Spy Christmas...

Posted by Liz Eagan
A student of mine is what I call "tactually hesitant". She's not defensive, just hesitant with new textures and experiences. She is in a life skills class and is learning braille, and recently she surprised me! It took me nearly a school...

Posted by Paths to Literacy
Submitted by Gerald Abner, Clinical Instructor with the Teacher Preparation Program for Visual Impairments and Jasamyn Nichols DeGrant a graduate of the program and Teacher of the Visually Impaired in Clark County Schools
Students who are blind or...