We have a new Weekly Spotlight where we will post answers to questions regarding intervening, deafblindness, or student issues, or we will post Shout Outs of great ideas or stories about intervening, deafblindness, or student success.

Each week we will choose either a submitted question or a Shout Out to post on our “Weekly Spotlight” area of the website.  Here’s how you can participate:

Do you have a question you would like to ask about deafblindness, intervention, or even a difficult situation you are facing, but aren’t comfortable asking publicly?  Or do you have a Shout Out of a great idea or story you would like to share with others?  If so, type your question or Shout Out in the form below.  You can also send an e-mail directly to intervenerdb@yahoo.com.  Selected questions will be answered by interveners and paraprofessionals in deafblindness.  The questions and Shout Outs will be posted without identifying information as a Weekly Spotlight under the What’s Happening tab.

We are excited to hear from you!!

Send Us Your Question or Shout Outs

Greetings!

We’re excited to announce a new publication created especially for parents of children who are deafblind–A Family’s Guide to Interveners for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss.  Through our combined experiences with our children and having seen the importance of intervener services to their learning and development, we believe that it is critical that  all parents of children and youth who are deafblind be informed about the role of interveners and be knowledgeable about how to advocate for interveners through the IEP process.  This booklet briefly describes deafblindness and the role of interveners, and then guides parents through the components of the IEP process that are most critical to determining the need for intervener services in educational settings.

Each print copy of this 62-page booklet includes the DVD, Deafblindness and the Intervener and a laminated card with important questions to ask during the IEP development. This publication is now being disseminated through the SPARKLE program to families, and it’s our hope that this resource will reach every family who has a child with combined vision and hearing loss in the country.   A copy of this booklet is also being disseminated to Parent Training and Information Centers in each state.  State Deafblind Projects and others can order a copy of this booklet by contacting Fran Payne at fran.payne.usu.edu or (435) 797-5591.  In addition, an electronic copy of the booklet will be available online at www.intervener.org and on www.sparkle.usu.edu.  Families can call 1-855-357-5571 if they have questions or concerns.

Thanks, and we appreciate the opportunity to contribute to ongoing efforts in behalf of children and youth who are deafblind and their families.

Sincerely,

Linda Alsop (Utah)

Clara Berg (New York)

Vivecca Hartman (Texas)

Melanie Knapp (Texas)

Kimberly Lauger (Arizona)

Cheryl Levasseur (Massachusetts)

Sally and Mike Prouty (Minnesota)

To download the Parent Booklet, click on the following link,  A Family’s Guide to Interveners.

Mimi Cisneros Garcia (2012)

“Being recognized nationally as a professional who has trained extensively and been shown competent to work with children with deafblindness is a very proud moment in my life. To be one of the first to receive not only the certification, but the credential is an honor!

My experiences working with deafblind children have been eye opening. My life has been changed since realizing what the world is to them as compared to us. I try not to take for granted the world around me, and I strive to share my experiences with my students as well as my children. That is how we learn, through sharing and being exposed to ideas that we never knew existed. Summing it up in an old Chinese proverb, “Learning is a treasure that accompanies its owners everywhere.”

I love being part of this exciting world in teaching, and I hope to keep helping change the lives of deafblind children for the better as they have done for me. ~ Mimi

Jeanie Schmidt (2012)

Intervening is like gardening. You invest some much time, effort and energy into a child, without immediate results, until one day you can almost see the cogs turning and you watch as the child puts information and knowledge together, and they understand. You watch them bloom like a beautiful flower. Those precious moments make all the hard work worth it. Now I truly know what Anne Sullivan felt at the water pump with Helen.It is a true honor and privilege to be counted among the first group of individuals to receive National Intervener Credentialing here in the United States. The journey on the way to credentialing was a challenging one, but thanks to Linda Alsop’s program at Utah State University and the support of my family, friends, co-workers, and  colleagues, I now have the vital tools necessary in order to continue on this path of being an effective intervener. ~ Jeanie

Jennifer James (2011)

A National Intervener Credential is something that I am honored to be one of the first to have received. I never realized the effects that an experienced and well-prepared Intervener could have on a deafblind child until I witnessed it firsthand. The more training I received in the courses for obtaining the credential, the more my student benefited and improved. It is important that parents, teachers, and administrators realize how important an Intervener is in the life and education of a deafblind child. An Intervener can literally change a child’s life, and this national credential puts us one step closer to bringing more attention to the importance of Interveners. I am incredibly excited to be a part of this new chapter in education!”   ~ Jennifer

Tammi Morgan (2011)

One of my favorite quotes: “You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can’t count the apples in a seed,” and this same comparison comes to mind with the newly established National Intervener Credential and standards.   This national credential sets the standards for Interveners to become recognized as professionals who are trained and competent to work effectively with children with deafblindness.   These Intervener standards are now nationally definable.   That’s exciting!  But what is even more exciting is the number of lives that can be affected as a result.   There are so many children with deafblindness out there, and they all want to be heard and to make sense of the world around them.  Unfortunately, many times they are left on the outside looking in by being served by personnel unequipped to “hear” them or to know how to respond to them.  This leaves the children (and their families) feeling stressed, confused, and helpless.   Giving children the tools and information to become the best they possibly can to not only learn but to also branch out into the world and join others with their unique gifts and talents – this is what I’m most excited about!  That ripple effect will be far reaching, and from where we stand now, innumerable!  National credentialing is the steppingstone to access for many children with deafblindness.  That is what it’s all about, and to that I cheer:  WOOHOO!! ~Tammi ~ Interveners give meaning to life ~ T. L. Morgan

Vicki Spencer (2011)

Vicki Spencer’s Thoughts:  This national certification opens the door for Interveners to attain full recognition for the part we play in the lives of deafblind individuals. I am proud to be one in this first group to achieve this honor under Linda Alsop’s tutelage. ~ Vicki

For employers looking for Interveners:  Please send us the information, and we will publish it here.

For Interveners looking for work:  We will post positions as we get them, but we do not screen any of the positions. You will need to use your good judgment when applying for positions.  Below are a couple of positions that we have received.

Interveners Looking for Work

Colorado

Intervener looking for work within 45 minutes of the Fountain, Colorado, area including Colorado Springs and Pueblo.  Looking for work as an Intervener or any work related to working with children with deafblindness.  Please contact Mimi at ruthannegarcia83@gmail.com.

Intervener Needed in Tennessee

There is a position available for an Intervener in Tennessee.  They are puting together a new teaching team for twins that includes a teacher and two interveners/aides. If you would like more information about this position, please e-mail Jennifer Miller at  jennifer.l.miller@Vanderbilt.Edu.

Teacher (Special Ed/Deafblind) Needed in Georgia

Teacher (Special Education/Deafblind) Needed at the Ellis School in Atlanta, Georgia.  Click for a complete job description.

Greetings!

We’re excited to announce a new publication created especially for parents of children who are deafblind–A Family’s Guide to Interveners for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss.  Through our combined experiences with our children and having seen the importance of intervener services to their learning and development, we believe that it is critical that  all parents of children and youth who are deafblind be informed about the role of interveners and be knowledgeable about how to advocate for interveners through the IEP process.  This booklet briefly describes deafblindness and the role of interveners, and then guides parents through the components of the IEP process that are most critical to determining the need for intervener services in educational settings.

Each print copy of this 62-page booklet includes the DVD, Deafblindness and the Intervener and  a laminated card with important questions to ask during the IEP development. This publication is now being disseminated through the SPARKLE program to families, and it’s our hope that this resource will reach every family who has a child with combined vision and hearing loss in the country.   A copy of this booklet is also being disseminated to Parent Training and Information Centers in each state.  State Deafblind Projects and others can order a copy of this booklet by contacting Fran Payne at fran.payne.usu.edu or (435) 797-5591.  In addition, an electronic copy of the booklet will be available online at www.intervener.org and on www.sparkle.usu.edu.  Families can call 1-855-357-5571 if they have questions or concerns.

Thanks, and we appreciate the opportunity to contribute to ongoing efforts in behalf of children and youth who are deafblind and their families.

Sincerely,

Linda Alsop (Utah)

Clara Berg (New York)

Vivecca Hartman (Texas)

Melanie Knapp (Texas)

Kimberly Lauger (Arizona)

Cheryl Levasseur (Massachusetts)

Sally and Mike Prouty (Minnesota)

To download the Parent Booklet, click on the following link,  A Family’s Guide to Interveners.

It is a true honor and privilege to be counted among the first group of individuals to receive National Intervener Credentialing here in the United States. The journey on the way to credentialing was a challenging one, but thanks to Linda Alsop’s program at Utah State University and the support of my family, friends, co-workers, and  colleagues, I now have the vital tools necessary in order to continue on this path of being an effective intervener.