VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
program's development was borne out of a recognized statewide need to increase
the availability of specialized services for children who have low incidence sensory
disabilities. Additionally, this collaborative effort produced multiple levels of
educational support for children with low incidence sensory disabilities including
the development of multi-institution collaborative teacher preparation programs in
the low incidence sensory disabilities areas (Blind/Low Vision & Deaf/Hard of
Hearing).
Collaborative Program Development
To ensure the development of a high-quality university program to train
interveners, the development team included experts in deafblindness and low
incidence sensory disabilities from across the state of Ohio. The planning and
development teams included personnel representing Local Education Agencies,
P-12 Districts, Educational Service Centers, State Support Teams and faculty from
Institutions of Higher Education. These personnel were involved in identifying and
planning courses, developing program assessments, aligning CEC standards to
courses and assessments, developing field expectations, and developing practicum
expectations.
Intervener Program Coursework
The intervener program at Shawnee State University consists of 12
undergraduate level courses for a total of 30 semester hours of online coursework.
