I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the first-ever Network of the Americas Conference sponsored by Deafblind International and Perkins School for the Blind April 16. Leaders in the field of deafblindness from 20 countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean attended this major conference.
I was part of a team that presented preliminary data from research on Parent-School Collaboration and Conflict: Experiences of Parents with Deafblindness During the IEP Process. This research involved interviewing many families who have been through this difficult journey with their children. I feel so blessed to have talked with so many amazing, strong, families. I remain hopeful that this research helps lead to positive changes regarding family engagement, collaboration, and partnership.
I was joined by my mentors and co-researchers, Dr. Silvia Correa Torres, Dr. Sandy Bowen, and Dr. Tracy Mueller (who could not attend the conference.) I’m so grateful for their knowledge and support, and I look forward to completing this research and making a difference for people who are working with school systems to support their kids.
I also had the opportunity to present my research on Teaching Self-Determination Skills to Elementary Students with Vision Loss at the same conference. This topic is important to me because of my experiences with Conner and Dalton. Conner attended his first IEP meeting at age 16, and until then, we had not thought about transition. I really wanted to understand what was possible for my younger son. Because of what I learned about self-determination, I was able to talk to Dalton’s O&M instructor, who is know working on self-determination skills with him. Last month Dalton attended his first IEP meeting, and at the age of 9, he was able to communicate his needs directly to his IEP team. This has resulted in a much more positive experience for him at school.
