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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
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practices by TVIs or O&Ms who work with this population. In this
manuscript, TVIs and O&Ms who work with infants and toddlers will
be referred to as early intervention visual impairment (EIVI)
professionals.
TVIs and O&Ms are trained to meet the needs of a broad age
group. Some personnel preparation programs include content
specific to infants and toddlers, while others do not. Anthony (2014)
cautions that curriculum designed to address broad age-ranges
may fail to prepare professionals to meet the specialized needs of
young children and their families.
Given the lack of EIVI professionals and the need for high
quality and specialized training, the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP), awarded personnel development monies to
Illinois State University to design and implement a graduate training
program for EIVI professionals. The 5-year grant entitled Early
Learning Visual Impairment Services Training and Advancement
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