The Infant Program

From infancy, the blind or low vision child and his family need early professional services which focus on how the child learns about his world, how his parents understand and help with that learning, the impact of loss of vision on early development, and how his or her parents feel about having a child with a disability.

Research has estimated that up to 90% of what every child learns in the first three years of life is learned visually, primarily through imitation. Vision is the sense that allows us to integrate all of the things we learn about the world. Without normal vision, the child must learn to "see" and under stand the world in new ways.

At the same time, the child's parents need the opportunity to:

Express and understand their feelings about having a child with special needs
Develop a network of support for times of stress and uncertainty
Understand how loss of vision affects their child's early development
Learn how they, as parents, can most effectively teach their child to see the world

It is for these reasons that The Foundation For Blind Children begins its work in infancy with both the child and his family, in both the home and the classroom.

Center Based Programs

Monday/Friday Groups

We offer a 2 hour weekly infant/toddler parent program during the school year.

Our scheduled activities are:

9:00-9:30 Music Therapy
9:30-10:00 Developmentally appropriate learning centers that focus on vision, sensory, movement and literacy.
10:00-11:15 Parent meeting, includes education on vision, eye diseases, implications for learning, early intervention system, grief, etc. Also facilitates making connections with other families.

(Click on video clips above to find out more)

We asked our families: What does your early interventionist do for you?

These were some of their responses:

"They have helped me and my family find health care services, a stroller for Pepe, and even therapy which he did not qualify for with anyone else. Pepe has started pre-school within the district, but I still attend Friday program as much as I can. I get great support from the other families and the staff."

"She reassures me that my child is improving and helps me to understand that her disability isn't as bad as I once thought."

"My interventionist helped us out when we moved into a new place. He helped us by getting a refrigerator and stove donated to us. At that time, my husband was not working and we could not afford a refrigerator."

"In Mexico, if your child is blind there is no help unless you have money. Here, I think my child will be able to do anything she wants to do even though she does not see well. She is already beginning to do things that I thought she would not be able to do."

Thoughts from FBC Infant Teachers:

"It's the joy in a parent's eyes when they see the smallest progress in their child and look at it as a monumental step. It's very rewarding. There are times you feel you are not making progress with a child and to see the continued appreciation of the family makes you push on." Infant Teacher Sheila Lawrence

"Noticing the progress of a child is the reason I continue to be an infant teacher. I remember working with a client that was eight months old. She had optic nerve hypoplasia and CVI. At the time, the child did not react at all visually and was not doing much except for drinking from her bottle, crying and sleeping, much like a new-born. At her recent transition meeting (held when the child was 30 months old), she was walking, talking and naming the colors on a poster. Her mother reminded me of how far we had gotten since I first started working with the family." Coordinator Infant Services Miguel Gamez

"One of my most memorable moments was the time I saw a child waiting for me, looking at me through the window in his house. Working in the Infant Program makes me feel important, that I can't and should not miss one visit." Infant Teacher Giovanna Salas-Crawford

"What's satisfying to me is when a parent truly connects with their child and the two become a "team" - when the child can communicate her needs and the parent can understand her subtle cues. I work hard to offer opportunities for success and try to show parents that all the little successes can lead to bigger ones." Infant Teacher Jennifer Montoya

"To know that I've made a difference in a child's life - for the rest of their life - means so much."Margaret Duran, Infant Teacher

The Foundation for Blind Children's Infant Program - Making a Difference in Children's Lives for the Rest of their Lives...

Infant Program Staff