See it, Find it, Use it - Conference and Workshop

See it, Find it, Use it – Supporting Vision for Complex Learners

Our Icelandic member (the Icelandic National Institute for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Deafblind) is pleased to announce an upcoming conference and workshop titled “See it, Find it, Use it – Supporting Vision for Complex Learners”. The event will be held in Iceland from the 27th to the 28th of October at the Icelandic Blind Association, Hamrahlíð 17, 105 Reykjavik.

Vision is often overlooked when children have additional needs. In this conference, they’re putting vision at the top of the agenda! This conference will inspire you to understand how easy and beneficial it is to work with stimulating vision, even for most children with additional disabilities. We will introduce the ‘Positive Looking’ method, which is practical and accessible for both professionals and parents.

At the conference, participants will be introduced to useful and simple strategies to specifically support children with limited vision or trouble interpreting what they see, a condition known as Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI). In the end, participants are encouraged to find their own unique ways to support children with vision loss and additional needs. The ‘Positive Looking’ method can also be used to monitor the progress of visual skills. However, few of us realize that we use vision for 70-80% of our sensory processing. It is crucial for everyone involved with a child with complex needs to understand how they use their vision and how they can progress further. This conference and workshop aim to do just that!

You don’t need to be an expert in the field of vision to attend this conference.

The conference is hosted by Positive Eye UK in collaboration with the National Institute for Visually Impaired Blind and Deafblind and Blindrafelagid, Icelandic Association of the Visually Impaired (BIAVI).

Who should attend?

Everyone! This includes Special Educators, Special School Teachers, Teachers of Vision Impairment/Multi-sensory impairment, Therapists, and Parents.

Price

£200.00. This covers the two-day conference, including lunches and refreshments on both days. Attendees must make their own accommodation and travel arrangements. Please note not to make any travel arrangements until the 30th of June when we will confirm if the minimum attendee count has been reached. Payment will not be asked for until this date.

Registration is available through the Positive Eye webpage or by email, please contact the Icelandic National Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired at midstod@midstod.is.

Conference-Workshop Schedule – Day 1

9 – 9.15	Registration and refreshments
9.15 – 9.30	Welcome: Gwyn McCormack, Director of Positive Eye UK.
9.30 – 9.45	We‘ll meet you where you are – let‘s find you Here Dr. Rachel Pilling will help us to understand about autism and vision impairment. Professor Rachel Pilling: Consultant Ophthalmologist, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor of Special Needs & Learning Disability Eye Care, University of Bradford, UK
9. 45 – 10:15	Positive Looking: Simple – Possible – Doable by EVERYONE. Gwyneth McCormack will discuss strategies for visual stimulation and share ideas that everyone can implementAt this point, it could be useful to downloadthe Positive looking app! Gwyneth McCormack, Director of Positive Eye
10.15 – 10.30	Coffee
10.30 – 11.15	The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ Behind Positive LookingIn the lecture Estella Bjornsson MSc and Dr. Elva Johannesdottir will tell about how positive visual stimulation is useful and the science behind it. Estella Björnsson, optometrist og Elva Jóhannesdóttir, opthalmologist at the National Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Iceland.
11.15 – 12	Do you see what I see? Professor Rachel Pilling will help us to understand about autism and vision impairment in her presentation. Professor Rachel Pilling: Consultant Ophthalmologist, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor of Special Needs & Learning Disability Eye Care, University of Bradford, UK
12 – 13	Lunch
13-14	Using the Eye for Positive Movement Beth Foster will share ways to utilize residual vision to assist with movement opportunities. She will discuss physical literacy and how an increase in literacy can assist with independence and self-advocacy Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) Foster, Ph.D. Associate professor at West Chester University, PA in adapted physical activity/education (APA/E). 3 APA/E program coordinator and graduate coordinator of the APE graduate certificate program. Director for Camp Abilities in Pennsylvania
14 – 14.45	Positive Looking in Action Setting up the environment for Positive Looking Here you get to know how to make the environment successful for visual stimulation and what tools you can use for visual stimulation. Gwyn McCormack, Positive Eye UK
14.45 – 15	Coffee
15.15 – 16	A continuum of the workshop Positive Looking in Action Positive Looking Everywhere You Go!

Conference-Workshop Schedule – Day 2

9:00 – 9:15	Welcome and Workshop to make your Positive Looking Everyday by Everyone Toolkit base!. Gwyn McCormack, Positive Eye UK
9:15 – 10:45	Positive Looking = Positive Impact in the States Utilizing the Storytime Show. This presentation will focus on the Impact of Positive Looking Strategies through the participation in The Storytime Show through the introduction and development of literacy skills. Literacy has commonly been defined as the ability to read and write. However, that definition has placed literacy beyond the scope of possibility for some children who have complex sensory, physical or developmental challenges. The State DeafBlind Projects collaborated to create an online space for families to enjoy stories, build confidence, and create a home library that is inclusive of all family members. The State DeafBlind Project was purposeful in its planning, sending craft activity boxesto all family participants, contract with Gwyn McCormack, provide American Sign Language Interpreters, captioning, and translating into Spanish. The Storytime Show connects to the Positive Looking Program strategies to ensure active participation for children who are Blind/visually impaired, DeafBlind, Complex Learners. Dr Donna Carpenter: Kentucky Deafblind Project Danna Conn: Tennessee Deafblind Project Robert Hill: South Carolina Deafblind Project
10:45 – 11:00	Coffee
11:00 – 11:45	Practical Workshop: Positive Looking – Story Writing Gwyn McCormack, Positive Eye, UK Here participants are given the resources to write stories to use with children to develop their visual skills.
11:45 – 12:30	See It Find It Use It –a new approach to the child with CVI Professor Rachel Pilling and Daniel Downes will share a new tool they have developed to support educators working with children with CVI Professor Rachel Pilling: Consultant Ophthalmologist, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor of Special Needs & Learning Disability Eye Care, University of Bradford, UK Daniel Downes: Team Leader for Children with VI, Salford, UK
12:30 – 13:00	Lunch
13:30 – 14:15	Looking Past the Barriers: Our Journey in Kentucky, USA How state of Kentucky implemented positive looking in their schools and consultation. Dr Donna Carpenter: Deafblind Project, Kentucky Robbin Cox: Outreach Consultant, Kentucky Angela Powell – Outreach Consultant, Kentucky
14:15 – 15:30	Practical Workshop: Create a ‘Positive Looking Everyday by Everyone Toolkit’ to takeway Gwyn McCormack, Positive Eye, UK
15:30 – 16:00	Plenary, takeaways.