VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 4
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development. However, overall, there appears to be similar philosophies
related to ensuring adults collaborate to meet student needs.
Finally, the DEC Recommended Practice document contains a focus
area called Families. There is not a similar focus in the BVI Specialty Set.
In fact, very few individual standards in the BVI Specialty Set include a
focus on family involvement. Yet, central to DEC Recommended Practices
in early childhood is the emphasis on family-centered services, including
involvement of families in identification of goals. Further, providers are
encouraged to collaborate with families to identify strategies to address
these goals using resources that the family has at their disposal. A family-
centered approach builds capacity in families so that they can continue to
meet the needs of their child and their family without dependence on
professional support. The fact that such a family focus is missing in the BVI
Special Set while being a primary theme in DEC Recommended Practices
underscores the importance of intentionally highlighting this philosophy in
visual impairment training programs when professionals will work with
infants and toddlers. Without such a focus, visual impairment professionals
could be unprepared to meet the specialized needs of the home-based
service delivery system that is typical of early intervention.
