California Deaf-Blind Services says farewell to many of the staff members based at our former southern California office in Lake Forest, but we are pleased to welcome new field staff, support staff, and related personnel affiliated with CDBS.
The CDBS central California region is now served by a new team-Educational Specialist Vivian Perez-Kennedy and Family Specialist Melinda Shipman. Vivian comes to CDBS from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and Melinda has been active in many organizations and advisory boards in the Sacramento and Yolo counties area. Both Vivian and Melinda are based at the CDBS south office located at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and can be reached at 818-677-4532.
Sam Morgan, who formerly served central California as an Educational Specialist, is now serving northern California in the same position, and Maurice Belote has moved into the position of Project Coordinator.
CDBS is also pleased to welcome new support staff to the project. Sylvia Freiberg has joined the project as Project Assistant for the office based at CSUN, and Rebecca Randall Jones serves as a part-time Project Assistant in the north office.
Dr. Lori Goetz of San Francisco State University (SFSU) serves as the Project Director for CDBS activities that the California Department of Education has contracted with SFSU to provide. Dr. Goetz is a nationally recognized leader in the field of deaf-blindness, and serves as the Director of the California Research Institute. Dr. June Downing and Dr. Deborah Chen of CSUN serve as the Site Co-Directors for the new CDBS southern office, located on the CSUN campus. Dr. Barbara Franklin serves as the Principal Investigatorfor the project, and will coordinate the upcoming May 1998 satellite training on the use of FM systems for students who are deaf-blind. Each of these four university professors has served on the CDBS Advisory Committee, and they each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to CDBS related to individuals who are deaf-blind.
These staff changes and additions present our project with exciting possibilities, and will allow CDBS to move forward to identify innovative approaches to meeting the needs of those we serve.
CDBS has made a number of changes to our service delivery model in order to better meet the needs of the individuals we serve-infants, toddlers, children and youth who are deaf-blind. When requests are received for technical assistance and training services, CDBS regional teams will explain these changes and orient those familiar with our services to the new process.
One of the most significant additions to the service delivery model is the introduction of the child centered planning process as an integral part of all technical assistance activities. Technical assistance activities will begin with a planning process developed by CDBS, but individually tailored to meet the unique needs of every individual and situation.
CDBS has been involved in technical assistance activities for a number of years, and we have learned many things along the way. We have learned that technical assistance to schools and families is most successful when everyone on the child's team joins together to identify common desired outcomes. We never really know what the team's goals are for a child until we sit down together and talk about them.
The child centered planning process provides a method for bringing people together who know the student well and care about that student's future. This group of people, under the leadership of a group facilitator, identifies the student's strengths, preferences, and connections to life communities. The group also explores the student's history, and the many significant events that have shaped and influenced the student throughout her or his life.
The information gathered by the child centered planning process guides the group in better meeting the child's needs. The information also guides California Deaf-Blind Services, as we identify how we can best be of service to that child, the family, school, and community. The information that comes from a student centered planning process is also extremely valuable in that it guides the members of the IEP team as they develop goals and objectives that are relevant to the student, and valued by the family and school staff.
Evaluating Child Change
The second addition to the CDBS service delivery model is implementation of a tool to evaluate child change-we want to determine if a child who CDBS serves through project activities has a better life because of the contributions that CDBS provided to that child's team. CDBS will be asking school staff who receive technical assistance from the project to choose a few days throughout the year to document what kind of activities the child is involved in.
CDBS is most interested in the quality of life of the children we serve. Although defining positive quality of life is a difficult and subjective issue, we have identified some key factors that we think make up a life that any of us would want-for our children, for the students we serve, and even for ourselves. Some of these factors are:
This evaluation tool is based on the Valued Outcomes Information System (VOIS), developed by the Neighborhood Living Project, at the University Of Oregon, College of Education. CDBS has adapted the VOIS tool to allow us to gather information specific to students with sensory loss.
Over time, this gathering of information will give CDBS a better idea of our effectiveness. This information will also be shared with state and federal agencies to demonstrate the need for services specifically targeted at meeting the unique needs of children who are deaf-blind.
If you have questions about these changes, contact your CDBS regional team, or Project Coordinator Maurice Belote at (800) 822-7884, ext. 23, voice/TTY.
California Deaf-Blind Services promotes positive quality of life for individuals from birth through age 21 who have both hearing and vision loss. The goal of the project is to facilitate maximum participation in preferred life activities. California Deaf-Blind Services collaborates with individuals who are deaf-blind to celebrate strengths, recognize unique needs, and develop personalized supports and services.
California Deaf-Blind Services announces Interactive Satellite Trainings to assist schools and families in meeting the needs of individuals who have vision and hearing problems- with or without additional disabilities
Thursday March 19, 1998 1:00-3:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time "Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Curriculum Adaptation and Design for Children who are Deaf-Blind" Lead Presenter: Kathy Gee, Ph.D., California State University, Hayward Dr. Gee will be joined by a parent and a teacher to discuss how to adapt and modify curriculum and materials for students who are integrated into general education environments, so that they are active participants in their classroom environments.
Thursday May 28,1998 1:00-3:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time "The Use of FM Systems with Children who are Deaf-Blind" Lead Presenter: Barbara Franklin, Ph.D., San Francisco State University Dr. Franklin will be joined by an audiologist, a teacher, and a consumer to present the latest information on FM technology and related classroom modifications.
Satellite trainings are interactive workshops that can be viewed at many sites throughout California. Many school districts, county offices of education, community colleges and universities maintain downlink satellite stations. Participants can phone in questions during the trainings. CDBS is available to assist participants in finding downlink sites, and in grouping viewers together to facilitate discussion of the topics. On-screen sign language interpretation will be included.
Please copy and distribute this flier to all interested individuals. To pre-register for the training(s), complete the form below and mail or fax to CDBS. Pre-registrants will receive technical downlink information, advance materials, and advance ordering information for additional resources. Same-day registration will be conducted during the training(s), but participants are urged to pre-register. Pre-registration must be received by March 9, 1998. CDBS, 604 Font Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94132 • Fax (415) 239-8096 • E-mail: cdbsmb@sfsu.edu For information, call (800) 822-7884 ext. 21 Voice/TTY • Outside Calif., call (415) 239-8089 ext. 21
Name
E-mail address
Address
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State
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Daytime phone
Evening phone
I am a family member professional (county of employment: )
I am interested in the following training(s): Inclusive Education, FM Systems, or both trainings
California Deaf-Blind Services reSources Sponsoring Agency California Department of Education
Project Director Alice Parker Editor Maurice Belote Design & Layout Rebecca Randall Jones
CDBS reSources is published quarterly by California Deaf-Blind Services. Please address all correspondence or reprint requests to the editor at the below address. Unsolicited manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by sufficient postage. reSources is not responsible for lost or damaged manuscripts or photographs, and reserves the right to edit stories for grammar, length or correctness. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the California Deaf-Blind Services staff, California Department of Education-Special Education Division, or the
U.S. Department of Education. Funding Provided By: I.D.E.A., Part C, Section 622; CFR Title 34, Part 307 Services for Children with Deaf-Blindness Program U.S. Department of Education