Early Intervention
From infancy, the blind or low vision child and his family need early professional services which focus on how the child learns about the world, how parents understand and help with that learning, the impact of loss of vision on early development, and how parents feel about having a child with a disability. Research has estimated that up to 90% of what every child learns in the first three years of life is learned visually, primarily through imitation. Vision is the sense that allows us to integrate all of the things we learn about the world. Without normal vision, the child must learn to “see” and understand the world in new ways. It is for these reasons that the Foundation for Blind Children begins its work in infancy with both the child and his family, both in the home and at FBC.
Services Provided
- Family Services
- Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments to evaluate visual strengths and needs through a Functional Vision Assessment
- Provide information & resources to families and work with their children
- Orientation and Mobility Specialists assist with safe mobility and independence
- Parent-2-Parent Program
- Support Counseling
Benefits
The first 3 years of a child’s life are a time when much learning and development take place. For children with visual impairment, it is important that early identification, treatment, and educational intervention begin immediately because of their unique learning needs. Our focus is to provide informational, instructional and emotional support to help families understand ways to create opportunities for learning at this critical age and throughout the life of their child, despite the implications of the visual impairment.
We assist in helping children develop all senses by encouraging touching, listening, smelling, looking, and moving through the environment to build a foundation for future learning and participation in family life.
Home Visits
Services to families and children are provided in the natural environment of the child and family, such as the home or day care center.
Home visits are typically 1 hour and are tailored to the needs of each family based on their Individual Family Service Plan. All services are provided through the Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) and their participating agencies, Division for Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and AZ State School(s) for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB). Services are free for families.
