FREE On-Line Paraprofessional/Intervener Training
For Personnel Working with Children who have
Combined Vision and Hearing Loss (Deafblind)
Beginning January 15
th
, 2018
The New England Consortium for Deafblind Technical Assistance (NEC) is collaborating with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) to provide regional intervener training during the 2018 school year (states of CT, ME, MA & NH). The training provides a wonderful opportunity for schools or programs with paraprofessionals/aides, teachers or service providers who would like to receive
FREE
intervener training.
Participants who complete ALL requirements will receive a $300 stipend from NEC. Note - space is limited
Training will include:
·
An online training hosted by an expert in deaf-blindness/sensory loss and additional disabilities—using modules developed by the National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
NOTE: Often, children with multiple disabilities have vision and hearing loss that goes undetected or staffs are unaware of the impact of sensory loss on learning and effective intervention strategies.
·
Coaching and consultation from New England Consortium (NEC) personnel as needed.
·
NEC support of the candidate to develop a portfolio required for national certification.
Why Interveners?
Interveners help schools meet the challenge of providing students who are deaf-blind with access to information they are unable to gather via vision and hearing. An intervener works one-on-one with a student, facilitating communication and supporting concept development. In educational settings, interveners are typically para-educators (paraprofessional, ed techs) who have received specialized training in deaf-blindness and the process of intervention. Nationwide, there exists a great need for trained interveners and there is a federal initiative to increase the number of trained interveners
.
School/Agency Requirements
Participating schools and agencies must have:
·
A child with deaf-blindness for whom the intervener candidate will provide one-to-one intervention and support during the 2018 school year.
·
An established educational team for the child (including family members) that supports the intervener candidate as he or she participates in the training program.
·
Administrators who are knowledgeable about the role of an intervener and actively support the position.
·
A willingness to work with NEC personnel as they provide technical assistance to the intervener candidate and possibly the team as a whole.
·
The ability to provide release time and support will increase the likelihood that the intervener candidate will complete the training.
Benefits to Schools/Agencies and Children
Benefits of this training program include:
·
High-quality professional development for the intervener
·
Increased knowledge and skills for the intervener regarding the use of evidence-based practices
·
Interveners that meet Council for Exceptional Children competencies
·
National Intervener Certification track
·
Anticipated improved student outcomes
During the training, participants will receive:
·
Feedback on all assignments
·
Support and monitoring to ensure active engagement
·
Opportunities for discussion with other participants via web conferencing
·
Coaching and consultation from NEC staff – within the New England area
·
Mentoring to develop an intervener portfolio
