2020 Virtual DB Summit for State Deaf-Blind Projects

July 20, 2020, 3 pm ET [Child-Specific TA Strand]

Increasing Cultural Competence 
Kathleen Mortier, Project Director and Myrna Medina, Family Engagement Coordinator from the California Deafblind Services 

This session will discuss the results of a qualitative research study on cultural brokering for Latinx families and a cultural humility framework. In addition, insights will be shared by the family engagement specialist from California Deafblind Services detailing ways that culturally responsive practices were implemented through their Family Support Provider Program.  Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

July 21, 2020, 3 pm ET [Child-Specific TA Strand]

Distance TA for Teams and Families
Sam Morgan, NCDB Co-Director and Kristi Probst, NCDB Initiative Lead 

A large percentage of children who are deaf-blind have additional disabilities that make typical distance learning difficult, if not impossible. This has put an immense burden on families and has made the delivery of TA more difficult. This session will discuss distance TA, specifically, the use of tele-intervention practices. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

July 22, 2020, 3 pm ET [Child-Specific TA Strand]

Engaging Families: Introduction to Providing TA to Families Guide
Megan Cote, NCDB Initiative Lead and Sam Morgan, NCDB Co-Director

This session will provide an overview of Providing Technical Assistance to Families: A Guide for State Deaf-Blind Projects. Participants will learn how the guide is organized and steps to take to establish clear processes for the provision of their family TA. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

July 29, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

Establishing Routines at Home 
Susan Bruce and Tracy Evans Luiselli

This session will provide a framework for working with families to support the development and implementation of home-based routines for children who are deaf-blind. It will also address how to use individualized daily schedules to represent activities and routines in the home setting and capture those activities in experience stories and books. Materials for this session are available on the Archived Webinar page.

August 5, 2020, 3 pm ET [Child-Specific TA Strand]

Coaching Parents Using Distance TA
Susan Yarbrough

This session will explore the practical implications of using telepractice caregiver coaching to implement routines-based instruction for students who are deaf-blind. It will include information about essential elements of the expanded core curriculum, successful instructional strategies, quality caregiver coaching, and telepractice educational services and discuss how to use the limited empirical research on this topic to help serve students who are deaf-blind and their families. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

August 19, 2020, 3 pm ET [Systems TA Strand]

State Efforts to Improve Transition Outcomes for Students who are Deaf-Blind with Additional Disabilities
Mike Fagbemi and Ellen Condon

This session will update state deaf-blind projects on the activities of NCDB’s Improving Transition Outcomes Peer-Learning Community, provide examples from several states that are impacting outcomes for their students through systems work, and share resources for state deaf-blind project staff to use in their technical assistance efforts. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

September 2, 2020, 3 pm ET [Systems TA Strand]

Systemic Planning for Part C and Part B Professional Development
Linda McDowell, Kristi Probst and Emma Nelson

This session will explore key elements of building sustainable professional development (PD) plans that increase the capacity of Part C and Part B personnel to serve children and youth who are deaf-blind. Strategies include ways to support the exploration of PD systems, build partnerships, and implement activities that create and sustain systems change. Ample time will be allotted for open discussion among participants to share needs, experiences, and successes from which to build action plans. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

September 30, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

Meeting the Needs of Proficient Communicators
Nancy O'Donnell, Robbie Blaha, and Deanna Peterson, Texas Deaf-Blind Project

While the majority of the children and youth served by state deaf-blind projects are emerging communicators, there is a growing number who are “proficient communicators” being served in general education classrooms. Part 1 of this session will address the identification of proficient communicators and resources and strategies for proficient communicators who are congenitally deaf-blind. Part II will address proficient communicators with Usher syndrome. Materials for this webinar are available on the Archived Webinar page. 

October 7, 2020, 3 pm ET 

Outcomes and Reporting Webinar
Susan Weigert, Sam Morgan, Julie Durando

This webinar will provide a summary of OSEP findings from the Year 2 state deaf-blind project common measures APR data and implications for TA and project performance. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

October 21, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

Academic Standards for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Sheryl Lazarus and Martha Thurlow, National Center on Education Outcomes/TIES

Academic standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities are aligned to the same academic content standards that apply to all other students in each state, but may be based on alternate academic achievement standards. This requirement in the Every Student Succeeds Act is confusing to many people. This session will clarify the distinction between academic content standards and alternate academic achievement standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Materials for this session are available on the Archived Webinar page.

November 4, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

Accessing Grade Level General Education Curriculum
Jessica Bowman, TIES Center
Gail Ghere, TIES Center

In this session, the presenters will discuss key components for providing access and progress in the grade-level general education curriculum, with specific application for students who are deaf-blind. In addition, information about planning and implementing effective academic instruction in the current environment of hybrid distance learning will be shared. Materials for this session are available on the Archived Webinar page.

November 18, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

Early Literacy and Numeracy for Students Who are Deaf-Blind
Jessica Bowman and Gail Ghere, National Center on Education Outcomes/TIES

In this session, the presenters will discuss the basic components of early literacy and numeracy and how they apply to students who are deaf-blind. Content will include research-based teaching strategies and how early literacy and numeracy instruction can be embedded into everyday routines and activities. Materials for this session are available on the Archived Webinar page.

December 2, 2020, 3 pm ET [Child-Specific TA Strand]

Virtual Supervision for Interveners
Ritu Chopra, PAR2A Center and Leanne Cook

Interveners play a critical role in the education of a student who is deaf-blind and it is important that they work under the supervision and direction of licensed professionals.  This session will cover virtual supervision of interveners—based on the same principles and practices used for face-to-face supervision of interveners—which has been necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.

December 16, 2020, 3 pm ET [Deaf-Blind Strategies Strand]

IEP Development
Melanie Reese, CADRE and Lanya McKittrick, Usher Syndrome Coalition

This session will provide families and professionals with an overview of the IEP development process. Topics include common challenges that parents of children who are deaf-blind face when working with IEP teams, strategies that families and other IEP team members can utilize during IEP meetings (virtual and in person) to build family-professional partnerships, and strategies for managing conflict as it arises. Materials for this session are available on the Archived Webinar page.

February 3, 2021, 3 pm ET [Systems TA Strand]

Increasing Identification
Sam Morgan, Emma Nelson, and Robbin Bull

This session will explore key elements of increasing identification and referral (I&R) of children who are deaf-blind. Topics include the use of annual child count data to inform I&R activities, learning about and building partnerships with state systems involved in I&R, and creating systemic action plans. Ample time will be allotted for open discussion among participants to share needs, experiences, and successes from which to build action plans. Materials for this session are available in Basecamp.