Creating a Solid Foundation: Working with Infants and Toddlers who are Blind/Visually Impaired (BVI)

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Description

Early detection and intervention is crucial to the development of infants and toddlers who are BVl. During this session learn about specialized instruction, assessment, and skills for Orientation and Mobility (O&M) when working with young children who are BVI. Information will be given about eye conditions including those with neurological visual impairments.

Participants will learn:

How to interact with an infant or toddler who is BVI
Tips and strategies for introducing concepts about orientation and mobility (O&M)
Key components to include when performing a functional vision assessment (FVA) and learning media assessment (LMA)

This session is presented by Johanna Brutvan and Beth Brabbs.

Contributors

Johanna Brutvan

Johanna Brutvan is an Education Consultant for the Michigan Department of Education- Low Incidence Outreach (MDELIO). Brutvan holds degrees in elementary education, visual impairment, curriculum development and early childhood. She is also a Perkins-Roman Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Endorsed Specialist since 2017. She served as president and board member of the Michigan Association of Education and Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired (MAER) from 2014-2018. Prior to working at MDELIO Brutvan worked a teacher consultant for the visually impaired for 16 years in the metro Detroit area serving students from birth to 26.
Beth Brabbs

Beth Brabbs is an Education Consultant for Michigan Department of Education–Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO) with more than 30 years of experience in the field of visual impairment. Brabbs earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education with an endorsement in Blind/Visually Impaired from Eastern Michigan University. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in orientation and mobility (O&M) from Western Michigan University. Brabbs is certified to teach students with blindness and visual impairment in Michigan and is an ACVREP certified O&M Specialist. Before joining MDE-LIO in 2021, she taught in Maryland and Southeast Michigan.