In this issue:
  • Recognition
  • NDBEN
  • Professional Development
  • Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities and Complex Needs
  • Strategy of the Month
  • Literacy and adapted books
  • In the News
  • Upcoming Events
back_to_school.jpg
It's already that time... back to school! Where has the summer gone? We are excited to continue offering our services and trainings for families and those in education! We look forward to serving you in this new school year!
Rose and Brandy
Recognition
A huge congratulations to these two! Ari and Nichole have completed all 27 Deaf-Blind Modules. This adds up to over 200 hours of training in deaf-blindness. This training and knowledge makes them incredible assets to the teams they work with!
Ari DenOtter-Conroy works as a Lead Teaching Assistant at LifeScape Specialty school in Sioux Falls. She works with elementary aged students. Ari has a degree in Early Childhood Development from SDSU. In her free time, she likes to run, hike, do yoga and relax with her husband, 2 dogs and 2 cats.

*See Ari's quote about the impact the modules have had on her in the Professional Development section.


The SD Deaf-Blind Project works to train paraprofessionals and assist them on the path to become Certified Interveners . To learn more, contact Rose Moehring.
 Nichole DeSautel:
I’m a Teacher of the Deaf in the West Fargo School District. This will be my fourth year of teaching. Prior to that, I worked as a Sign Language Interpreter for four years in the district. I work with the secondary students; middle and high schoolers. The Deaf-Blind Modules have given me a wealth of knowledge that will provide me the necessary skills to work with this very specialized group of children (students). The Deaf population holds a very special place in my heart and I absolutely love the work that I do and the students I get to work with.
National Deaf-Blind Educator's Network
(NDBEN)
The National Deaf-Blind Educator's Network is starting soon!

If you have questions or are interested in joining, please complete this Interest Survey If you have already indicated an interest in being part of this group (Currently 5 South Dakota Teachers have expressed interest) and have already completed this survey, you do not need to complete it again.
New Name, Same Great Learning
"Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities and Complex Needs"
(Formerly titled Deaf-Blind Modules)
What are Sensory Disabilities?
A sensory disability is a disability of the senses (e.g. sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, propioception & vestibular). It has been said that up to 90% of the information about the world around us comes from our vision. When an individual has two sensory losses (vision and hearing), this combination creates a disability that is very different from either hearing or vision loss alone. Because so many children who are deaf-blind have additional disabilities or health problems, the strategies in these modules are very relevant to children with complex needs.
How can the SD Deaf-Blind Project help?
It can be difficult to find training, education and best practice classroom strategies for students who have sensory difficulties and complex needs. Through a collaboration between the University of South Dakota, the South Dakota Deaf-Blind Project, and the National Center on Deaf-Blindness, ongoing professional development is being offered to teachers and related services providers with a variety of credit options available. Although the information is geared toward Deaf-Blindness, much of it can be applied to students with severe disabilities/complex needs. This training is available for both in-state and out-of-state participants.
What people are saying about
these training modules...
“I have really enjoyed working through each module. Even though my students are not exactly Deaf-Blind, I still find a lot of information that I can easily use for my classroom… I haven’t found any (other) type of training that addresses the needs of my students this closely.”
- Christy Chitwood, Special Education Teacher/TCVI


 " As a parent who has taken the Deaf Blind Modules, I have found them to be incredibly helpful. As a parent, I know how my son thinks and interacts with the world, but I lacked the “why”. The Deaf Blind Modules have helped me to understand why my son interacts with the world as he does. By learning the why, I have been able to share knowledge and better explain Oliver to his support teams. Which in turn has allowed his support teams to better serve and support him. I look forward to continuing to take the modules and learning more."
-Amber Finnesand, Parent of Oliver, age 3


“I have gained so much valuable information by taking the deaf-blind modules. It has really helped me to better understand my students and become a stronger teacher. My relationships with my students have strengthened since taking the modules.”
-Ari DenOtter-Conroy, Lead Teaching Assistant

Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Families,
Administrators, register below!
Meet your Instructor
Hello!
My name is Brandy Sebera and I am the primary instructor for the "Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities & Complex Needs" courses. I completed my Master's degree in Special Education in 2008 and worked as a classroom teacher for 6 years. My students had complex and multiple disabilities and I fell in love with this population of students. I later took a position as a homebound instructor and it was not until then that I learned about deaf-blindness. I jumped into any opportunity to learn specific deaf-blind educational strategies.

I can clearly remember my "ah-ha" moment when I realized the strategies created specifically for students who are deaf-blind are completely relevant for many students who have complex needs (who may not be deaf-blind) . I wish I had this information when I first began working in the field of special education for students with complex needs and disabilities.

I have completed all 27 Deaf-Blind Modules as well as 66 hours of in-person training through the Minnesota Deaf-Blind Project (when I lived in Minnesota).

My passion for serving students with complex needs including deaf-blindness has grown and I am thrilled to now be able to help share knowledge, strategies and tools with other professionals and families!
My husband Brian and I with our 4 energetic and always entertaining children!
In our free time we enjoy swimming, cooking, reading and watching movies together.
Strategies of the Month:
Literacy and Adapted Books
As you get ready to start the new school year, you may be thinking, "How can my students with complex disabilities and/or deaf-blindness participate in literacy?" The National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) created a Literacy Practice Partnership that included numerous state Deaf-Blind projects, educators, and other staff to create this unique technical assistance tool.



The Literacy Skills Checklist is a great place to begin!

Experience stories, tactile books, and object books all provide an entrance to the world of literacy, using concrete materials relating to the child's own life. In general the language used is simple and based on key vocabulary within the child's own experience. Pages usually have braille, print, and real objects or partial objects attached to each page. It is often helpful to use a three-ring binder, as pages tend to be thick.

Kathee Scoggin (Formerly with the Washington Sensory Disability Services) highlights what Literacy can look like for children who are deaf-blind and may also have other disabilities impacting their access to typical literacy.
Experience books are very personal to the student and should include objects that directly relate to an experience they have had.
Object Books are similar to experience books, but can be more general and used used to teach concepts or routines. Some examples might include bath time, meal time, to teach counting or concepts like big/little, rough/smooth.
Before you begin your object book journey, read this Texas School for the Blind article including the what , why and how to use object books with your students! These books do not need to be fancy or elaborate. Use real objects that relate to the experiences of your student.
Object Book Example
Experience Book Example
Paths to Literacy is another great resource. I highly encourage you to take a few minutes and browse this website if you work with students who are deaf-blind and/or have significant disabilities.
In the News
Check out these awesome women making history!
Haben's book was just released on August 6, 2019!
Learn all about her here !
New Marvel Film ' The Eternals ' Will Feature First Deaf
Superhero, Lauren Ridloff
Upcoming Events
Center for Disabilities
2019 Symposium and The JAM
September 16th & 17th

Registration Deadline is September 13th!
Snag your tickets here today!
Keynote Speakers
Mental Health and the Intersection with Developmental Disabilities

Yona Lunsky, PhD
Advocacy
and
Leadership



Russell Lehmann: Speaker, Author, Poet, Advocate
Native American Health
and
Disability Needs


Donald K. Warne, MD, MPH (Oglala Lakota)
Who Should Attend?
  • Self-Advocates
  • Families
  • Healthcare Providers
  • Mental Health Professionals
  • Educational Professionals/Paraprofessionals
  • Community Support Providers
  • Community Members
  • Vocational Rehavilitation Counseors
  • Employers
  • Everyone!


For information contact:
Center for Disabilities
605.357.1439
cdevents@usd.edu
Rose Moehring, M.A. Spec. Ed.
Certified Low Vision Therapist
Deaf-Blind Program Director
Rose.Moehring@usd.edu
(605) 357-1437
Brandy Sebera, M.S. Spec. Ed.
Deaf-Blind Program Instructor
Brandy.Sebera@usd.edu
(605) 357-1437
South Dakota Deaf-Blind Project| Visit our website!
SD Deaf-Blind Program Grant #H326T180053