VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 4
20
Mindy S. Ely, PhD; Assistant Professor and EL VISTA
Coordinator; Illinois State University; msely@ilstu.edu
Maribeth Lartz, PhD; Professor and EL VISTA Principle
Investigator; Illinois State University; mlartz@ilstu.edu
Very young children learn differently than older children (Pletcher &
Younggren, 2013); just as children with visual impairments (VI) have
specific learning needs that are different than children who have typical
vision (Holbrook, McCarthy, & Kamei-Hannan, 2017). Therefore, very
young children with visual impairments can be expected to benefit from
learning strategies that are appropriate for their age and those specifically
designed in light of their visual impairment (Ely & Ostrosky, 2018). This
assumption is foundational to the EL VISTA program at Illinois State
University, funded five years ago by OSEP (Early Learning Visual
Impairment Services, Training and Advancement; U.S. Department of
Education #H325K140108). Through our experience with the EL VISTA
Building our Early Childhood Training Programs on Aligned
Standards of Practice
