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ABOUT US
 The
technical assistance T.A. team has been recognized nationally as a truly unique staff
consisting two parents, an educator, and pediatrician. This combination allows for
a holistic look at each child, their family and education team. Project staff
are available for on-site visits to homes or schools to provide technical assistance
as needed. This may include consultation with parents, teachers, related staff
members, and school administrators. We help families and educators understand
the impact of combined vision and hearing loss on development and learning.
We
can help staff with individualized programs for children based on student need.
We refer teams to other resources in the community and provide networking opportunities
for teachers, workshops, and training opportunities. We help with program development
regionally and statewide. To request a visit, call 612 638-1525.
Who
do we serve? The MN DeafBlind Technical Assistance
Project provides FREE technical assistance to families, education teams and service
providers of children birth through the year of their 21st birthday if the children:
- have a combined vision and hearing loss, or
- are highly suspect of
having both vision and hearing loss.
The combination
of these sensory impairments, even if both are mild, may qualify the child for
Minnesota DeafBlind Project services. These services are in addition to
those provided by schools, and other state and local agencies. Help may include:
- personalized on-site consultation
- inservice training
- workshops
- program
development
- and family support services
Services
may be requested by families of children and youth who are DeafBlind, school personnel,
and agencies providing services to children and youth who are DeafBlind.
This
federal project is funded by the United States Department of Education, CFDA 84:326C: Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities.
Our office
is located at the Metro ECSU office on 3055 Old Highway 8, Suite 302, St. Anthony (Mpls), MN 55418. For map
and directions, click here (pdf file format).
Staff Project
Director
Joan Breslin-Larson (651 582-1599, joan.breslin-larson@state.mn.us) is the supervisor of Low Incidence Disabilities at the Minnesota Department of Education. She has a broad background in assistive technology (AT), including having founded an AT resource center, serves on the national leadership of the QIAT Consortium which focuses on assistive technology services in special education, is a member of the Minnesota Assistive Technology Advisory Council and of the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind.
Project Coordinator and Family Specialist Sally Prouty (612.638.1525, mndb@skypoint.com) began her interest in the field in 1981 with the birth of her son, Andrew, who was born with CHARGE Syndrome. Having lived in five states, Sally has seen an array of services for her son and has become a strong advocate for children and their families. Prior to coming to the Project, Sally was the Director of the Children's Discovery Project at DeafBlind Services, Minnesota. Sally holds a Certificate of Sign Language Interpreting and a B.S. in Family Resources and Consumer Sciences. Sally has written and presented nationally on the topics of CHARGE Syndrome and family support.
Education
Consultant
Cathy Lyle (612.638.1526, cathy.lyle@metroecsu.org)
was an itinerant teacher for 23 years before joining the Project. She has a degree
in Elementary and Deaf Education and a Masters degree in Early Childhood Special
Education. Cathy has worked with students who have a combined vision and hearing loss for 19 years. She also has a Certificate of Sign Language Interpreting from the
College of St. Catherine, Health Care Interpreting. Cathy participates in a wide
variety of deafblind activities locally, nationally, and internationally. Project Manager & Census Coordinator
Deanna Rothbauer (612.638-1531, Deanna.Rothbauer@metroecsu.org) began volunteering at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota with their Parent-to-Parent Program after the birth of her son Danny, who has CHARGE Syndrome. Deanna enjoys volunteering her time to advocate for children and their families. She is an active member of the Family Advisory Council at Children's Hospitals and Clinics and a member of the DHS/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Advisory Committee. Deanna has completed Intervener Training and many workshops related to deafblindness. Deanna joined the DeafBlind Project team in 2007.
Sensory
Genetics Consultant
Sandra L.H. Davenport, M.D.
(952.831.5522, slhdaven@tc.umn.edu) is
a Pediatric Geneticist with a special interest in children who have a combined
vision and hearing loss. She has written and published articles on deafblindness
for 28 years. Dr. Davenport is an internationally recognized expert on Usher Syndrome
and CHARGE Syndrome. She speaks nationally and internationally on the topic of
deafblindness.
Senior Advisor
Eric Kloos (651.582.8268, Eric.Kloos@state.mn.us)
is the Supervisor, Special Education Policy Division at the Minnesota Department of
Education. Eric received his Masters degree at Boston College in DeafBlind Education.
He began working for the Project in 1993 and has served in a variety of capacities
including, Family Support Specialist, Project Coordinator and Director.
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Services
Inservice Training, Workshops and Conferences A
variety of training opportunities are available. Onsite inservices are the most
commonly offered training designed specifically to the needs of each child. A
number of workshops are offered annually on a variety of topics. Past workshops
include:
- Literacy for Students with significant Disabilities by Dr. Gretchen Hanser
- 4th Intervener Training by a variety of national experts in the field of Deafblindness
- Focus on DeafBlindness by Dr. Jan van Dijk
- INSITE Training by Susan DeCaluwe
- Assistive Technology for Students who are DeafBlind by Wendy Buckley
- Implications of Stress on Individuals who are DeafBlind by Dr. Jan van Dijk
- CHARGE Syndrome workshops with Pam Ryan, Dr. Veronica Bernstein and Laurie Denno
- Psychological Assessment by Dr. Harvey Mar
Family Involvement We
recognize that families are the most important advocates for their children. Families
need to be involved for their child to have a successful education. We feel that
families are an integral part of the IEP and IFSP teams. In order for parents
to be successful advocates for their children, information and training must be
available to them. Family workshops and training are held throughout the year
on a variety of topics. To learn more, go to the Families
section. Annual Register of Students Who are DeafBlind
Every year, the federal government asks each state DeafBlind
Project to take a count of students who fit the federal definition of deafblindness: "Children and youth having auditory and visual impairments, the combination of
which creates such severe communication and other developmental and learning needs
that they cannot be appropriately educated without special education and related
services, beyond those that would be provided solely for children with hearing
impairments, visual impairments, or severe disabilities, to address their educational
needs due to these concurrent disabilities. This term includes infants and toddlers
with deafblindness."
Collection of census data takes place
during the year and is the main instrument used to track children and
youth who are DeafBlind in Minnesota for the federal government. It is mailed to all teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Visually Impaired. We need your help completing the
census when it is mailed to you after the new year. Back
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