2022 Summer Institute on Deaf-Blindness Registration

June 13-14, 2022 (8:30 am - 4:30 pm both days)


IN-PERSON

Adams 12 Conference Center

1500 E. 128th Avenue

Thornton, CO 80241              


Presenter: Maurice Belote has worked exclusively in the field of deafblindness for 41 years. Most recently, Maurice served as Project Coordinator of California Deafblind Services from 1992 until his retirement in 2021. He is currently adjunct faculty with two university teacher training programs and serves as Co-Chair of the National Coalition on Deafblindness, which advocates for federal legislation and policies that promote equitable access for children and youth who are deafblind. He is a frequent speaker at national and international meetings and in 2021 was awarded the Anne Sullivan Macy Medal for his contributions to the field of deafblindness.          

                                                           

Audience: First priority will be teams working with Colorado children and youth with deaf-blindness in public school districts. The second priority will be participants who can attend both full days of the training. We have the capacity to accept up to 100 participants. All accepted participants will be asked to share implementation information with parents and paraeducators.


It is our expectation that each accepted participant complete a follow-up survey to determine the implementation status of the training content.


Title and Description of Day One: June 13, 2022

Communication Fundamentals and a Few Extra Tidbits for Good Measure


Communication is at the core of everything we do with children and youth who are deafblind. And supporting students who are deafblind to become proficient communicators can challenge family members and even the most skilled and experienced educators. But there is rarely anything as thrilling as watching a child successfully communicate for the first time, whether it is to name an object or action or whether it is to express an emotion or describe an abstract concept. This first day of a two-day training will include a focus on the features of communication that are unique to children who are deafblind and/or who have significant support needs and offer evidence-based strategies that address the needs of emerging communicators. The session will also cover the use of authentic assessment data to drive decision making, how to manage large transdisciplinary teams, the impact of stress and anxiety on communication, and will debunk the myth that it is ever too late to become a competent communicator.


Title and Description of Day Two: June 14, 2022

Teaching Social Skills, Facilitating Friendships, and Preparing Students to Have Wonderful, Self-Determined Lives


There may never have been a more important time to focus on social skills, friendships, and self-esteem. Children and young adults are growing up in what public health experts are calling the loneliest generation in recorded history. What can families and educators do to ensure that these students have the skills they need to live rich, self-determined lives that include meaningful engagement and lasting friendships? This session will include strategies that can be implemented right away to address these critical issues, including strategies for facilitating and maintaining natural peer relationships, and the development of communication systems that support making and keeping friends. The session will also cover independence and interdependence and how they are influenced by familial cultural factors, the ways in which social relationships change throughout children’s lives, and the importance of maintaining a presence on social media in the 21st century.


Costs: There is no registration cost for this training. The course will be offered for one graduate semester hour and there will be tuition costs for this credit per the established rate with the University of Northern Colorado. It is expected to be approximately $65 for the university credit.


Registration will close on May 31, 2022


**Training is for Colorado personnel only

Please use your District/BOCES/AU email to register. Priority will be given to educators and staff working in Colorado public K-12 school districts, BOCES, and partner agencies.

Alternate email for information about the training that will be sent in the summer, if your work email address is not a good way to reach you:

If other, please specify.

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Some districts are their own AU while others belong to a BOCES. If you do not see your district in the drop-down list, try searching by county name, or select the BOCES to which your district belongs. Districts are listed first, then BOCES, then universities, facility schools, and other public agencies. If you do not work for a public agency, choose "Not Affiliated" at the top of the list.

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Electronic handouts will be provided ahead of the training for you to download, print, and/or emboss. Please indicate if you require an accommodation(s) for this training event. All accommodations must be requested no later than two weeks prior to the event. Accommodations requested after this time cannot be guaranteed.

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If other, please describe. CDE will make every effort to provide the unique accommodations you request, but we cannot guarantee them.

Notice

If you have registered and are then unable to attend the training, we ask for at least a 72-hour notice of cancellation notice, so that CDE can be proactive with canceling requested accommodation services ahead of the training. Thank you!


Agreements to be considered for acceptance into this training.

Both items must be checked for you to be accepted into this training.

I understand that the course is predicated on my ability to commit to both days. I understand that if I do not attend the full training, I will not receive a prorated clock hour certificate. I must attend the full training to earn the full 15 hours of clock hour training.


Hotel Information

There is a block of rooms reserved at the DoubleTree at 83 E. 120th Avenue, Thornton 80233, under The Colorado Department of Education for a rate of $149 (plus tax) per night. These will be held until May 23, 2022, so please get your reservation in early if you wish to stay there.


The Booking Link is: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=DENTNDT&groupCode=CDTCOE&arrivaldate=2022-06-12&departuredate=2022-06-14&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT.


The phone number for sales is 303-920-8000. As long as they have availability, they will honor that rate a day or so on each side of the training. You are responsible for calling and making your own reservation. This is the only hotel that may be used for hotel reimbursements.


Travel Stipend Information: We hope to offer travel reimbursement for participants coming over 100 miles one way from their home location to the training site. Lodging costs must be paid by the participant and will be refunded up to $149 (plus tax), the conference rate, per night based on available funds. Mileage will be reimbursed for mileage over 100 miles one way (e.g., if 150 miles is traveled one way, 100 miles will be reimbursed for the 50 extra miles each leg).


First priority will go to individuals coming from the farthest distances. To receive reimbursement, you must have a mapquest/Google Map from your home to the training site that confirms mileage each way (rounding up or down) and provide a hotel invoice with your name on it and evidence of a zero balance.


All reimbursement requests must be approved before the training. If you request lodging reimbursement, we will follow up to confirm approval or denial of the request. If you are coming from a distance with a colleague, we ask that you book a room with double occupancy to help protect our finite grant dollars for helping more people with lodging.

Select One Response Below:

If you are eligible for lodging reimbursement, do you have a colleague you would like to share your room with, please type in their name? It would be very appreciated if participants who know each other would be willing to share a double hotel room. This is, quite frankly, an expectation for those coming from a distance as a team.

* If you would like to receive a copy of this registration please check "Send me a copy of my responses" below.


**Registration will close on May 31, 2022