Reminder! Sign Up for Our September Events |
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Has your child ever experienced a horse? Please join A Shared Vision as we meet the McNicholas miniature horses on Saturday, September 17, from 10 to 11:30 am at Centennial Center Park in Centennial. MAP
McNicholas Miniatures bring joy, love and therapeutic benefit through the support and companionship of their miniature horses. Come meet “Love Bug,” “Happy Times,” and their trainers. We will also have a “Horse Sensory Station,” where you and your child can experience a saddle, a bridle, a grooming brush, hay, horseshoes, and more! We will also “horse around” with a new, knee-bouncing song together. Space is limited so RSVP HERE.
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When your child turns three, what’s next? Although you may no longer be eligible for early intervention services, there are so many preschool options to consider for your child! Join EI-TVIs Kimala Rein, Maggie Tutt, and special guest, Monee Hutton, a parent of a preschooler from the Western Slope, for an “ASV Mystery Party” about going to preschool on Wednesday, September 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm via Zoom.
During the one-hour, virtual program, you will learn how your EI-TVI can help you with this important transition. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers at the end of the event. Register HERE.
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When Emmett was six weeks old, his parents Rebecca and Eddie noticed that his eyes were rapidly moving up and down. Their pediatric ophthalmologist diagnosed him with septo-optic dysplasia because his optic nerves were underdeveloped. “I remember holding Emmett and telling my husband that he just looked so perfect, how could he be potentially blind, and my husband responded, ‘he IS perfect,’” said Rebecca. “His diagnosis didn’t change him. He was still the same precious child that we knew and loved so dearly.”
They began working with their teacher from A Shared Vision when Emmett was three months old. “Our teacher helped us understand his vision diagnosis, gave us questions to ask the doctors, provided tools to help him navigate his environment, and even helped with his transition to preschool,” explained Rebecca.
A curious, energetic toddler like Emmett has really benefited from his orientation and mobility lessons. He enjoys riding his strider bike, playing with water, and going to parks. When the family goes hiking, “We explain to him the parts where he can run or where we need to hold hands. We verbalize what is in his environment because he doesn’t know what he can’t see,” explained Rebecca. His vision impairment doesn’t slow him down because his parents are empowering him to be a busy, independent toddler.
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Amazing Apps
Many applications for iOS and Android devices are available to promote early learning for young children who are blind or visually impaired, including those who are deafblind or who have multiple disabilities.
Apps can help young children develop basic cognitive skills. They can reinforce eye-hand coordination, vocalization, and response to sensory input. They are also appropriate for children with CVI. Some of our favorites are “Peekaboo Barn” and “Infant Zoo” for teaching cause and effect. We also like interactive books like “Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and “Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree.” Check out this extensive list of recommendations from Paths to Literacy HERE.
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Support A Shared Vision While You Shop |
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Thanks to the families who shop at King Soopers and City Market in Colorado, A Shared Vision receives nearly $500 every three months. We are grateful for all who have signed up for the King Soopers/City Market Community Awards program, which donates a percentage of your grocery purchases to A Shared Vision at no cost to you.
Learn how to sign up for this program HERE and support Colorado’s children who are blind or visually impaired.
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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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