Perkins Webcasts

Perkins series of on-demand webcasts are presented by experts in the field of visual impairment and deafblindness. Whether your interests are professional or personal, you will find topics of interest.

Click on the titles listed below to watch a particular webcast. After viewing a webcast, we encourage you to converse with the presenter, link to additional information on the topic or download the presentation outline by clicking on the designated button. We look forward to answering your questions and receiving your feedback.

Watch Perkins Webcasts: Earn Professional Development/Continuing Education (ACVREP or PDP) Credits

ACVREP certified professionals are required to renew their certification every five years. Similarly, Massachusetts certified teachers are required to renew their certification every five years as well by accumulating Professional Development Points (PDP’s).

Now you can earn ACVREP credits or PDP’s simply by viewing webcasts and completing a short test confirming your participation. All you need to do is watch the webcasts indicated in the tutorial at your own convenience, complete the test, and print your certificate.

Earn Professional Development Credits Today

Select the webcast that you would like to view from the following list.

• Early Literacy for Students with Multiple Disabilities or Deafblindness
  By Deirdre Leech
  Students with multiple disabilities, including deafblindness face many learning challenges. They do not learn literacy in typical ways.  Often they do not have exposure to books and literacy based materials. Children with hearing loss may not have heard stories read aloud, and may not have used books on tape. The goal for these students is to maximize access using specialized formats.

• Families as Partners in the Educational Team
  By Dr. Katharine Shepherd & Susan LaVenture
  In this webcast, Dr. Katharine Shepherd, Project Director: Parents as Collaborative Leaders Program and Susan LaVenture, Executive Director: National Association of Parents of Visually Impaired Children share their expertise and passion for supporting parents in developing leadership and advocacy skills. As keynote speakers for the Discover Conference, Katie and Susan share their personal and professional experiences to illustrate the powerful role that parents play in children’s lives.

• Good Sleep Strategies
  By Veronika Bernstein, Ph.D
  In this webcast, Veronika Bernstein, Ph.D. describes the challenges faced by children with visual impairments and their families in developing good sleep habits. Dr. Bernstein provides a variety of strategies that may be used to address this challenge. The webcast chapters are: 1. Introduction, 2. Why We Sleep, 3. Melatonin Production and Sleep Patterns, 4. Development of a Circadian Rhythm without light perception, 5. Visual Impairment and Anxiety Issues, 6. Sleep Time Routines, and 7. Teaching a Child to Sleep.

• Including Students with Albinism
  By Susan Dalton M.S.Ed., CVRT
  In this webcast Perkins and NOAH (National Organization for Albinism & Hypopigmentation) are pleased to present Susan Dalton, M.S.Ed., CVRT as she shares her insights on Including Students with Albinism in the Regular Education Classroom.

  Susan Dalton is the co-founder of Northern Illinois NOAH where she served as president of NOAH's largest chapter for over 20 years. She has also been a NOAH board member and the chairperson for five NOAH national conferences. Ms. Dalton directs a program for the State of Illinois addressing the transition needs of blind and visually impaired teens and is on the faculty of Northern Illinois University, Department of Teaching and Learning. Ms. Dalton is the parent of three adult children, two of whom have albinism.

• Issues in Social Skills & Sex Education
  By Tom Miller
  In this webcast, Tom Miller talks about Social Skills and Sex Education for Children and Youth who have sensory impairments. Tom Miller has worked in the field of education of children who are blind, deafblind or with multiple disabilities since 1974. He is currently the Education Director of the Educational: Early Intervention and School Age Services (Birth-22). Over the course of his professional life, Tom has had a great deal of involvement in the development and implementation of social/sex education programs and consults and lectures both nationally and internationally on this topic.

  The chapters in this webcast include: 1. Introduction, 2. The Early Development of Social Skills, 3. Modeling Behavior for Children Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Deafblind, 4. The Importance of Development of a Sexual Identity, 5. Sexuality and Social Development, 6. Teaching Self-Protection, 7. Challenges.

• Love: Challenges of Raising a Child with Disabilities
  By Jane Bernstein
  Jane Bernstein, a parent and author of “Loving Rachel” and “Rachel in the World” - books which look at life with her daughter who has developmental disabilities was the keynote speaker at the 26th New England Regional Seminar for Children with Visual Impairments and Their Families (birth-7 years of age). This webcast is a tape of her keynote presentation.

• Mealtime Skills
  By Sue Shannon
  Sue Shannon, an occupational therapist at Perkins School for the Blind, describes some of the challenges faced by students who are blind in learning mealtime skills. It focuses on and  provides video demonstrations of effective strategies for teaching the skills of pouring, serving, utensil use and cutting. Sue's book, Help Yourself: Mealtime Skills for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, is available in the Perkins Products store.

• Non-Driving Strategies for Youth Who Are Visually Impaired
  By L. Penny Rosenblum, Ph.D.

  This month’s webcast features Dr. Penny Rosenblum on the topic of “Non-Driving Strategies for Youth Who Are Visually Impaired.” Dr. Rosenblum is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies at the University of Arizona. She prepares teachers to work with children with visual impairments (TVIs) and currently coordinates a project to prepare TVIs for the state of Nevada. As a person with low vision Dr. Rosenblum is able to share first-hand information with future teachers about the impact of a visual impairment on the lives of children and adults. She is especially interested in the social aspects of having a disability and in how best to prepare teachers to meet both the academic and social needs of children.

  The chapters included in this webcast are as follows: 1. Introduction, 2. Early Development of Navigation Skills, 3. Social Skills and the Successful Non-Driver, 4. Low Vision Aids, 5. Strategies and Resources, 6. Planning and Outlook.

• Parents as Ambassadors
  By Robbie Blaha
  Author/Expert Robbie Blaha has worked with students who are deafblind for more than thirty years. In the fall of 2008, she was the keynote speaker at the Discover Conference, held on Perkins School for the Blind’s Watertown, MA campus, where she shared her wisdom, insights and humor with parents and educators.

• Reflections on Deafblindness: Hands & Touch
  By Barbara Miles
  In this webcast, Barbara Miles, a well-known author and lecturer, discusses the unique function hands serve for individuals who are deafblind. For people with vision and hearing impairments, hands become eyes, ears, and a voice. Barbara’s realization that hands have so many critical roles changed the way she interacts with the hands of children who are deafblind.

• Smart Boards
  By Wendy Buckley
  Wendy Buckley is a computer teacher/specialist within the Deafblind Program at Perkins. She is also adjunct faculty at UMass Boston where she co-teaches braille courses for both the TVI and O&M Programs. In this presentation Wendy discusses Smart Boards. Smart Boards, interactive white boards, are a presentation system consisting of a whiteboard, computer, projector and tools. This presentation offers an overview of various tools that can be used with a Smart Board. These include free web resources, commercially available software and alternative access devices for both a keyboard and a mouse. Extensive resource lists are included.

• Social Skills for Children and Youth with Visual Impairments
  By Tom Miller
  The ability to develop friendships and interact with other students is a common concern for parents of children with visual impairments. This Webcast demonstrates how to analyze and adapt teaching strategies to teach social skills to students who are visually impaired or deafblind on an equivalent level with their peers. Tom's presentation on Social Skills for Children and Youth with Visual Impairments is part of a larger book called “Welcoming Students with Visual Impairments to Your School." and is currently available in the Perkins store.

• Tangible Symbols
  By Elizabeth Torrey
  Elizabeth Torrey is a Speech and Language Pathologist in the Early Learning Center at Perkins School for the Blind. She has extensive experience working with children with visual impairments who are at the early stages of language development. In this webcast, Elizabeth talks about the use of "tangible symbols," a term originally coined by Charity Rowland, Ph.D. and Philip D. Schweigert, M.Ed, to support the development of communication in children who experience a variety of severe communication disorders and who are unable to use abstract symbols. The webcast draws from the work of J. Van Dijk as well as the work of Rowland and Schweigert. Ch. 1: Introduction, Ch. 2: What Are Tangible Symbols, Ch. 3: How Tangible Symbols Should Be Presented, Ch. 4: The Benefits of Using Tangible Symbols, Ch. 5: Considerations When Developing Tangible Symbols, Ch. 6: Behavioral Benefits. For more information, visit Perkins Scout.

• Teaching Braille Reading & Writing
  By Lucia Hasty
  In this webcast, Lucia Hasty, a well known lecturer and expert of teaching braille, discusses the importance of early literacy, language and concept development for children who are blind and the specific skills needed for braille literacy. In addition, Lucia shares information regarding the importance of supporting others involved in the process e.g., classroom teachers as well as “best practices” for teachers of the visually impaired. The webcast presents the following chapters: Ch. 1: Introduction, Ch. 2: Early Exposure to Books and Reading Experiences, Ch. 3: The Significance of Concept and Oral Language Development, Ch. 4: Additional Skills Necessary for Braille Literacy, Ch. 5: Maintaining Currency with the Braille Code, Ch. 6: Conveying Information in Brailled Formats, and Ch. 7: Supporting the Classroom Teacher.

• Teaching Tactile Graphics
  By Lucia Hasty
  Lucia Hasty has held teaching and administrative positions in special education for more than 30 years. Retired from education, she is a consultant, presenting workshops and developing training materials for a variety of audiences. In this webcast Lucia discusses spatial relationship and graphic literacy, moving from models to graphics and strategies for teaching students to read tactile graphics. Ch. 1: Introduction, Ch. 2: Spatial Relationship and Graphic Literacy, Ch. 3: Moving from Models to Graphics, and Ch. 4: Strategies for Reading Tactile Graphics.

• The Impact of Deafblindness on the Family
  By Marlin Minkin,M.S.
  In this webcast, Marlin Minkin,M.S. addresses the issues that families struggle with related to raising children who are deafblind. Marlin is a psychologist with extensive national and international experience working with families of children who are deafblind.

  Marlin's webcast addresses the following topics: 1. Introduction, 2. Common Responses to a Diagnosis of Deafblindness, 3. Parent to Parent Support, 4. Sibling Issues, 5. Personal Experiences and Professional Advice, 6. Self-Care and Accepting Help, 7. Planning for the Future, and 8. Redefining Hope.

• The Role of the Emotional Brain
  By Jan van Dijk
  We are pleased to release our second webcast featuring Dr. Jan van Dijk as he presents his research and ideas related to the brain, the limbic system and the impact on teaching and learning for students who are blind with additional disabilities including deafblindness. The chapters in this webcast are: 1. Introduction, 2. Limbic System, 3. Stress, 4. Mirror Neurons, 5. Challenging Behavior, 6. Evidence Based Practice

• Wheelchair Orientation & Mobility
  By Scott Crawford
  In this webcast James Scott Crawford, a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, addresses the training needs of people with visual impairment who use power wheelchairs as their primary mode of transportation. Ch 1 – Introduction, Ch 2– Navigating Tight Spaces, Ch 3 - Navigating Doors, Ch 4 - Curb Ramps, Ch 5 - Timing on Street Crossings, Ch 6 – Transportation, Ch 7 - Working with Physical and Occupational Therapists.