Education
The Debut of Summer Short Course at VIPS Kids Town Preschool
By: Staci Maynard, VIPS Teacher of the Visually Impaired This summer, VIPS held its first summer short courses in Louisville. Familiesfrom across the state were invited to bring their child with a diagnosed visual impairmentto VIPS Kids Town Preschool for a three day session of activities, assessment, andobservations themed around favorite aspects of summer. The…
Read More
Welcome to the Simon & Estelle Knoble VIPS Family Resource Center
In late October, our Indiana staff officially moved into the new Family Resource Center located at 1212 Southeastern Avenue, just east of downtown Indianapolis! This center will not only house offices and storage for our staff, but, more importantly, will be a hub for VIPS parents to receive more resources and programming, and allow for…
Read More
Isaac’s Arrival
On January 19th, I was on bed rest and about to go crazy. I was 4 cm, 80% effaced, and knew that Isaac could be born any day. That evening, as I was watching TV, I thought my water broke and it was finally time to go to the hospital and give a *natural* birth.…
Read More
Simone is learning independence one step at a time!
“Simone is joy and light, and the center of our family,” said Nicole, mother to VIPS child Simone. She is a busy little girl, always moving and thriving on attention. She spends her days playing, dancing, and exploring the outdoors; specifically, the trees and flowers. She especially loves doing so with her family. Simone is…
Read More
VIPS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS CERTIFICATION
April 27, 2021 Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) has receivedaccreditation from the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind anVisually Impaired (AER), the world’s largest professional organization dedicatedexclusively to professionals who provide services to persons with vision loss, with theaim to promote and support evidence-based practices, high quality standards, value-added resources and giving…
Read MoreTeaching the Teacher; Early Intervention Isn’t Just for the Child
Craniosynostosis – a word Teresa never thought would be in her vocabulary, much less a part of her baby boy’s life. Teresa’s son, Elias, was born at 31 weeks of age and weighed just 3lbs 13oz. Elias was diagnosed with left craniosynostosis; which means some of the joints in his skull fused before his brain…
Read More
VIPS Published in Online Professional Journal for Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly
Check out the latest issue of Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly which features VIPS child Bradley on the cover. There is a feature on VIPS published by Executive Director, Diane Nelson, and Director of Education, Kathy Mullen, that can be found here: VIDBEQ641Winter2019_selected-pages We are so grateful that the Council for Exceptional Children (International Headquarters) supports…
Read More
Early Intervention and Brain Development: Making the Most of Neural Plasticity
by Melissa Barrick Occupational Therapist and Early Interventionist in Visual Impairment | VIPS Indiana What is the importance of early intervention for babies and toddlers? Why should families and children participate in such intervention? The answer to both these questions has to do with the young brain’s capacity to change, learn, and rewire itself. This…
Read More
Help for Santa’s Helpers: The Gift of Christmas Routines
by Paige Maynard Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Developmental Interventionist | VIPS Louisville All young children thrive in the context of routines. Routines are essential for enabling the child to fully participate in activities. However, during the holiday season, the craziness of celebrations can really disrupt those essential routines that help your child to…
Read More
Glasses 101 for Children with Low Vision/Blindness
When a child is blind or has very low vision, sometimes the first thing a parent or a friend or relative says is; “He needs glasses.” But whether or not glasses will improve a child’s ability to see is dependent upon the reason for the child’s low vision or blindness. For some eye conditions/diagnoses, there IS something that will help improve vision; a surgery, a medication, a visual intervention, or prescription eye glasses. But, for many serious eye conditions, there is NOT an intervention that will improve visual acuity. And in these cases, putting glasses on a child simply will not help.
Read More