Building Communicaties and Empowering Families through Online Social Networking

Join us and discover how FamilyConnect is planning to expand its community through the use
of social networking tools. Hear the panel discuss what they learned from families and professionals
through surveys and focus groups that is guiding the development of the next generation of the
program.

Click here if you are interested in moderating this session

Scott Truax, San Antonio, TX, Susan LaVenture, New York, NY, Crista Earl, New York, NY

Bridges to Life Program

The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind Transition program serves students 18-21 years old.  Our program goal is that transition students will have the knowledge, skills, motivation and/or support to better themselves in order to be responsible and independent as possible by maximizing their potential.

Katherine Hegemann, Colorado Springs, CO, Louis Tutt, Colorado Springs, CO

Moderator:  Amy Gunning

The National Transition Network Forum

Join a moderated discussion hosted by the National Transition Network!  The group will continue development of a national transition plan including goals and objectives.  Participants will provide input and share best practices that will shape our future.  The goal of transition is to develop individuals who are independent and successful.

Joe Strechay, Huntington, WV

Moderator:  Kathy Hegemann

Write On! How to Share Research and Practice Findings by Writing for Publication

Perhaps you have completed a study and want to share your results with your colleagues. Or maybe you have a program report you want to rework into a practice article. Perhaps you enjoy writing, but are unsure about the Journal publishing process. By sharing our experiences through publication (whether chapter newsletter, professional journal, or book), the profession is strengthened.

This practical session will walk participants through the publishing process, from idea to press. The lead presenter has been involved in the publishing process as an author, reviewer and editor, since 1986. She is currently Editor-in-Chief of AER Journal: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness. Panelists will include a practitioner who has published an article in the Journal, a reviewer, an associate editor, and the Journal’s publisher. This session will provide practical tips on writing for several different kinds of publications, and highlight the review process and meanings of decisions made about acceptance for publication at AER Journal. We will also present the benefits of publishing, and describe the support AER receives from our Journal publisher. Writing for AER Report, our Association newsletter, will also be included. If you are new to the world of publishing, but have a yen to write, or if you have published in other journals, but want to learn the “ins” and “outs” of our association journal, this session is for you.

Deborah Gold, Ph.D., Toronto, ON, Canada

Moderator:  Deborah Gold

When Brain Injury Comes with Blindness

This practical, encompassing session describes the consequences of brain injuries (due to TBI, stroke, dementia, tumor, etc.) on a client's learning, behavior, communication, cognition and adjustment in instructional, rehabilitation and community settings. Interventions and effective strategies are explored and contrasted with common myths.

Cynthia Iskow, Ph.D., Richmond, VA

Moderator:  Danielle Smith

Teachers' Domain: An Accessible Digital Library for Education

Teachers' Domain provides a library of free digital resources from public television for K-12 and higher education. New accessibility features personalize access to great materials such as videos, websites and lesson plans.

Click here to download the presenters handout

Bryan Gould, Boston, MA, Madeleine Rothberg, Boston, MA

Knowledge of Vision Rehabilitation Services of Ophthalmology Residents

Research findings from a survey of medical school ophthalmology directors and ophthalmology residents regarding their work with individuals with visual impairments, as well as knowledge of and referral to vision rehabilitation services, will be presented. Implications for practice and research will be discussed.

Click here to download the presenters handout

Amy McKenzie, Ed.D., Tallahassee, FL, David Henzi, Ed.D., San Antonio, TX

Moderator:  Audrey Dannenberg

The Cost of Vision Loss in Canada

This presentation will discuss a study of the cost of vision loss in Canada. The study employed a prevalence-based approach to cost assessment, and drew on available sources of health economic data in Canada. The presentation will focus on costs related to vision rehabilitation and their impact on service provision.

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Keith Gordon, Ph.D., Toronto, ON, Canada