Concentration in DeafBlindness Series

The Louisiana DeafBlind Project for Children and Youth (LADBP) is offering professional development opportunities for educators and related service providers with a concentration in deaf blindness and high intensity support needs. This training opportunity is available through a the University of South Dakota (USD) Deaf-Blind Program and the National Center on Deaf-Blindness. If you are interested in registering, please email Dr. Michael Norman for the application packet at mnorm2@lsuhsc.edu. The deadline to register for Spring 2022 classes is January 4^th. 

About This Event

An exciting professional development opportunity is available through a collaboration with the University of South Dakota (USD) Deaf-Blind Program and the National Center on Deaf-Blindness. During the Spring of 2022, we will be offering Deaf-Blind Communication Strategies and Life Planning for Success: Deaf-Blind Strategies. The courses will run from January 10th through April 22nd. 

Course 2: Communication Strategies

e key principle of this course is that all students communicate. This course includes content from the following Open Hands, Open Access modules: Touch for Connection and Communication, Understanding Communication Principles, Emergent Communication, Progressing from Non-symbolic to Symbolic Communication & Complex Language, Introduction to Sign Language & Braille, Concept Development and Responsive Environments and Calendars. 

This course will be a combination of weekly online learning and 4 synchronous meetings. Meetings will be on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 PM CST on the following dates: January 12, February 9, March 9, & April 20.

Course 4: Deaf-Blindness: Life Planning for Success

e course provides an overview of curricular options and instructional strategies to promote student success in school and beyond, and to ensure that all students successfully transition from school to adulthood. The course includes content from the following Open Hands, Open Access modules: Transition to Adulthood and Community Living, Self-Determination, Social Skills and Peer Relationships, Sexuality, and Collaborative Teaming and Family Partnerships. The course focuses on fully integrating the module content above to prepare students who are deafblind to be actively engaged in communities of their choice.  

This course will be a combination of weekly online work and 7 synchronous meetings. All meetings will be on Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00 PM CST on the following dates: January 11, January 25, February 8, February 22, March 8, March 29, & April 19.  

Approximately 3 hours of online work will be expected per week including some synchronous online meetings during the course of the semester. Class size will be limited to the first 15 participants.