10 Cool Ideas for a Hot Summer Day

Meet Grayson

When Grayson was two months old, his parents Kelly and ER noticed that his eyes moved back and forth. Two months later they found out he had ocular albinism, which can cause nystagmus and light sensitivity. “We were worried,” explains Kelly. “Was he ever going to ride a bike? Would he see the mountains? You don’t want your child to struggle. Looking at him now, though, he’s doing amazing!” Except for his visual impairment, he acts like a typical little boy who loves going to the park, making art projects, baking cookies, and watching Mickey Mouse videos on the iPad.

The family started working with their EI-TVI from A Shared Vision when he was one. “We learned from our teacher not to treat him differently than any other kid. Just give him the resources to let him grow to the best of his ability," explains Kelly.

When Grayson turns three in July, he will attend preschool in his local school district. Kelly and Grayson met their EI-TVI at the school’s playground to familiarize him with the equipment. “She helped make him aware of all the drop-offs and how to be safe,” explains Kelly. HERE are more parent resources on preparing for preschool.

Grayson has also started wearing glasses. Keeping them on is easy because he has frames in orange, blue, and mint green, and the lenses adjust to the sunlight when he’s playing outside. Once when he took his glasses off, he told Kelly, “I need a break, Mom. I can see with my eyes.” Spoken like a young boy with confidence in his growing abilities!

10 Ways to Play With Water

Nothing is more refreshing than cooling off in water on a hot summer day. While very young children might not be jumping in the swimming pool quite yet, the concepts of water, bathing, and water play for infants and toddlers with visual impairments can still be introduced in a fun, accessible way. Here are some ideas to help you cool off with a “splish, splash” of water.

-- Explore water in different ways outside the bathtub or sink. Pour some room temperature water on a tray and allow your child to touch or splash the water with their hands or feet. Add water toys or waterproof glowing cubes to encourage more tactile play.

-- Dip in a water sensory bin. Fill a small tub with water and position your child in front of you or on your lap so they can look at the bin and reach the water with hands or feet. Experiment with other water sensory bins filled with brightly colored sponges in different shapes, toy fish, things that float and sink, or measuring cups. Add interesting water “toys” you already have in your home! Stir, scoop, and pour with spoons, cups, bowls, and strainers. Try squeezing bottles, sponges, or even a turkey baster.

-- Paint the sidewalk. Bring a bowl of water and a small paint brush outside or to the park. Dip the brush in the bowl, and let your child try painting the sidewalk, driveway, or other surfaces. Paint rollers and sponges are fun to paint with, too!

-- It’s raining! Fill a small spray bottle with water and “sprinkle” your child’s hands or feet with water. Spray other body parts when your child is comfortable with the feeling of sprinkles. Let your child practice spraying water with the bottle, too – this is a great way to strengthen little hands.

-- Ice pop painting will keep you cool! Mix a few drops of food coloring with water, pour the liquid into ice cube trays, insert an ice pop stick, and freeze to make ice pop painters.

-- Read some books together about bath time. Some favorites include DK’s Bathtime Peekaboo! (which you can order in braille/print), Sandra Boynton’s Bath Time!, and Clifford’s Bathtime by Norman Bridwell. HERE is a book with a surprise – the colors appear when the pages get wet!

-- Sing a song about getting wet, such as “It’s raining, it’s pouring.” To the tune of “Are You Sleeping/Frere Jacques,” try “Tops and bottoms, Tops and bottoms/In between, in between/Wash your hands all over/Wash your hands all over/Now we’re clean, now we’re clean.”

-- When it’s raining, go outside and feel the rain on your face or splash in a puddle.

-- What is wet INSIDE your home? Are the dishes in your sink wet? Is the dog’s nose wet? Why do we wash our hands or brush our teeth?

-- Call your EI-TVI from A Shared Vision for more cool ideas!

Anschutz Family Foundation Invests

in A Shared Vision

We are so grateful for the Anschutz Family Foundation who just awarded a grant of $7,500 to A Shared Vision! This generous grant will help us further our mission of empowering and supporting families in Colorado who have very young children with blindness or visual impairments. Focusing on rural Colorado, the Anschutz Family Foundation grant will ensure children with visual impairments receive essential early intervention vision services from a community of highly skilled and collaborative professionals.

Ask the Expert -- What Is Hand Under Hand?

For children who are blind or visually impaired, their hands are their eyes. Hand under hand is an invitation from a caregiver to a child to explore and learn together. It is the most respectful way to engage because it provides a sense of safety while giving the child the option to choose whether or not to join the activity.

In hand under hand, the adult puts their hand under the child’s hand and gently guides the child through an activity such as touching a new object or using a tool like a spoon.

Giving a child the choice to participate in an activity promotes independence by allowing the child to become an active learner rather than a passive participant.

We're Hiring!

Do you love working with babies and toddlers? Are you interested in supporting little ones with blindness or visual impairments? Referrals across the state for vision services are increasing for children birth to age three! We would like to find teachers to help meet these statewide needs.

A Shared Vision is the leading provider of early intervention vision services in Colorado. We’re looking for collaborative, sensitive, licensed Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments who are interested in a flexible work schedule. We will support the training and mentoring to help you succeed in early intervention – it is different providing services to caregivers, rather than students! If interested, please send an email HERE with your resume and a short paragraph on why you're interested in supporting families with children, birth to age three.

A Shared Vision is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the leading provider of in-home and community early intervention vision services in Colorado. We inspire and empower families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so that all children may discover their brightest future.

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