INSITE: iN HOME SENSORY IMPAIRMENT TRAINING AND EDUCATION
For parent advisors and early interventionists
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
INSITE is our weeklong training on the INSITE curriculum model for home intervention for infants, toddlers, and preschool aged children who have a visual impairment and may have other multiple disabilities, including DeafBlind. The INSITE model and training is for Parent Advisors for MoSPIN (Statewide Parent Involvement Network) home visits. If you would like to attend this training, and/or become a Parent Advisor for MoSPIN, please send us your info here! The INSITE training supports MoSPIN parent advisors and early interventionists with a curriculum that addresses these areas for birth through 5 years of age: communication, hearing, vision, cognition, motor impairments, and developmental resources.
You can attend solely as a participant for the training and not as a Parent Advisor. Register below. No cost.
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2026 fall professional development week
save the date!
FALL PD WEEK 2026 is in the works for another week of filling your head with all the knowledge you need to work with your students with visual impairment, blindness, or deafblindness. Topics in the work this year:
Welcoming Students Who are Visually Impaired/Blind to Your School-everything from A to Z for your student, and their team regarding strategies, materials, and impact of VI/B/DB on development
Haptics/Pro-Tactile/ Touch Cues for your student with Sensory Impairments. Grow from touch cues, object cues, symbols to tactile communication for your student.
Sensory Impairment 101: Understanding Your Student with Hearing and Visual Impairment
Orientation and Mobility for the student with Multiple Impairments/DeafBlindness
You want Assistive Tech? WE got you! Assistive Technologies for the Student with VI/B, from abacus to Monarch!
Check back for more info.
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hand in hand Training
This course provides instructional strategies and practices specific to the education of students with combined vision and hearing loss with or without additional disabilities. The course is taught by specialists in the field of DeafBlindness and contains two sessions. Session one, includes information on such topics as common causes of DeafBlindness, assessments specific to students with DeafBlindness, and instructional strategies shown to be most impactful for this population of learners. Session two, dives deep into the communication needs of learners with DeafBlindness and the specific application of materials from part one for the individual students being served by participants. Follow-up coaching and mentoring is available from MoDBTAP Project staff to deepen comfort levels with real-world application.The target audience for this course includes any members of the educational team serving a student with combined vision and hearing loss inclusive of those with multiple disabilities. We welcome all teachers (general or special ed.), the learner’s caregivers/parents, paraprofessionals, related service providers, or post-secondary students intending to work with learners with combined vision and hearing differences.
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trainings, workshops, professional development
Outreach provides educational teams, early intervention teams, agencies, and schools trainings specific to working with students with visual impairments, blindness, and dual sensory impairments of vision and hearing. All trainings are no cost. We can provide virtual and in person trainings. Trainings can be for an hour up to several days of immersive training.
Here are some of the topics that we can present to your team:
- Blindness Basics-Everything Your Team Needs to Know about Vision Impairments (VI) from basic understanding of vision and it’s impact to procuring products, assessments, and assistive technologies
- Screenings for Visually Impaired (VI)/Red Flags
- DeafBlind 101 (very inclusive of Multiple Impairments (MI)/Other Health Impaired (OHI)
- Cortical Vision Impairment (strategies, what is CVI, CVI and AAC)
- Calendars and Routines for Increased Communication
- Emergent Literacy for students with Extra Support Needs/Severe Needs
- Haptics
- O&M for the Student with Multiple/Sensory Impairments
- Expanded Core Curriculum for the Visually Impaired/Blind/DeafBlind (VI/B/DB)
- Working with Families/ Keeping the Family Involved
- Practices in Early Intervention
- PT/OT/Vision Connection
- Use of Touch for Children with Visual Impairments
Presentations are taught by Certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Certified DeafBlind staff, Certified teachers, and highly-qualified personnel. WE got you!
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Open Hands Open Access Training
The program, Open Hands Open Access (OHOA) is an online, work at your own pace training program that offers modules designed to increase knowledge and encourage the use of best practices for supporting children with combined vision and hearing loss. OHOA/ DeafBlind Intervener Learning Modules are a national resource designed to increase awareness, knowledge, and skills related to intervention for students (ages 3 through 21) who are deafblind and being served in educational settings. If you are currently working with a student with dual sensory loss, you may be eligible for a stipend for every successful completion of modules and monthly consultation from our DeafBlind Project staff.
Stipends provided if approved!
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Intervener Certification
In the United States, state deafblind projects and university certificate programs are the primary sources of intervener training. Coaching and supervision, in addition to coursework, are essential. MoDBTAP is your source for intervener training. For intervener training and for certification, contact dena.molen@msb.dese.mo.gov. MoDBTAP can provide tuition assistance to support your certification. (However, you must be working with a student with deafblindness!)
Considering Becoming An Intervener?
Start with MoDBTAP, and explore these certification programs:
Unified English Braille Code:
Coursework Leading to Certification as a TVI and O&M
Training and Certification (undergraduate and graduate)
Considering a degree Program?
The following college and university programs have successfully completed the accreditation process and have earned the distinction of “AER Accredited.” Each of these personnel preparation programs has demonstrated adherence to high quality standards that lead to a valuable academic experience; and the competencies needed for employment and certifications.
Lighthouse for the Blind-St. Louis Tuition Reimbursement Program
The Tuition Reimbursement Program was developed for individuals who are specializing in the field of service to persons who are blind or legally blind. This program is for college students in their senior year in an undergraduate program, OR a graduate student OR a paraprofessional that is currently employed and working in the field.