09. Building Bridges Between Best Practices & Interventions for ASD and Deafblindness
Speaker: Julie Maier, MA
Session Handouts:
Educational Checklist
Web Likes and Dislikes
Why Deaf-Blindness and Autism Can Look So Much Alike
Session Description:
In this session we’ll look closely at current evidence-based practices related to the instruction of learners with autism spectrum disorder and compare those practices to highly recognized field-based best practices related to deafblind education. This presentation will outline the unique educational needs of a learner who is deafblind and offer suggestions for how to match and tailor certain evidence-based ASD practices with deafblind practices when planning instruction and support for a learner who is deafblind. Particular attention will be paid to the areas of appropriate access to the curriculum and social relationships, communication skill development, concept development, sensory regulation, and self-determination skills.
Credits: Act 48, ACVREP, ASHA, Psych
Audience: Special Education Teachers, Teachers who work with students who are blind or visually impaired, Teachers who work with students with hearing loss, Teachers who work with students who are Deaf-Blind, Speech therapists, General Education Teachers, Supervisors/Administrators, Occupational Therapists and/or Physical Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, School Counselors and/or School Psychologists, Parents, Guardians, Family Members, Paraprofessionals, Other Interveners (paras who support a student who is deafblind)
Speaker Bio:
Julie Maier is the Project Coordinator of California Deafblind Services (CDBS) and faculty member in the Department of Special Education at San Francisco State University. Julie has been working in the field of special education for 35 years and earned California teaching credentials in moderate-severe disabilities and multiple subjects and a Masters of Arts degree in Special Education. Throughout her career Julie has supported, trained, and taught many individuals with deafblindness or the label of autism. Initially, for 3 years in adult services and then in inclusive elementary schools. Julie has also taught courses in the San Francisco State University teacher preparation courses, including The Nature of Autism, Environmental Design for Students with Moderate-Severe Disabilities, Advanced Assessment and Instruction for Students with Moderate-Severe Disabilities. She has also taught courses in deafblind education and assessment and deafblind intervention at SFSU and guest lectures in the SFSU and CSU Los Angeles Visual Impairments Program on deafblind topics. For the past 11 years she has provided training and coaching in deafblind intervention and assessment to educational teams and families receiving technical assistance from CDBS. Julie has presented about deafblindness at numerous national webinars and national and international educational conferences including the International CHARGE Syndrome Conferences, the German CHARGE Syndrome Conferences, and Council for Exceptional Children Conferences. She has written articles and developed resources about deafblind practices related to: assessment practices; self-determination; autism and deafblindness; use of peer supports; supporting and involving families in educational transitions; and literacy development.
Email: jmaier@sfsu.edu
Website: www.cadbs.org