VIDBE-Q Volume 68 Issue 3
37
The ND Dual Sensory Project is comprised of a 'small but mighty' team that
includes a Project Director and Principal Investigator (Lacey Long), a Family
Engagement Coordinator (Kelly Prellwitz), and an Administrative Assistant (Jodi
Patchen). Each core staff person brings specific expertise in the field of
deafblindness. Key initiatives of the project include early identification and
referral, secondary transition, qualified personnel, family engagement, increased
access to the general education curriculum, and accurate information and census
data.
The ND Dual Sensory Project is coordinated through the ND Center for
Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) at Minot State University in Minot, ND.
However, the project is tasked with providing training and technical assistance for
children regardless of their location within the state. These services are delivered
through partnerships developed with state and national agencies, providers, and
other experts within and outside of ND. Some of these vital partnerships include
the ND Department of Public Instruction, Office of Specially Designed Services;
ND Vision Services/School for the Blind; ND School for the Deaf/Resource Center
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing; the South Dakota Deafblind Project; and the
National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB).