ABOUT CONNECTIONS

Connections Beyond Sight and Sound is a collaborative project between the Maryland State Department of Education and the University of Maryland. There are currently 215 students, birth through 21 years of age, reported on Maryland’s census on deaf-blindness. Connections is the only project in Maryland to provide specialized technical assistance to enhance the capacity of local education systems to meet the intense needs of these children.  The primary focus of this project is to deliver technical assistance and training throughout Maryland to foster systems change, build partnerships, and increase the capacity of local systems to provide educational services that will result in improved outcomes for these children.  The major strategies of this project are: 

1. Conduct ongoing, statewide, multilevel needs assessment to determine the array, type and intensity of technical assistance and training necessary to sustain students with deaf-blindness within the educational system as outlined in the provisions of IDEA and No Child Left Behind;

2. Provide technical assistance and information to family members of children who are deaf-blind, early interventionists, special and regular educators, and related service providers that result in appropriate assessment, placement and support services to all children who are deaf-blind, enabling these children to make progress in their educational programs;

3. Provide pre-service and in-service training combined with site-based follow-up consultation and coaching  to Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), school administrators, educational professionals, paraeducators/interveners, and agency personnel that focuses on evidence-based practices, and contributes to the State’s provision of highly-qualified personnel;

4. Enhance the capacity of the SEA, LSS’s, Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program (State Lead Agency), and IHE’s to improve services and results for children with deaf-blindness and their families, through implementation of collaborative professional development and technical assistance strategies;

5. Provide training and support to families of children with deaf-blindness to meet their needs in the context of the family, extended family, neighborhood, school, and community, increasing their capacity for leadership and partnership with other stakeholders; and,

6. Facilitate ongoing coordination, collaborative partnerships and resource dissemination among  MSDE, University of Maryland (UM), LSS, national projects, and other relevant agencies and organizations to promote shared understanding, service integration, systemic change, and interagency cooperation.

Site-based, child-focused Technical Assistance provided by trained and experienced Connections staff, and supplemented by Deaf-blind Support Teams within Local School Systems.

Summer Institutes on issues and exemplary educational practices in the area of deaf-blindness, severe and multiple disabilities, and other low-incidence conditions, providing graduate level coursework to build a well-trained cadre of professionals.

Special Topics Workshop and Targeted Follow-up Technical Assistance to develop, train and support professionals and transdisciplinary educational teams which are child-centered and include representatives from the family, administration, related services and direct instructional staff.

Family Leadership Training and Project SPARKLE to provide training and support to families and caregivers of children who are deaf-blind/severely disabled.

Newsletter with state-wide dissemination and Web Site which are project-specific, as well as inclusion of project information and announcements in relevant publications of other agencies such as MSDE, AER, AADB, and MSB.

Family/Professional Resource Library to provide an extensive collection of resources on deaf-blindness, other low-incidence disabilities and related topics including inclusive schooling, collaborative teaming, early childhood education, and communication.

Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Multi-state Community of Practice to train partners in the states of Maryland, Delaware, Vermont and West Virginia, with the goal of providing leadership and support in the area of CVI

Usher Syndrome Screening, planned and conducted within Local School Systems.

Advisory Committee with representatives from LSS, agencies, and families, who meet regularly and provide guidance and feedback to Connections project staff relative to project focus and activities, as well as facilitate collaboration and dissemination of information.

Linkages with various state and local organizations, services, agencies and committees which are involved in disability-related issues to foster collaboration and partnership, share information, avoid service duplication, maximize use of limited resources, and increase benefits for children and their families:  MSDE (Division of Rehabilitative Services, Division of Special Education, and Early Intervention Services), Maryland School for the Blind, Parents’ Place of Maryland, Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, State Interagency Coordinating Council, Special Education State Advisory Committee, Center for Technology Education (CTE) program, Coalition for the Universal Screening in Newborns (CUSHION), State Steering Committees for Vision and Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing.

Improved services to children who are deaf-blind which reflect an emphasis on exemplary educational practices in natural and inclusive environments through training and technical assistance efforts and collaboration with MSDE and MCIE;

Increased child identification with more accurate and complete information on children with deaf-blindness;

Continuation of an ongoing program of support, training, and information to families;

Increased involvement of families in the educational programs of their children with a focus on building family-professional partnerships;

Increased use of collaborative, family-centered school teams to develop and implement educational programs which result in desired outcomes for children and families

Increase in the number and availability of qualified LSS staff within the state to meet local technical assistance needs;

Demonstration of improved knowledge and technical expertise by service providers.