Transcript Outreach Services: 30 Years of Successful Services

Outreach Services:
30 Years of Successful Services
Shelley Ardis
Florida School for the Deaf
and the Blind
Outreach Services
• Complimentary projects funded with state and
federal IDEA and state General Revenue funds
• Purpose:
– Service and support to professionals serving students
who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Families
• Goal:
– Increase success for all students in any learning
environment
Outreach Agencies
• Resource Materials & Technology Center for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (RMTC: D/HH)
• FSDB Outreach – Small & Rural Districts (SRD)
• FSDB Parent Infant Program (PIP)
Collaboration with other state
Discretionary Projects and agencies
Other State Agencies
• Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student
Services (BEESS) oversees the following
projects [also]:
– Critical Initiatives in Visual Impairments
– Educational Interpreters Project (EIP)
– Florida Instructional Materials Center for the
Visually Impaired (FIMC)
– Learning through Listening (Recordings for the
Blind and Dyslexic)
More state systems/agencies
• Clearinghouse Information Center (CIC)
• Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System
(FDLRS)
• Florida Division of Blind Services
– Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
• Florida Outreach Project for Children and Young Adults
Who are Deaf-Blind (FOP)
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
• Deaf Service Centers
• Centers for Independent Living
RMTC: D/HH
• The RMTC is a statewide, specialized FDLRS center
located on the campus of the Florida School for the
Deaf and the Blind.
• RMTC serves as the coordinating unit for accessible
materials including captioned and signed videos and
books and other reference materials.
• RMTC staff provide on-site training and technical
assistance to all school districts, families, and
discretionary projects. Primarily K-12
• Legislative Support – Established in 1978 and still today
in Florida Statute
RMTC: D/HH
• Services include:
– Videos and books for interpreters and others learning Sign
Language.
– Captioned and signed videos and materials for classroom
teachers
– Presentations on
• Accessible materials & Accommodations
• Students with hearing loss in general education settings
• Visual learning strategies to enhance access and classroom
participation
• Other special topics
– Support, training and networking opportunities
– Information and referral services
RMTC:
D/HH Partnerships
• Florida Diagnostic Learning and Resources System
(FDLRS)
– Workgroups and Advisory Committees
• Florida Deaf-Blind Outreach Project
• Florida Instructional Media Center for the Blind/Visually
Impaired
• FSDB Grants and Special Projects
• National Deaf Agenda Leadership Team
• PEPNet
FSDB Outreach –
Small & Rural Districts
• The Small and Rural District Support Program (SRD)
provides assistance to small, mid-sized, and rural school
districts across the state of Florida.
• These services assist district staff serving deaf/hh or
blind/VI students.
• SRD also provides related parent support services to the
districts and parent groups.
• Program services are no cost to the requesting district or
organization. Established in 2000.
• Partnership Activities
– Closely aligned with RMTC services
– Advisory and Workgroup Committees
FSDB Small
& Rural Districts
• Services Include:
– Onsite observation and consultation
– Expert onsite advice and support
– Recommendations on accommodations, modifications,
and teaching strategies
– Classroom considerations
– Training and workshops for district staff, parents and other
professionals
– Orientation and Mobility Evaluations
– Functional Vision Assessments
– Information and referral services
– Directory of local and state services
FSDB Parent
Infant Program
• The Parent-Infant Program (PIP) provides:
– Home-based early intervention for families with
infants and young children who are deaf/hard-ofhearing and/or blind/visually impaired.
– Early Learning Program for children who are deaf/hard
of hearing ages 18-36 months.
– Training for qualified professionals who work with the
families of these young children.
• Partnerships
– State-wide Conference “Florida Summit on Childhood
Deafness”
– Florida Department of Health
Projects’ Guidance
• Direction of projects are guided by:
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Needs Assessments
Focus Groups
Past Experiences
Technology Advances
Research on Teaching and Learning
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of
Exceptional Education Student Services
• State Performance Plan Indicators
• Other state initiatives and law
Impact on Students
• Accessible captioned and signed content
• Increased advocacy and social skills
• Enhanced learning activities as teachers have
appropriate strategies for serving students in
their classrooms
• Access to software that scaffolds learning and
allows students to demonstrate understanding
• Awareness of tools that facilitate communication
and classroom participation
Impact on Parents
• Support from groups that understand their needs
and concerns
• Access to other parents
• Access to materials that help them learn about
deafness, sign language, etc.
• Access to workshops and presentations that
assist them in working with schools
• Learn advocacy skills and IDEA
• Referrals to other resources
Impact
on Professionals
• Learn strategies for teaching and supporting
students who are deaf/hh
• Learn about accommodations and other
technologies that scaffold learning
• Access to captioned and signed materials to
use in the classroom
• Awareness of technologies, peripherals,
software and websites to enhance learning
• Referral to other support service agencies
Impact on
Other Service Providers
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State Agency/Project Staff (FDLRS)
District Support Personnel
Local Assistive Technology Specialists
Interpreters, SLPs, etc.
District Administrators
Deaf Service Centers
Lighthouse for the Blind/Visually Impaired
Next Steps
• On-going learning new practices from others
around the nation & world
• Fully utilizing distance learning technologies to
support and enhance service delivery
• Working to share & collaborate more and
reduce duplication of resources
Thank You!!
• Contact Information:
– Shelley Ardis
– Executive Director of Technology Services
– [email protected]
– ShelleyPA (on Skype, Twitter, Delicious)
– 800-356-6731