The Florida & Virgin Islands (FAVI) DeafBlind Collaborative offers Open Hands Open Access (OHOA) DeafBlind Intervention and Teaching Children Who Are DeafBlind courses for educators and other professionals seeking professional development on deafblindness and effective intervention.
Contact Shelly Voelker for more information about utilizing these resources to improve your understanding of deafblindness and increase your intervention skills.
OHOA DeafBlind Intervention series:
The OHOA courses on deafblindness are a resource developed by the National Center on DeafBlindness (NCDB), a diverse group of experts on deafblindness, and deafblind families. Course content is aligned with Council for Exceptional Children standards for teachers and interveners.
OHOA courses are available in English and Spanish.
OHOA Topics:
Course 1: An Overview of Deaf-Blindness and Instructional Strategies
Course 2: The Sensory System, The Brain, and Learning
Course 3: The Role of the Intervener in Educational Settings
Course 4: Building Trusted Relationships
Course 5: Availability for Learning
Course 6: Understanding Communication Principles
Course 7: Emergent Communication
Course 8: Non-Symbolic to Symbolic Communication
Course 9: Routines
Course 10: Concept Development and Active Learning
Course 11: Intervener Strategies
Course 12: Maximizing Vision and Hearing
Course 13: Calendars
Course 14: Introduction to Orientation and Mobility for Interveners
Course 15: Orientation and Mobility in Everyday Routines
Course 16: Self-Determination
Course 17: Social Skills
Course 18: Collaborative Teaming and Family Partnerships
Course 19: Accessing the Curriculum and Environment
Course 20: Values, Ethics, & Professionalism
Course 21: not currently available
Course 22: Introduction to Sign Language and Braille
Course 23: Behavioral and Environmental Supports
Course 24: Transition to Adulthood and Community Living
Course 25: Touch for Connecting and Learning
Course 26: Touch for Connection and Communication
Please contact Shelly Voelker to participate in OHOA courses and receive contact hours for professional development.
Teaching Children Who Are DeafBlind series
These courses are for practitioners who want to improve their knowledge of deafblindness and gain practical information they can put to use right away in the home or classroom. Each course includes more than two hours of training, divided into four lessons. Lessons are presented in short video sections with additional activities and resources.
Courses in the Teaching Children Who Are DeafBlind series:
- The Impact of DeafBlindness on Learning and Development
Trailer for Impact course - Early Intervention for Children who are DeafBlind
Trailer for Early Intervention course - Communicating with Children who are DeafBlind
Trailer for Communication course
Register for Teaching Children Who Are DeafBlind courses taught by the FAVI Deafblind Collaborative
and hosted by the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC-VI).
Please contact Shelly Voelker to discuss using these courses for professional development.
