Emma Nelson

National Center on Deaf-Blindness : Initiative Lead for Early Identification and Intervention
Portland, OR 97202

emma.nelson@hknc.org
5035044836

As an Initiative Lead for NCDB in the area of Early Identification and Intervention, I work with national and state partners in efforts to identify infants and toddlers with deaf-blindness as early as possible, to encourage referrals to State Deaf-Blind Projects, and to ensure that the individuals working with infants and toddlers across state and national systems including Part C, Medical, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, and additional Community Systems have access to opportunities for high quality personnel development.

I am certified as an early childhood special educator and have taught infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with complex needs including DeafBlindness in classrooms, community, and home based settings. Before coming to NCDB, I served as Project Director of the Vermont Sensory Access Project, Vermont’s Federal DeafBlind Project, as well as the Vermont I-Team Early Intervention Project, a project that supports local providers serving infants and toddlers with intensive special needs and their families. I am trained in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and endorsed in the CVI Range and earned my Master's degree at Hunter College in Early Childhood Special Education with a concentration in severe and multiple disabilities and deafblindness.