If you’re blind, how do you know where to look when someone is talking to you?
That’s just one of the many social skills that children who are blind must explicitly be taught, since they don’t have the benefit of visually observing the actions and reactions of people around them. These skills, which can range from how to make conversation and resolve conflicts to the meaning of body language and personal space, need to be reinforced at school and at home.
If parents and caregivers practice these skills with their child from a young age, this sets the stage for success in relationships, academics and employment.
In this hour-long webinar with Jeff Migliozzi, a Perkins employee who is blind, you will learn:
The importance of explicitly teaching social skills to children who are blind or visually impaired
How to reinforce these skills at home, including tips on taking turns and sharing, modeling appropriate physical boundaries and considering the needs and feeling of others
Strategies for your child to positively and safely interact with sighted people in the community
The role teachers and related services providers play in teaching social skills to your child
Webinar presenter
Jeff Migliozzi, Secondary Program teacher
Jeff has taught English, media and sex education in the Secondary Program for the last 17 years. In addition, he also hosts the “Blind on Blind” podcast on Radio Perkins, since he has been legally blind since birth. He first came to Perkins in 1984 to work in the Adult Services program, providing direct care to adults with multiple disabilities, before becoming the director of that program for 11 years. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree from Upsala College and he holds master’s degrees in reading and language from Boston University and education of the visually impaired from Boston College.