News
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…
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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…
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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.
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Hand-Under-Hand or Hand-Over-Hand?
You may never have thought about these instructional strategies, let alone which one is preferable for your child with visual impairments but amazingly, there are some considerations you may wish to address.
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Planned Giving
Have you ever thought you might want to leave a gift in your will to VIPS or another charity of your choice?
A few years ago my husband Charlie and I sat down with our lawyer to update our wills. It had been a long time since we had made any changes. Our lawyer has a great “bedside manner” and obviously has helped many people over his professional career to write their wills. He asked us many good questions, one of which was “what charitable organizations mean the most to you, and would you like to remember any in your will?” My answer was obviously “yes!”
The Outdoors as Sensory Input for Your Visually Impaired Child
The outdoor environment is sensory-rich! Wind blowing across your skin and through your hair, warm sun on your skin, sounds made by wind blowing the trees and bushes, sounds of birds, traffic, church bells, dogs barking, sounds of swings and other playground equipment, the feel of grass on your feet and legs, the rough texture of bark on trees, the tickle of leaves when you walk under branches, cold squishy mud, dry sand, and fragrant soil that is ready for planting are all experiences that provide wonderful sensory input.
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