This month Paige, Cathy and Jenny discuss Cathy’s interview with Dr. Mindy Ely and her insights on the successful preschool classroom for young children with blindness and low vision. Jenny shares how the interview helps her to understand how social skill instruction needs to change as children get older and what works for her daughter now. Paige and Cathy comment on the challenges and needs of the young child in an inclusive setting, reflecting that it is so much more than braille labels in the classroom! Cathy notes that our educators need to be open to a variety of learning theories for their students to be successful. And finally, the group agreed that using children’s names and structuring the environment are positive strategies to use in the preschool classroom.

**We recognize that some of our conversation on this podcast can cause strong feelings about preschool settings and learning theories! If you feel differently, please let us know! Send us a voicemail or an email on your opinion! We would love to hear from you!

Next month's episode will be a book talk on Jim Littlefield-Dalmares's "Seeing Ability". We hope you read it with us! Access the book here.

Dr. Ely’s strategies are based on research in “Structured Teaching” (Pullum et al., 2020), that you can access here. For a simpler explanation, visit https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/autism-spectrum-disorder/articles/physical-structure-school-setting for an explanation of how the physical structure of the Preschool Classroom can benefit all students with developmental disabilities.

The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a framework designed to help your child master essential life skills like spatial awareness, self-advocacy, and daily independence. To see how these nine areas come to life for children who are blind and have low vision, check out VIPS's video resource, Every Child Can! and this comprehensive overview from the Perkins School for the Blind.

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This month Paige, Cathy and Jenny discuss mealtime strategies for young children with blindness and low vision. Paige and Cathy consider “aha” moments from their participation in the MRVI (Mealtime Routines for Visual Impairment) research project. After reflecting on how vision is used incidentally in learning to eat, the group discusses practical strategies such as “eating cheek to cheek” to demonstrate chewing, providing multiple accessible spoons and the importance of good lighting and positioning for utensil use. They also address how children who are G-tube fed can still meaningfully participate in mealtime routines.

Relevant Links for the episode:

Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-feed/division-of-responsibility/

The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a framework designed to help your child master essential life skills like spatial awareness, self-advocacy, and daily independence. To see how these nine areas come to life for children who are blind and have low vision, check out VIPS's video resource, Every Child Can! and this comprehensive overview from the Perkins School for the Blind.

If you want a copy of the MRVI Idea Sheets to use as a TVI and Family team, email us at feelingthislife@vips.org. We will share them as soon as we can.

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Jenny interviews Trisha Conkin. Trisha is a Licensed Teacher for the Visually Impaired (TVI) and a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS) who has proudly served with VIPS for the past three years. Since beginning her career in 2002, Trisha has worked as an itinerant TVI and O&M specialist throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, supporting children from preschool through 12th grade with a wide range of vision and diverse educational needs.  She is passionate about partnering with families to help their children build independence, confidence, and the skills they need to succeed. At VIPS, Trisha is dedicated to empowering families of children with blindness or low vision to reach their fullest potential.

Paige, Jenny and Dr. Cathy explore the challenges of introducing orientation and mobility (O&M) to young children, especially the early use of canes. Dr. Cathy discusses how O&M practices have evolved and the emotional hurdles families face. Jenny and Paige share personal stories about public reactions, early independence, and building spatial awareness. The episode emphasizes supporting families, reducing stigma, and helping them understand the long‑term benefits of early O&M.

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Season 6 of Feeling This Life Season 6 is coming soon! Join us for Thriving from the Start, where we come together to break down the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) into practical, everyday life for young children who are blind or have low vision.

What to expect this season:

• Hands-on strategies for daily routines (like neighborhood walks and mealtimes)

• Insights from those who walk the journey of blindness and low vision, TVIs, and O&M specialists

• A special book talk featuring Seeing Ability, by Jim Littlefield-Dalmares

Mark your calendar: Season 6 launches Monday, September 7th! New episodes drop on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 AM Eastern.

The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a framework designed to help your child master essential life skills like spatial awareness, self-advocacy, and daily independence. To see how these nine areas come to life for children who are blind and have low vision, check out VIPS's video resource, Every Child Can! and this comprehensive overview from the Perkins School for the Blind.

We love voicemail! Please leave us a message: https://www.speakpipe.com/FeelingThisLife

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠⁠

Make a Donation to-

VIPS: ⁠⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook @⁠Feelingthislifepodcast⁠ and Instagram @⁠Feelingthislife⁠

Email: ⁠⁠feelingthislife@vips.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.vips.org⁠

Jenny interviews Rachel Will and Meggan Heady, two experienced public school teachers who once taught her daughter. The conversation is about how educational experiences are strengthened through collaboration between families, general education teachers and teachers of the visually impaired or other specialties. 

Cathy shares insights on Universal Design for Learning and how educators can create learning environments that meet the needs of all students. She explains how thoughtful lesson design, multiple ways for students to engage with content and varied options for demonstrating learning can help make classrooms more inclusive and accessible.

Later in the conversation, Jenny and Paige talk about the anxiety many families feel about how their child will do in school, especially during important transitions. From starting school for the first time to moving between grades or classrooms, they share insights into why these moments can feel overwhelming for both children and parents.

We love voicemail! Please leave us a message: https://www.speakpipe.com/FeelingThisLife 

Children who are blind and low “Vision AND” have additional needs may receive early intervention services from multiple professionals.  A list of those services can be found here.  

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠⁠   

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VIPS: ⁠⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠⁠   

Follow us on Facebook @⁠Feelingthislifepodcast⁠ and Instagram @⁠Feelingthislife⁠   

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Paige interviews Emily Munson, a preschool teacher in an early childhood classroom for children who are medically complex. Emily shares her journey of finding her way to her dream classroom. She tells how she includes children who are blind and low vision, and gives a sneak peek into her favorite lesson to teach.

Jenny, Paige, and Cathy discuss the powerful impact of preschool. They reflect on the way that Emily seamlessly integrates strategies into the environment that help children thrive and ease parental anxiety.

The group dives deep into the importance of observation as a foundational tool for both teachers and families. Jenny and Paige emphasize that learning to "watch and wait" is a vital skill for families before jumping into action.

The conversation also covers the often-daunting transition from early intervention to preschool. Cathy breaks down the role of Child Find, a federal requirement that ensures children are evaluated for special education services, and how the process varies by state. Paige shares how early intervention programs support families through this eligibility process. Finally, the team discusses the importance of trusting your instincts when choosing a school and utilizing State Early Learning Guidelines to ensure children are getting the support they need.

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/child-find-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

We love voicemail! Please leave us a message: https://www.speakpipe.com/FeelingThisLife

Children who are blind and low “Vision AND” have additional needs may receive early intervention services from multiple professionals. A list of those services can be found here.

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠⁠

Make a Donation to-

VIPS: ⁠⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook @⁠Feelingthislifepodcast⁠ and Instagram @⁠Feelingthislife⁠

Email: ⁠⁠feelingthislife@vips.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.vips.org⁠