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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
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Representatives from two states, Adam Graves from Texas and Debbie
Sanders from Utah each described the advocacy and engagement of parents
in recognizing the need for teachers, interveners, university programs and
professional development in their states. Teachers of the deafblind are roles
that are emerging nationally and internationally, out of the shared recognition
that teachers with specific training and experience in deafblindness are
needed to address students' unique needs. Interveners, while being an
essential local role for student access to information and communication,
cannot take the place of teachers of the deafblind who have knowledge of
assessment, planning, collaboration, and instruction. While Adam described
pilot efforts in Texas to build and refine the role of teachers of the deaf-blind
with administrative support, Debbie described the infrastructure created by
state based legislation in Utah where an itinerant teacher of the deafblind
services networks of students and interveners in their state. As a part of the
Teacher and Intervener forum this year, we also had three honored guests
attend and share their perspectives on the educational needs of students with
visual impairments and those with deafblindness. Aubrey Williams, a young
woman from Missouri, shared her experience as a person with CHARGE
Syndrome, which causes combined vision and hearing loss. Aubrey spoke
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