Help the Florida & Virgin Islands (FAVI) DeafBlind Collaborative to help children and youth with deafblindness and their families! Refer a child or young adult, so the child, family, and educational team can receive individualized supports and services from FAVI specialists.
Step 1: Family Intake Survey
(Please email shellyv@ufl.edu if you need the Family Intake Survey in a language other than English)
The FAVI DeafBlind Collaborative encourages families to report their child / young adult
(birth through age 21), with multiple disabilities that include diagnosed or suspected hearing and vision loss, using the online Family Intake survey.
Educators and professionals may also refer families to FAVI by using the Family Intake survey,
but consent (please see step 3 below) must be provided by a parent/guardian for exchange of information and records. Referral to FAVI means that our specialists will contact the family to begin discussing the needs of their child, their family, and the educational team. Educators and other team members will be contacted only after the family has provided consent for the exchange of information and records.
Step 2: Request for Individualized Technical Assistance
(Please email shellyv@ufl.edu if you need the TA Request form in a language other than English)
Once a child / young adult has been reported (see Deafblind Child Count below) or referred (above) to the Florida DeafBlind Registry, the family or educational team may make a Request for Technical Assistance from the FAVI DeafBlind Collaborative. Requesting TA means that FAVI specialists will develop goals, with the family and educational team, and create an individualized plan to improve the skills of parents and providers, as well as the outcomes for the child or young adult.
Step 3: Consent for Exchange of Information & Records
(Please email shellyv@ufl.edu if you need the Consent form in a language other than English)
Parent(s) / Guardian(s) must provide Consent for the Exchange of Information and Records before child-centered consultation with educators and professionals may occur. The family will indicate which individuals and organizations may exchange information and what types / formats of information and communication may be shared.
Once a family has provided consent, any authorized relative or team member may make a request for Technical Assistance (training, consultation, individualized support) from
or participate in child-centered consultation with the FAVI DeafBlind Collaborative.
DeafBlind Child Count
Educators who are simply reporting a student to the Florida DeafBlind Child Count (“census”), as required by Florida statute, should use the DeafBlind Child Count page.
Please contact Shelly Voelker (email shellyv@ufl.edu) to discuss other HIPAA- and FERPA-compliant ways to share protected information with the FAVI team. Thank you!