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The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness |
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NCDB
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NCDB HIGHLIGHTS |
Technical AssistanceIndiana and Michigan The Indiana Deafblind Services Project and Michigan’s DB Central each continue extensive efforts to provide technical assistance and training in the use of person-centered planning as a tool for transition. Both state projects are partnering with their state’s School for the Deaf to train families and school personnel to apply person centered planning as a tool for use at key points throughout a student’s education. NCDB, the state projects and the schools are developing plans to train on-site facilitators and integrate person centered planning into school policy. In Indiana, this will begin at the preschool level. Montana NCDB is partnering with the Montana State DB Project and other area states to provide training and information on Customized Employment (CE). State project staff will learn about the process of CE and how to implement the strategies with students who are deaf-blind. Ellen Condon will provide consultation and expertise for the group. States will then work to identify select students and team members who will engage in CE activities. Follow-up support will be provided by the Project and NCDB. FamiliesIllinois Family Leadership Weekend Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet could hold back the eight enthusiastic moms who met in February for Illinois’ first Family Leadership weekend. The group possesses a wide variety of skills and experiences and the members have already begun supporting one another as they complete their first round of homework. This begins the third year of NCDB’s Family Leadership Training Program. NCDB offers the opportunity for TA and support to 1-4 state projects each year to deliver the training program for families in their state. Watch for application materials in July 2009. National Child CountWith the May 1, 2009 submittal date approaching, states are busy updating their census information. In the first year of this new funding cycle for state projects there are both new grantees and new census coordinators who have had questions about specific data elements and coding options. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Schalock at (503) 838-8777 or schalom@wou.edu. EvaluationThe five practice partnership/focus areas within NCDB have recently completed a self-assessment of their work focusing on both process and outcomes. The purpose of this effort was to further the continued progress of the groups over the last half of the current grant cycle. NCDB received considerable input on the design of the self-assessment process during a session facilitated by Dick Zeller at the NCDB Advisory Committee meeting held in November, 2008. A summary of these self assessments will be posted on the Practice Partnership page of the NCDB website. |
NEWS & EVENTS |
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NCDB's annual topical conference will be held in
Cincinatti, OH May 12-13, 2009. The 2009 OSEP Conference will be held July 19-22, 2009, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The "OSEP Deaf-Blind Day Project Directors Meeting" is BEFORE the OSEP PDM on SUNDAY, JULY 19th and a block of rooms will be reserved for SATURDAY, JULY 18th. Registration is now open. Training Opportunities |
PRODUCTS & PUBLICATIONS |
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New Publication Charity Rowland and Design to Learn have published Assessing Communication and Learning in Young Children Who are Deafblind or Who Have Multiple Disabilities. The book describes collaborative processes among families and professionals and includes summaries of assessment tools. Download this publication at no cost. Print copies will also be available from DB-LINK. Practitioners on the Web June Downing's advice on
Sensory
Efficiency Skills for Deaf-Blind Children. NCDB Website Resources Kentucky Outreach Materials - Materials developed by the Kentucky Deaf-Blind Project as part of their outreach to the medical community in their state are available to other projects for use in their efforts to improve early identification of children who are deaf-blind. Find them under Tools for TA. Traducelo Ahora, a Spanish
translation tool for use on the web is available from the NCDB home page.
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site! E-News Subscription infoWould you like to receive the NCDB e-News? Send a blank message to; ncdb_e-news-subscribe-request@tr.wou.edu or contact Randy Klumph klumphr@wou.edu for assistance. NCDB e-News is also available online. Contact information |
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Funded through award #H326T060002 by the U.S. Department of Education, OSERS, OSEP. The opinions and policies expressed by this publication do not necessarily reflect those of The Teaching Research Institute, or the U.S. Department of Education. |