The National Center on Deaf-Blindness
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March 2015

NCDB eNews

As we work together, we build both knowledge and relationships. The knowledge comes from what we each know about the issue. The relationship develops from what we are willing to do together to improve practice.
~ IDEA Partnership

Network News icon  Network News

Early Identification and Referral
Has your project completed the Self-Assessment Guide for Early Identification and Referral? A number of state projects across the country are using the guide to develop outreach efforts to improve their identification of young children who are deaf-blind. Results speak for themselves. One state has increased their referral rate by 75% in the first year. Completing the guide is the first step towards creating a data-driven action plan for collaborating with systems in your state. Interested? Complete the TA request form or contact Megan Cote, Project Specialist, Early Identification and Referral.

Literacy
Twelve state projects come together monthly to support the development of NCDB’s Literacy Website. Later this month, Shawna Benson from the Ohio Center on Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) will join the group to share materials that have been developed to help link literacy to standards instruction. The team is also in the process of developing a plan to expand picture and video examples to support the strategies delivered within the site. If you are interested in joining the team or want to talk to individuals from this group about ongoing technical assistance efforts related to literacy, contact Nancy Steele, Project Specialist, Literacy.

Intervener Services
NCDB is currently pilot-testing a guide that IEP teams can use to make informed decisions about the need for intervener services for a child or youth who is deaf-blind. The guide is intended to promote discussion about how a student’s deaf-blindness affects his or her access to information, communication, social relationships, and conceptual learning as well as the supports and accommodations needed by the student to provide access in these areas.

The development team, who generously shared their time and resources, included individuals from state deaf-blind projects and NCDB, as well as parents and university faculty.  A special note of thanks to Texas Deafblind Outreach for permission to use their document, Determining the Need for an Intervener in Educational Settings, as a model.  If you know of a team that might be interested in piloting the guide, please contact Peggy Malloy, Implementation Practices Coordinator.

Transition Institutes - Summer 2015
The Transition Institute has, over time, served as a great example of inter-agency collaboration across multiple states, connecting youth, families, and service providers along the way. This year we are excited to announce that there will be two institutes hosted by two different state deaf-blind projects with 15 states participating.

The Alabama project will start the summer off with an institute scheduled for June 11 - 14. This will be followed by the institute hosted by the Kentucky project scheduled for June 18 - 21. The theme of both institutes is “Accessing the Dream.” For young adults ages 14 – 22 years old who are thinking about their future, this is a great opportunity to learn with peers, families, and deaf-blind mentors. We are continuing to build outcomes related to these events. Current outcomes for youth have been identified as Student Development, Focused Planning, and Self Determination. Family outcomes are Advocacy, Family Empowerment, and Raised Expectations. Deaf-Blind Project outcomes include Program Structure, Interagency Collaboration, and use of the Transition Toolkit.
Transition outcomes for youth families and DB projects
Planning for these institutes is underway. If you are interested in participating in either event contact Mike Fagbemi, Project Specialist, Transition.

Family Leadership Website Launched
In late December, NCDB launched a new tool, the Family Leadership Website. The site provides resources to support leadership training for parents of children with disabilities. Families can build on the experiences of families before them in learning to advocate for needed services for their child. Technical assistance projects can find resources to plan high quality family leadership training. Hosted site tours are coming soon. Stay tuned! If you have questions, contact Megan Cote, Project Specialist, Family Engagement.

Calendar icon  Upcoming Events

Drop In Hosted Conversation for State Projects, Monthly
NCDB continues each month with an opportunity to join with state project staff around topics and issues. March will feature a "meet and greet" with Linda McDowell and Sam Morgan from NCDB.

OSEP Virtual Project Directors' Meeting April, 2015
Informational sessions, poster presentations and program area meetings will all be presented in this new virtual learning environment. Registration closes April 10. Sessions will be held April 27 and 28, 2015.

DB Summit July, 2015
Planning will soon be under way for meeting, July 21-22, 2015, in Salt Lake City, UT. Watch the NCDB site for details.

Networking Opportunities
CEC’s Division of Visual Impairments and Deafblindness, will hold special networking opportunities at the April conference of the Council for Exceptional Children. Stop by if you are in San Diego.

Calendar icon  Keeping Up

More than a quarter of state projects have new staff. Please make sure that information about your state project displayed on the NCDB website is current. Check your listing and contact us if you need additions or changes.

Developing information and resources about NCDB’s national initiatives can be found in the Initiative Groups from the Connections tab on the Home page of the NCDB website.

NCDB Staff

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The contents of this communication were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education #H326T130013. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Teaching Research Institute, nor the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Jo Ann McCann.