PVINZ eVision Newsletter #102

eVISION PVINZ NEWSLETTER #102 Parents of Vision Impaired New Zealand Inc Supported by the Blind Foundation

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PVI.ORG.NZ

FACEBOOK.COM/PVINZ

We also have a private group for the parents.

W E LC O M E eV I S I O N 102

I S O U R G LA S S H A L F F U L L O R H A L F E M P T Y ?

We must say thank you for the responses to our first eVision 101 as we connected with many parents. At our conference in late 2016 parents expressed the need for information, the need to communicate, network and to share their experiences. We have started that process.

To date we have met with parents in Wanganui, Palmerston North, Tauranga, Hamilton and on the Auckland North Shore. We have shared experiences with young parents at the very start of their journey, and also several grandparents taking on similar tasks as guardians for their grandchildren. The synergies are great and age presents few barriers.

From these meetings, we find that need for information and more importantly the networking.

As we enter the ‘silly season’ pre-election 2017 we are now encountering daily criticisms of government, and of course promises and 101 solutions to all our problems. The social networking media is flooded with material and comment that is very difficult to keep pace with. So, we are asking ourselves is our glass half full or half empty? As a small and low incidence group in the big wide world of disability we will never get the glass full but we are giving it our best shot!

Many of our challenges as parents are about bureaucrats, service providers, road blockers and funding protectors of various

shapes and sizes. While we all welcomed the introduction of ‘Tomorrows Schools’, in the 1980s and the devolution of decision making and funding from central government to our local schools we encountered a different animal! We had a different playing field with the goal posts shifted, and we encountered local decision making, resource distribution and service delivery that varied from very good to sometimes bad and ugly.

We welcomed the policy of total inclusion provided we had choices but as we all know that varied widely across New Zealand. As parents of disabled kids, we became a minority group in the school community and found that need to network to gain support and advocacy. If a local school turned us away at the school gate because of our special needs kids we were left with very few alternatives to try our luck elsewhere.

Most of the barriers we are facing are not political but bureaucratic. The special education sector consumes over $600 million a year and many of us have the feeling that a fair chunk of that is less than transparent and accountable. In recent times we have learned that close to 40% of all ORS funding applications are declined, and we wonder why? Were the verifiers and assessors up to scratch? Was the ORS application well prepared and presented? Did families advocate their case to the verifiers? Do the verifiers consider the complexities of complex needs as they review the line by line criteria?

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It is common knowledge that parents are reluctant to challenge resourcing decisions and we know of numbers that have been ostracised for ‘rocking the boat’.

What is difficult to understand and comprehend is the process of achieving some resourcing gains, going through the agonising process of baring your soul completing an ORS assessment or a NASC assessment targeted for your child, only to find that the resource has been shared with others by the education or service provider? Sharing in the education sector and ‘overs and under’ in the service provider sector are common practices that are not adequately monitored by legislation or government compliance bodies.

Hopefully transparency and accountability are about to change!

The developments following on from the Special Education Update 2014-2016 are now in motion titled ‘The Learning Support, Update' on page 28.

So, what is the learning support update? It is about putting children and young people that need learning support at the heart of everything they do. The Ministry of Education aim to modernise and improve learning support so it is easier to access, child focused, flexible and better connected to the wider education sector.

We have plans for a meeting in Christchurch on 7 September 2017 with Dr David Lepovsky a leading advocate for the blind in Canada. The Blind Foundation are coordinating an Access to Advocacy workshop in Christchurch in August which parents are participating in. Our planning in coming months includes networking with parents about transition, about IEP information and also about self advocacy.

There is much to anticipate and celebrate out there. We have witnessed the emergence of EPIC Youth and we have supported them with their first conference. Blind Sport New Zealand under the leadership of Dan Shepherd has launched many initiatives with Blind Soccer and Blind Rugby and more to follow. The Access Alliance, of which PVINZ are a part of, has made a great impact in a short space of time in advocating for groundbreaking new work on access legislation. We have parents involved in the development of the ‘Enabling Good Lives’ model programme being developed by the Ministry of Social Development and Office of Disability Issues.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.

We will continue to roll out the network meetings for families.

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BOARD BIOGRAPHIES

NIKKI STOKES KiaOra whanau, My name is Nikki. I am mother of five and call Tauranga home, along with my lovely partner James, our two cats and naughty little fox terrier.

We started our journey as parents of a visually impaired, complex needs daughter five years ago, as well as parenting her twin brother who too was born with disabilites. It has been a steep curve for us, learning to meet the mounting number of diagnosis and the additional related needs (and to navigate the often confusing and overwhelming support services!).

Our ability to not only survive, but to thrive as a family, would not have been possible without the strength of support within our local community.

As such I am a strong believer in the value of building communities and enriching our support networks. I feel that it is key to have organisations like PVI there to advocate, support and provide much needed friendship for families facing the big scary unknown that comes with a diagnosis.

At the moment we are transitioning to school and learning to navigate a whole new system with ACC (as well as having one twin staying under the Ministry of Health umbrella). Parent support has been invaluable during this time of change and I am enthusiastic about being able to provide such support to new parents down the track.

I am an enthusiastic geek and sci-fi lover, participate in a wonderful weekly art group with other parents of disabled children and am a self-confessed coffee addict. I am always happy to meet up with local parents for a good yarn.

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J U D I T H H Y S LO P

R I R I P E T I PA I N E

PVINZ board member, parent, partner, family co-ordinator, volunteer, employed by Stroke Foundation NZ, dog groomer and everything else in between!

Tena Koe Ko Maungapohatu te maunga Ko Hine mataroa te awa Ko Mataatua te waka Ko Ngati Rongo te hapu Ko Tuhoe te Tangata Waikare te moana, whanaunga kore, Panekiri te maunga, haumapuhia te taniwha, huiarau whakarongo mai, kei te ora tonu te manu kokako, kei te ora tonu te manu kokako, ko te kura te kohanga, ko nga tamariki nga manu, kei te rere atu matau ki te ao, kaua e wareware, kaua e wareware, Waikare te moana.

The following quote sums up pretty well why I am involved at board level in our amazing parent owned and driven organisation: “Never underestimate the power of parents. You know what you can do as one- but when you act together you have incredible impact.” — Dr Kay Alicyn Ferrell, author of REACH OUT AND TEACH. My journey started with the birth of our now ‘young lady’, Krystal some 28 years ago. Things were a bit different then in the health/education community. I soon figured out that if I wanted to improve things for us and other families – I needed to get involved! Over the years I have been part of many committees, parent groups and organisations with a disability focus and some lecturing at University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic. I have had the pleasure of presenting at conferences both here in NZ and overseas around the family journey we have experienced with having Krystal in our lives.

I feel very proud that Krystal has joined me and told her story at some of these events. Attending the SPEVI conference in Australia with our chair, Riripeti, was an amazing experience and bringing back to the organisation some great resources and contacts. I have worked in the area of disability supporting individuals and families from an early childhood level to our more senior generation. I am passionate about what I do and hope that I do make a difference in peoples lives.

One of the strengths I bring to the board is my background in strategic planning, policy and procedures. Can be a bit ‘dry’ for some but really important for the organisation to ensure we have all the framework in place and are seen by the wider community/government ministries as being professional in our operations. I actually enjoy that stuff.

For those that don’t know me personally, I live in Dunedin with Jim along with our four beautiful dogs — yes four. Krystal is now in supported living in her own flat, and our other daughter, Mel, is a paramedic based in Wellington. I enjoy being involved in the ‘dog world’, competing at shows, catching up with friends and grooming. I am also known to have the odd glass of wine to relax. In closing, I would like to share this Whakatauki: “He aha te mea nui o te ao?

Máku e kí atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

“What is the most important thing in the world?

I tell you. It is people, it is people, it is people”

My name is Riripeti Paine, I live in Wairoa which is situated north of Napier and south of Gisborne, I have four adult children, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

My youngest born, Ngarangi now 21-years-old has cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia), low vision, ROP, myopia.

I currently work as an elder abuse and neglect prevention coordinator for age concern and enjoy this role.

I have been an active member of Parents of Vision Impaired NZ Inc for over 10 years, several of these as a Tangata Whenua board member, currently holding the position of chair.

I enjoy writing poetry, singing and supporting my community.

D O N F A I R G R AY I am a farmer and relief early childcare teacher. We live out of Tauranga.

I have a daughter who is now 18-years-old who has low vision.

She is at present attending polytechnic in Hamilton.

I have been on the PVINZ for 13+ years. My role has been treasurer.

In my role with PVINZ I have spent a lot of time helping the MOE on various projects involving our special children.

I have also been on the BLENNZ BOT.

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"PA R E N T O F A C H I L D WITH CORTICAL VISUAL I M PA I R M E N T S P E A K S O U T" E X T R A C T F R O M ' F A M I LY C O N N E C T ' U S A W E B S I T E

As I'm out meeting with families in different parts of the country, common issues always arise in regards to children who are blind and visually impaired. So from time to time I am going to invite guest bloggers who are living these issues to express what their experiences have been. I hope that "A Parent's Voice" can be a forum where we can all interact with each other. Susan Laventure NAPVI USA The first guest blogger, a mother from Connecticut, is Bernadette Jackel. Her son is 17 years old, and has cortical visual impairment (CVI). Many families that have kids with CVI find that it can be complicated; often times the services providers themselves don't fully understand the impact the visual impairment has on the child's learning. A child with CVI often has so many complicated issues that frequently the vision impairment is ignored, and a parent needs to be the advocate to make sure that their child is receiving the treatments and rehabilitation services that will allow him to learn.

Cortical/cerebral visual impairment is the fastest growing diagnosis of visual impairment today, and yet there are still many medical and education professionals that don't understand the implications CVI has on learning and functioning in a visual world.

When my son was born 17 years ago, there was not very much information available on CVI nor was it easy to access that

information since the internet had not yet been designed. We had to muddle through as best we could, taking his vision into consideration at every turn.

My son experienced difficulties with visually guided movement so he walked later than his peers. Once he was walking, he tripped over curbs, walked off stairs as though they were flat, hung on for dear life in crowded environments, was not able to see in noisy environments, had a difficult time orienting himself in space, and often confused other people for me. He also experienced his vision being there one moment and not being there the next. He needed everything he was looking at explained to him so he understood what he was seeing.

When my son began school, we found that the staff had no knowledge of CVI. They couldn't understand that this cute, blond-haired, green-eyed, lovable, friendly, outgoing, funny, ambulatory, speaking five-year-old who didn't "look blind" and "seemed to see" could possibly have cortical visual impairment.

The TVI did not know how to teach the staff how to teach a child she didn't know how to teach herself.

So, it was decided that his visual impairment would not be considered a "true" visual impairment but instead a learning disability and later an intellectual disability. After all, his acuity is measured at 20/80 and he could see the primer print. But it

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>> took him a really long time to focus on each word because he lacked saccades. He didn't see the middle of each word because he had a central scotoma. He didn't understand the pictures on the page because there wasn't enough contrast. He couldn't pick out one object on the page because the page was too crowded to see more than one thing at a time.

He had difficulty in math because he was unable to see all the objects he was supposed to count. For example, he would only see three items yet he was told there were five in front of him.

The playground became another area that was difficult for him. He couldn't play ball because he didn't see the ball coming at him. He couldn't run around with his peers because he so often had to stop to feel surface changes with his foot for his own safety.

He also had difficulty identifying classmates by sight, sustaining visual attention for long periods of time, seeing in the distance, and difficulty with extraneous auditory stimuli.

Again, although these difficulties were well documented and he had a diagnosis of CVI, it was decided that he chose not to see, that his visual fluctuation was volitional and his difficulties learning were due to "other issues," not to vision. I often liken his public school experience to refusing to teach a deaf child communication skills and then saying that child has a severe language disorder.

These same difficulties that he had at one to five-years-old he still has today. Much of it he has learned to compensate for himself, however, not one of the above-mentioned issues have resolved, gone away, been cured. Because of our diligence and his own perseverance, he certainly understands the world better now than he did when his CVI was considered to be a learning disability rather than a visual impairment.

We had to go through a due process hearing in order to get him an appropriate education. Once he was given the proper modifications and accommodations from a wonderful staff that understands the learning implications of CVI, both academically and functionally, he began to thrive.

Unfortunately he spent seven years not getting these modifications and accommodations.

It is disturbing that these same misunderstandings still exist today among many of our medical and educational professionals. Today there is plenty of information available, but every day I read how children are still experiencing the same difficulties getting the proper services that we did.

Parents are still in search of good information because they are not being given any from their medical professionals. Some parents are having a hard time finding a doctor to give the proper diagnosis although the child clearly has CVI. Certainly children are entering schools where there is no knowledge of CVI, and often these children are experiencing the same difficulties my son did in trying to get an appropriate education.

Regardless of whether a child cannot see due to an ocular issue or a brain issue, the bottom line is that child is not making sense of the visual world. The lack of understanding this leads to many, many difficulties in the child's life, difficulties that can easily be circumvented.

It appears that we are still lacking good strategies for students as they enter into school settings although we are not. Many, if not all, of the same strategies one would use to teach a child who is blind or low vision are very beneficial to the student with CVI. The child's educational environment must also be taken into consideration.

CVI is a real visual impairment and it is a growing diagnosis. CVI needs to come to the forefront of the medical and educational collective mind so children can get the proper diagnosis and the education they deserve. Colleges and universities with TVI programs need to have good, comprehensive classes on CVI so the teachers understand and learn best practices. With all this in place, many of these children will reach their fullest potential and become contributing members of society; otherwise, I fear we will end up with a large population of undereducated, visually impaired people who will be dependent upon society for their livelihoods.

Words by Bernadette Jackel

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HE RAUKURA ONE I heard this tiny feather gently flurry by It rested on my pillow made me wonder why A carrier of great wisdom preserved in time and place This journey brought upon us all, unplanned yet full of grace The spiritual waters in which it grew will someday Come to nourish you.

TWO I gazed into the stars above and nestled in the tree a mother in a korowai gazing back at me, I marveled at her feathered plume that only I could see.

We shared a tender moment of times not long ago, When mothers knew instinctively how families ought to grow, We cover them with down to keep the cold at bay Nurture them and love them and show them how to play.

As they grow we share with them what they will need to know, Our values hold a special place, my Koro told me so.

THREE They learn about their whenua planted like a tree, The seed collected by this taonga gazing back at me.

A kakano will flourish well, with tender love and care As seasons pass will shed its leaves of this we are aware.

They reign upon the forest floor to form ‘Te whariki’ The woven mat that catches them my Kuia laid for me.

FOUR A whanau builds its nest, of muka that it finds It’s strength of whakapapa spans the breadth of time When the child is ready and what will be will be With tears a falling, Nga rauru calling, We simply set them free FIVE I soar this tiny feather gently flurry by Resting on my pillow I understand now why.

— Riripeti Paine —

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ACC E P T I N G YO U R C H I L D’S DIAGNOSIS: ARE WE GOING T O H O L LA N D O R B E I R U T ?

• When your child gets diagnosed with something like ADHD, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or some combination of acronyms, some kind and gentle soul may send you a comforting message about acceptance. I knew I had made the leagues of becoming a “special” parent when I got the forward in my e-mail box about going to Holland.

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

• “Welcome to Holland” is a very sweet and inspirational piece written by a parent of a special needs child back in 1987. The author is Emily Perl Kingsley. This essay is given by many organizations to parents of newly diagnosed children having special needs.

When I first read this piece, I cried. The message was pure, simple and straightforward. We didn’t expect this. But here we are so we need to stop mourning the parenting experience we had expected and begin to embrace our new journey. But over time, a curious thing happened. Whereas once I was touched by this piece of writing, in time I was almost repulsed by it.

The difficulties and reality of raising a child having significant challenges began to wear on my ability to be inspired by this sweet story of acceptance. Holland? Um, not quite.

"Welcome to Holland" uses the analogy of expecting and planning for a trip to Italy but somehow you find that your plane takes a detour to Holland instead. This is supposed to represent how, much like expecting a trip to Italy, we parents plan on raising a typically developing child. But instead we take a detour to “Holland” which is supposed to represent our experience of parenting a child having special needs.

Here is an excerpt from the Holland piece: After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

I was not the only one to feel this aversion to what was becoming considered by some, a clichéd response given to all parents of children with special needs regardless of the level or severity of their child’s disability. One of my friends, who was also in the parenting trenches with her child, showed me an alternative essay about acceptance called “Welcome to Beirut” written by Susan F. Rzucidlo. The author is the parent of a child with autism. And when I began reading her words,

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I thought to myself, “She gets it.” She gets it in a way that nobody else can except a parent or caregiver of a child who has significant challenges.

this new way of life. The author maintains that there is good to be found in even the most difficult of parenting experiences.

She concludes by sharing some of the silver linings to this experience of raising a child with many challenges:

Here an excerpt of this darker version of acceptance: There you are in Beirut, dropped in the middle of a war. You don't know the language and you don't know what is going on.

Bombs are dropping "life long diagnosis" and "neurologically impaired". Bullets whiz by "refrigerator mother", " A good smack is all HE needs to straighten up". Your adrenaline races as the clock ticks away your child's chances for "recovery". You sure as heck didn't sign up for this and want out NOW! God has over estimated your abilities.

This is no sweet story about a minor adjustment of expectations.

This was a validation that the experience of parenting a child having special needs can feel like you have been dropped into a battle for which you are totally unprepared. It acknowledges for me, that acceptance is sometimes a hard earned battle. It can be an incredibly long journey where you are not sure if you will make it out with your soul intact.

Although some might not like the intensity of this piece, it brings to light how hard it can be to accept our child’s diagnosis and

But, there are lulls in wars, times when the bullets aren't flying and bombs aren't dropping. Flowers are seen and picked. Life long friendships are forged. You share and odd kinship with people from all walks of life. Good times are had, and because we know how bad the bad times are, the good times are even better. Life is good but your life in never normal again, but hey, what fun is normal.

Nowadays when I read either "Welcome to Holland" or "Welcome to Beirut", I find myself crying at both stories of acceptance. The first plays to my romantic and idealized version of acceptance. The second is a raw and gut wrenching acknowledgement that this experience will never be easy. But regardless of which mood I am in, acceptance is something I will need to figure out on my own terms and in my own time.

Nobody can tell you how to do it. But isn’t it lucky for us that we have a variety of guides to help us.

Holland or Beirut? Depends on the day and what type of mood I am in at the time. How about you?

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RESPONSIBLE INCLUSION B E LO N G S I N A N A R RAY O F P LA C E M E N T O P T I O N S

What is it that I would like to share with you about full inclusion of students with disabilities? Is it my frustration that a movement is sweeping the country that does not take into consideration the individual needs of children? Is it my fear that some students with disabilities will be tragically "misserved"?Is it my concern that a philosophical position that sounds so humanitarily "correct" has depersonalised services to children with disabilities?

No, what I want to share with you today is my enthusiastic support for an addition to the array of service delivery options available for students with disabilities. Responsible inclusion is an appropriate and effective service for some students with disabilities. If its momentum continues, and it is carefully defined, responsible inclusion has the potential to move literally thousands of children with disabilities out of inappropriate facilities and services and into educational settings offering dignity and opportunities to truly learn. I applaud the leaders in the "inclusion" movement and offer my services in order to assure that this new educational option is appropriately used by students who can truly benefit from it.

But, alas, my colleagues who are the leaders in the full inclusion movement have made a serious, but correctable, error. They use terms such as "...all means all...", and "...just do it!!...".Their position is that we no longer must seriously consider the needs of each individual child when making a decision about educational placement. They believe that placement transcends needs. They have generalised successes with some students with disabilities to all students with all disabilities. They make no distinction between the educational needs of a child who is deaf, a child with cerebral palsy, a child who is learning disabled, or a child who is blind. It is as though the type of disability has no effect on educational needs and services. They tell us that disability labels are only appropriate

for medical reasons. They believe that all educational planning and delivery of service can ignore the type of disability and concentrate on needs.

Let me dispel that myth immediately. Some of my colleagues in special education are proud to point out that disability labels are almost a thing of the past. They argue that labels stigmatise children, that they are simply medical labels and have no relationship to educational need. This is not true. To avoid the label "blind" or "deaf" is to seriously stigmatise children who have an obvious disability, and who need to learn to live proudly and with dignity with the disability. Avoidance of using the label is to make children wonder if there is something terribly wrong with being blind or being deaf. If people won't even use the word, what message is delivered? Secondly, I contend, as do all of my colleagues, that blindness and visual impairment are not only medical labels, they are educational labels. All children with visual impairments share similar needs because of their disability. Loss of vision has a direct and often profound effect on learning, and this impact can be generalised across all children with visual impairments. Use of the label is fundamental to delivering appropriate educational services.

Educators of students who are deaf have made a strong case for the communication needs of the students whom they serve.

These needs are so intensive that any decision about inclusion of students who are deaf must be made with extreme caution.

For many years, I have thought about the equivalent for children with visual impairments to that of children who are deaf with regard to communication. I am convinced that the answer is "experiential". How much fundamental knowledge does the child with a visual impairment have regarding her world? Often, the world of the child with a visual impairment is the length of her arms. Think about this fact. Consider the effect on casual, incidental learning. Consider the profound

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effect that a visual impairment has on growth and learning.

Think about the capability of a full inclusion setting to offer experiential learning.

Educators of students with visual impairments pioneered inclusive education. In a small scale, we began early in the 20th century, then expanded rapidly and dramatically in the 1950s and 1960s.This is long before other areas of special education began exploring ways in which children with disabilities could be included more fully and appropriately in regular classrooms. Many years ago we learned some vital lessons about inclusion. Some students benefited from inclusive education from the outset of their education; others needed various amounts of preparation before they could benefit from inclusion; still others were best served in noninclusive settings for educational purposes so that they would have the best possible chance for inclusion as adults.

I know with no doubt, with no hesitation, that full inclusion will not appropriately serve all students with visual impairments. I know this because I know a great deal about the educational needs of children who are blind or visual impaired. My colleagues who are most actively promoting full inclusion know, just as surely, that inclusion works for students with retardation, with students with severe and profound disabilities, and with some children with other disabilities. I acknowledge and admire their understanding and expertise with children who have disabilities that they are knowledgeable about. I do not question their findings and their positions. However, I fail to understand how these good, well-meaning people can take their findings on certain populations of students with disabilities and generalise them to all populations. If any of you are present today, I ask that you stop doing this, and that you grant me my expertise as I acknowledge yours.

Having established this difference of opinion within the ranks of special education, let me emphasise to you that full inclusion is not for all students with disabilities. And beware of those who say it is. They do not have the knowledge or expertise to hold this belief.

Let me share with you some things about the educational needs of students who are visually impaired, and I suggest to you that you consider the application of what I say to other populations.

The population of blind and visually impaired students is very heterogeneous. Some are totally blind; others have good, useful vision. Some are only visually impaired; others have additional complex, challenging disabilities. Some are visually impaired from birth; other lose vision later in their school years. Some live in urban areas; others live in rural parts of the country. Some live in school districts that have extensive resources for education of students with visual impairments; others live in school districts with no resources.

The differences go on and on...

How would you propose to meet the educational needs of this population with one placement option? It cannot be done.

I mentioned earlier that we pioneered inclusive education.

We were placing children who were blind or visually impaired in regular classrooms in large numbers as early as 1955. We naively began this process by assuming that if we provided adaptations for academic learning, and if we spent a short time preparing students to use these adaptations, then students with visual impairments could have all of their educational needs met in the regular classroom. We were wrong, and we paid the price for that error as we watched helplessly as hundreds of the products of our early efforts in inclusion became unemployed social isolates as young adults.

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>> Among the lessons we learned about inclusion were: 1. Even though we were good at adapting the academic curriculum for accessibility by students with visual impairments, the use of that curriculum in the regular classroom needed careful introduction and orchestration by us.

2. Social interaction skills are not learned by imitation or by proximity to students who are not disabled. Most of the students we placed in inclusive settings were social isolates.

3. Beginning Braille reading did not lend itself well to curriculum adaptation.

4. Many students with visual impairments could learn academic subjects in inclusion settings. If prepared for using adapted curriculum, there is no reason why the child with a visual impairment cannot learn academic subjects in a regular classroom along-side sighted peers.

5. Students with visual impairments have a second set of educational needs. These are now referred to as "disabilityspecific needs". It is inappropriate and impossible to provide instruction for meeting these needs in the regular classroom.

Therefore, significant amounts of time must be spent meeting these needs outside the regular classroom.

From these findings, my profession has developed the following positions: 1. "Inclusive education" is a new label to define a particular educational placement for students with disabilities. The profession of education for students with visual impairments is pleased that this placement option has been added to the list of options. Some students with visual impairments, at some times in their lives, will benefit significantly from placement in an inclusive setting.

2. In order to meet the complex, diverse educational needs of students who are visually impaired, a full array of placement and service delivery options must be available.

3. There is no best educational program for students with visual impairments. There is a best program for an individual student at a particular time in her life.

So, let's accept "full inclusion" for what it is: one more viable option in a full array of placement options for students with disabilities.

By: Phil Hatlen, former Superintendent Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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CHRISTINA MIN Recently, I was invited to go to the International FPS Finals held in Wisconsin to represent New Zealand in the CmPS Individual division. For this part of the competition, participants were required to identify an issue that faced their area and work out ways to solve this problem.

I would like to thank everyone for their support through my project as I am ever so grateful I had the opportunity to work with such amazing people.

Christina Min, Kristin School.

My project was called Touch to Read. Touch to Read addressed the issue of a lack of textured books for low vision children in New Zealand. Research indicates that not many people know the difference between completely blind and low vision, thus a lack of awareness around this issue. In order to contribute positively to the low vision community, I made 60 specialised textured books for low vision children and donated it to various visual impairment organisations. These organisations include HOMAI BLENNZ Campus, Wilson School, Arohanui Rosehill, Parkside, as well as Somerville special school, as well as PVI (parents of the visually impaired).

I was awarded first place international individual education category division!

This experience has benefited me greatly as I was able to meet so many new people from all across the world that had similar goals of helping the community, and enabled me to appreciate how there are different issues that face different countries.

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'T H AT B L I N D WO M A N' On 27 March this year, I had been blind for 20 years! Time to party!

When I spoke at Oamaru Intermediate a few years ago, one of the female students wrote to me afterwards and said “when I grow up I hope to be as lucky as you!”

And boy have I been lucky. Or has it been luck?

March 27 this year was the day I thought about what I’ve learned in my first 20 years as a blind person. It didn’t take me long to work out what the stand out message of my life up until that moment had been. After turning down the opportunity to go cross country skiing when I was newly blind, I changed my response from no to why not whenever I was asked to do something out of my comfort zone.

To commemorate the day I collated my top 20 questions I’ve said why not to since I went blind in 1997 and came up with the following platinum list.

1 Do you want to go for a walk?

2 Do you want to learn how to use some new technology?

3 Do you want to bring truffles for morning tea?

4 Do you want to come and speak to our club?

5 Do you want to learn braille?

6 Do you want to do a half marathon?

7 Do you want to throw a party?

8 Have you thought about writing a book?

9 Do you want to go up in a hot air balloon?

10 Do you want to do the Polar Plunge?

11 Do you want to go to the Great Wall of China?

12 Do you want to have your own radio show?

13 Do you want to do an event in the Fringe Festival?

14 Do you want to dress up?

15 Do you want to ride an elephant in India?

16 Do you want to touch the Great Pyramids in Egypt?

17 Do you want to cycle the Otago Rail Trail?

18 Do you want to go on the Shotover jet?

19 Do you want to go to Samoa?

20 Do you want to referee a game of nude touch rugby?

When I went blind in 1997, I thought my life had ended. Little did I realise it had only just begun. Since going blind I’ve said why not to walking nine half marathons and 10 Papatowai Challenges, to going up in a hot air balloon and to cycling the Otago Rail Trail, to hosting my own award winning radio show and to writing my own book, to learning how to read with my fingers and to referee three games of nude touch rugby. And if that wasn’t enough, I also said why not to travelling to 50 countries by the time I was 50, including visiting the Seven Wonders of the World.

I discovered life really does begin at the end of my comfort zone. At times I was really uncomfortable learning to do things in different ways but little did I realise that saying why not to doing these things was getting me off the couch and moving me towards a new life.

To commemorate 20 years blind I’ve created a personal development tool called the WHY NOT game based on those top 20 questions! In the morning on 27 March, 2017, I awoke, went to my Perkins Brailler and wrote, in braille, on a small piece of paper “take the why not game to the world!

So that’s what I am doing now!

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all those people who have helped me in my first 20 years as a blind person. From the Blind Foundation to the blind people who have inspired me, from my family to my friends, from total strangers to the people I love. Thank you for helping me be the best blind person I can be!

But most of all I’d like to say thank you to those two small words: WHY NOT! You have changed my life.

Big braille hugs.

— P V I N Z 17 —

E X P E CTAT I O N S A N D R E A L I T I E S

K AY A L I C Y N F E R R E L L

I C E V I N O RT H A M E R I CA N/CA R I B B E A N R E G I O N A L C H A I R U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H E R N C O LO R A D O , U S A

Professionals recognise the importance of parent involvement in their children's education. But do we recognise the importance of allowing parents to choose their level of involvement?

Generally, people who are planning to start a family do not think about their child being visually impaired or having any sort of disability. We expect our child to be perfect – the brightest, most beautiful, best looking, most talented, most accomplished child that was ever born. Only with time do we realise that maybe our children really do not meet our early dreams of perfection. We love them regardless, and we have great pride in each and every one of their accomplishments.

As professionals, we should bring the same acceptance and understanding to the families that we work with.

Educators often seem to base their opinion of families on how involved the parents are in their child's education. Do they welcome home visits, no matter how many people? Do they attend parent-teacher conferences? Do they volunteer in the classroom? Do they hold office in parent groups? More often we hear comments like, “She loses so much over the weekend/vacation/school holiday.” “His parents just won't follow through,” or “They never attend parent meetings.” We sometimes forget that we are not “on” all the time, that we like some time off, and that leadership has different meanings at different points in time.

Children with visual impairment move in and out of various placements according to their changing educational needs.

The continuum works both ways: students might begin their schooling in an inclusive classroom, then find they need a more intensive placement to develop specialised skills. Or

a student might move from a specialised classroom to an inclusive classroom once those specialised skills are in place. Even then, the student might move back and forth along this continuum of school settings, depending on the amount of additional support needed and the demands of the curriculum.

Similarly, there is a continuum of parent involvement, much like the continuum of educational placements. Parents will move up and down along this continuum depending on what else is going on in their lives. For a year or two, home visits may be welcome, but after a while they could seem like intrusions, especially if there are multiple home visitors because of the child’s complications. As their child moves through school, they might change their level of involvement depending on their child's needs. At some point, a parent might want to lead a local, state, or even national organisation; at other times, a parent might want to retreat from the intensity of always thinking about – or being defined by – his or her child. Another child might need attention. Or a spouse might need support and encouragement. It might not fit with our expectations for what the parent of a child with a visual impairment should be doing, but it certainly fits with the realities of everyday life.

Professionals have their own continuum of participation. We hold an office in a professional organisation, and we're glad when our term is over. We mentor student teachers, then we don't want to do it again for a while. Our own children need our attention; our spouse demands more of our time. We run out of money and cannot travel; we are diagnosed with a chronic illness; we are just plain tired. Parents of children with visual impairment are no different.

— P V I N Z 18 —

We expect parents to do the things that we do, even though we are the ones who went to school and earned degrees in order to work with students with visual impairment. We chose the profession of educator, and we chose to teach infants, children, and youth with visual impairment. Parents – in most cases – did not choose this work that we love.

In Reach Out and Teach (2011), I outlined 15 rights that all parents have, but which I felt were particularly important to parents of children with visual impairments. These are not legal or civil rights, but they are expectations that should guide our interactions with families. These are just as important for parents to remember as they are for professionals. Parents and families have: • The right to ask questions.

• The right to seek another opinion.

• The right to privacy.

• The right to say NO. • The right to ambiguity.

• The right to feel angry.

• The right to keep trying.

• The right to stop trying.

• The right to set limits.

• The right to be a parent.

• The right to be unenthusiastic.

• The right to be annoyed with their child.

• The right to time off.

• The right to be the expert-in-charge.

• The right to dignity.

situation, parents should expect to be neither pitied nor admired. Parenting a child with visual impairment is different, but it is no more worthy of admiration than it is of pity – it is simply different. Parents should expect to be listened to and supported in a nonjudgmental way. Parents expect the truth— from doctors, teachers, social workers, and therapists who are there to help; from friends and neighbours, who owe them a chance to be someone other than "parent-of-a-disabledchild", and from family members who might be encountering someone with blindness for the first time. Parents deserve to be talked to as an adult.

Our expectations often run headlong into reality. The truth is that we are more likely to develop the kind of parent involvement we want if we understand that parents are facing the same day-to-day realities that all people – including us – encounter. Those realities fluctuate for a variety of reasons, many of which might be unrelated to the child with a visual impairment. Parents will respond as they are able and as frequently as they are able. And if they do not, it is not an opportunity to judge as much as it is an opportunity to support, think creatively, and problem-solve.

Being invited into a family’s home is a privilege, regardless of the geographical location or the culture. Let us remember to treat parents the way we would want to be treated ourselves.

To paraphrase what I wrote then: these rights boil down to the right to be respected and treated as an equal. In every

— P V I N Z 19 —

TRANSITION AND OUR KIDS

This is a reflection on a recent transition experience from one of our parents.

Transition is quite a big thing, having gone through this experience recently I now understand how meaningful it is for our children. Being able to consider, not only the child and their readiness to move to the next level, we have had to consider the environment, the routines of the classroom, and the route to the class, not to mention the teacher and teacher aides and the placement of things inside the classroom that become a challenge. I compare it to the first day of school and all those things we as parents of children with special needs consider to make sure our children are in the right place where things are accessible to them. Having input from the parent, teacher and also the RTV having a family-centred approach where in order to get the best for our children we can work in partnership with teachers and professionals but also having them realise that us parents are the ones who know our children best. Parents hold the key information about our children and through communication on both parts are able to create a partnership. Through the ups and downs of my child’s transition she is starting to get a hold of things and I have communicated with all who work with her also. I have called a review meeting for term three so I am able to see if the plans put in place in term two are actually benefiting her and to see how we can extend her learning further. One thing

that is a great learning curve through this process is that the school and RTV and acknowledged that they didn’t do enough to support my child through the transition and know next time what things to consider and what not to do, which makes me as a parent more confident in advocating for my child through these changes.

It seems that the word transition is one that we never really escape as parents of disabled children and young adults. I recall the uncertainty we had in the pre-school years wondering how our son would fit and be accepted into a kindergarten and then early school! The word comes up again as we move beyond primary school or intermediate or secondary school into big wide world.

Think of the benefits your child receives from the school system: a safe place to be all day, with opportunities for learning, enrichment activities, behavioural supports, exercise, teacher and teacher aide support, contact with caring adults besides yourself, structure and routine, maybe job training and experience, and friendship. And it’s free. And there’s a structure for school services, based on a plan created with your input!

Now picture your child’s life devoid of these opportunities.

That’s life after the education system — nowhere to go, nothing to do, no friends, no assistance, no plan, no voice, no free activities! It can get a little scary!

— P V I N Z 20 —

How can you and your family work now to create opportunities for work, friends, vocational services, residential services, independent living and other meaningful services for your child beyond schooling?

• Start now whatever the age of your family member with a disability. Get over your fears, denial, inertia, ignorance, or whatever is keeping you from facing this issue. Focus on what your child needs.

• The PVINZ have detailed material you can access to assist with your transition plan. We have listed below a brief description of transition.

• While parents may understand the importance of independence and letting go, they also may worry or have concerns about their young adult trying a new activity or event.

• Many families find balancing “ dignity of risk “ with safety concerns particularly challenging. It is important that any new activity or change in routine is planned for, risks are managed and safeguards put in place. Leaving school or home is a major change and planning is essential to ensure a smooth transition.

• Planning transition from school or home means finding out information and making decisions about where to live, how to find work and how to get involved in the community or adult services. It is also about having fun, how to develop and keep relationships and plan for a balanced and rewarding life.

• Transition planning is a team process. The team includes the

student at the centre, their family and whanau, friends, school staff, adult service providers, and other community support staff. This team works together to develop a transition plan that meets the student’s needs and wishes.

• Start early! Long term planning for disabled students should begin around age 14 and becomes more specific and focused as the student moves towards the end of secondary schooling.

This allows plenty of time for trying new things and developing new skills.

A Transition Plan is a working document that develops over time and may cover: • Employment or vocational options • Income and finances • Housing or living arrangements • Cultural support • Further education • Recreation and leisure • Advocacy • Friends and relationships • Transport and community access • Disability support services We have available detailed information sheets from the PVI NZ that will assist you with the many questions that arise with Transition.

— P V I N Z 21 —

ACC E S S M AT T E R S TO PA R E N T S TO O. PA R E N T N E TWO R K I N G M E E T I N G CHRISTCHURCH 1 . 3 0 P M S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 7 BLENNZ CHRISTCHURCH VISUAL RESOURCE CENTRE 53 K E N DA L AV E N U E, C H R I S TC H U RC H PA R E N T S L I K E TA L K I N G , L I S T E N I N G A N D L E A R N I N G , S O, W E T H O U G H T YO U M I G H T L I K E TO J O I N U S W I T H F O R A N A F T E R N O O N W I T H D AV I D L E P O F S KY

David is the international guest speaker supporting the Access Matters campaign for accessibility legislation in New Zealand.

He is the chief architect of Canada’s world leading accessibility laws which create the conditions to make Canada barrier-free.

He is the parent of a child who is blind. He is doing a speaking tour in Auckland Wellington and Invercargill to share his story of successfully advocating for his child and for people with disabilities to have the same rights as everyone else.

RSVP : david@pvi.org.nz Phone 0274 402 073

— P V I N Z 22 —

THE EPIC YOUTH EVENT From 21-23 April 2017, the Blind Foundation held the first EPIC (empowering, participating, inspiring and connecting) Youth Event. The youth-led initiative, it was a great opportunity to challenge young leaders and to develop future ones.

Thirty-five blind and low vision youth aged 17-25 travelled to Wellington from around the country to take part in the awesome programme. Filled with interactive workshops on flatting and renting rights, pre-employment skills, and advocacy, everyone left empowered with new skills, and knowledge about available services and how to get them, a crucial skill for anyone with a disability.

But it wasn’t all informative workshops. A funny and engaging spoken word poetry workshop ended with a hilarious group poem about the universal experience of being ‘hangry’, kicked off the first night. An Amazing Race around Wellington also challenged and energised the participants, post workshops.

From reaching new heights rock climbing, to the cable car and Te Papa, to posing like bees at the Bee Hive, the participants did it all with smiling faces. While they were solving clues and completing challenges, they also practised their orientation and team building skills. Everyone was appreciative of the independence this activity gave them, as volunteers gave the minimum support needed. Growing confidence and

communication skills over a few hours meant no one went home without new friends.

The opportunity to hang out and swap stories and war wounds with other youth who are blind or have low vision was another crucial part of the programme. Nothing makes you feel included like sharing the experiences of walking into poles and not being able to read supermarket prices. Finding common experiences, no matter how small, creates a bond and an invaluable and understanding peer support system to turn to when inevitably facing the challenges that come with a vison impairment. The first Blind Foundation event for some participants, this was a very important take-away which inspired those new to the visually impaired community to reach to the new heights they realised they were capable of.

Overall, the event was a huge success. The planning team received a lot of very positive feedback as well as constructive criticism for future events. With a number of participants asking when the next event is, and how they can be involved in the planning process, the team couldn’t have asked for a better result. The team are extremely grateful to everyone involved for encouraging and supporting such an invaluable challenge and experience and they look forward to future youth-led initiatives.

— P V I N Z 23 —

A SPORTING CHANCE

I recently attended a lecture at the Blind Foundation offices in Wellington advertised as “Rethinking Inclusion Strategies in Recreation and Sport for those who are Blind, Deafblind, or have Low Vision”. The two-hour talk was presented by Dr Lauren Lieberman and Dr Pamela Haibach-Beach, visiting experts on a speaking tour from The College of Brockport State University of New York.

The tour, facilitated by the Blind Foundation, was a chance for Lauren and Pam to share information about their research and work in the field of sport and recreation for visually impaired youngsters, and to promote their Camp Abilities programme in New Zealand. The Wellington talk was attended by an audience of about 30 people, comprised of staff from the Blind Foundation and BLENNZ, a selection of sports educators, including some from the ASB Sports Centre in Wellington, and two parents of visually impaired people.

The talk covered some of their research findings, strategies for inclusion, Camp Abilities, and some brief recommendations of books and publications covering the topics discussed. I’ll attempt to briefly cover each of these areas with some links to more information.

RESEARCH Lauren and Pam reported some findings from their research: • Six-12-year-olds with visual impairments were significantly delayed in motor skill development • The severity of delay was correlated with the level of visual impairment • There was no gender bias in the results • Older children were not significantly better than younger children in the sample • Parents, teachers, and support staff have limited knowledge about how to include visually impaired people to access recreation and sports.

The assessments they used looked at object control skills: kicking, batting, throwing, rolling, dribbling, and catching; and at loco-motor skills: running, jumping, hopping, galloping and sliding. When they looked into the development of these skills, frequently the visually impaired children didn’t understand how to perform the skill, but could rapidly improve and gain confidence when given appropriate instruction.

One further finding discussed was in perceived motor competence - if you think that you’re competent in these skills,

— P V I N Z 24 —

you tend to be more active.

boards can be used to provide a map of a court, for example, and the student should know the goal of the activity.

STRATEGIES FOR INCLUSION. Whatever you do, don’t pull your child out of physical education because of their vision impairment, and don’t consider a visually impaired child running while the other children play soccer, for example, as inclusion. Lauren and Pam talked about their focus on achievement, not simple participation. Visually impaired children don’t want to be cheered just for being there.

They’re capable of achieving competence and just as keen as any other child to do so.

Including visually impaired children does take more groundwork and an awareness of appropriate instruction though, and time will need to be spent providing an understanding of the activity.

When explaining, don’t say things like “over there”, don’t ask people to put their hands up - ask them to clap twice instead - use auditory, practical, tactile, and repetitive techniques to convey the rules and instructions clearly.

To be truly involved in a sport, the student has to have an understanding of the rules, the playing area, movement patterns, terminology, strategies; and all of this can be conveyed. Tactile

When a visually impaired, or deafblind person is playing a team sport, make sure that the action is conveyed to them in a way that they can understand. If the crowd is cheering, and they don’t know why, they’re not being supported to fully take part.

Where adaptations are appropriate, they shouldn’t be automatic - ask the child if they want a modification, rather than making them do something different automatically.

Similarly, adaptations shouldn’t be restricted to children with impairments, but available to any child. Educators should be aware that adaptations like balls that beep don’t negatively affect the performance of people without a particular limitation, so there’s no reason not to use them for everyone.

Lauren and Pam use a whole-part-whole technique to encourage understanding and mastery. Starting with an understanding of the game or technique as a whole, then focussing on parts that can be improved - like throwing action, or sliding - and finally relating the improvements back to the whole activity.

>> — P V I N Z 25 —

>> CA M P A B I L I T I E S Camp Abilities is a one week educational sports camp for children and teens (nine-19) who are blind, vision impaired, or deafblind. It provides one-on-one instruction in recreation and sports activities including goal ball, gymnastics, track and field, canoeing, and archery.

P U B L I C AT I O N S (C L I C K O N T E X T T O O P E N U R L ) • Gross Motor Development Curriculum; Pamela Haibach and Lauren Lieberman, APH • Purchase at APH, or read online here.

• Supporting video on YouTube here.

The goals of the camp are to: • Empower children to take part in regular after-school sport programmes • Teach future teachers • Conduct further research • Increase awareness about the skills and abilities of children with vision impairments Staff at the camp are a mixture of educators and student educators, paralympians, inspiring speakers, and enthusiastic camp alumni, so the camp provides an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and techniques with a wider group.

• Physical Education and Sports for People with Visual Impairments and Deafblindness: Foundations of Instructionl, Lauren Lieberman, Paul E. Ponchillia, Susan V. Ponchillia, AFB • Games for People with Sensory Impairments Strategies for Including Individuals of All Ages.

• Everybody Plays! How Kids With Visual Impairments Play Sports • Going Places, Resource Guide here.

From its beginnings in Brockport, NY in 1996, the camps have spread to other areas of the USA and the world, with camps in Ireland, Finland, and other countries. Lauren and Pam are keen to see the camp spread to New Zealand too.

You can find out more about Camp Abilities on the web site: campabilities.org. There are also some videos on the website (in the media section) and on YouTube, such as the documentary, “A Worldwide Vision”.

— P V I N Z 26 —

PARENTS OF VISION IMPAIRED (NZ) INC National Office: 11 Mahara Place, Waikanae 5025, New Zealand PO. Box 513 Waikanae 5025 Telephone: 04 293 8236 Mobile: 0274 402 073 Email: david@pvi.org.nz Web: www.pvi.org.nz

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H S A L F S EW

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PVINZ Conference and AGM 2017 Creating a pathway towards life without limits

The PVINZ Conference will be held in Wellington, Friday 27 October (Assemble), Saturday 28 October, and Sunday 29 October 2017.

Venue: CQ HOTEL, Cuba Street.

We are limited to 65 conference delegates, so it will be first in, first served. PVINZ will pay for: · Return air fares in New Zealand. · Accommodation share twin CQ Hotel, Friday, Saturday night. · Breakfast Saturday, Sunday. Lunch Saturday. Banquet dinner Saturday night. · Delegates registration fee $60.

Friday night will be mix and mingle. The conference will start at 9.00am on the Saturday and conclude at 11.30 – 12.00 on the Sunday. We are presently arranging an exciting selection of presenters.

For PVINZ members wishing to provide their own transport to attend only the Saturday programme we will have limited space available.

Should you wish to upgrade your accommodation to the CQ/ Quality Hotel, that will be at your expense. An upgrade will cost an additional $70.00 per night.

For delegates attending from our partner organisations and professions we have a registration fee of $110.00 to cover the costs of lunch and dinner on the Saturday. Accommodation and travel is at your cost CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORMS ATTACHED — P V I N Z 27 —

T H E L E A R N I N G S U P P O RT U P D AT E :

BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE LEARNING SUPPORT SYSTEM M I N I S T RY O F E D U C AT I O N

What have we done so far?

In November 2016, the former minster for education, Hon Hekia Parata, and the government gave direction for us to test elements of the new Learning Support Service Delivery Model in the Bay of Plenty — Waiariki region.

On 6 March 2017, after engagement, consultation and codesign with regional sector partners, stakeholders and parents, we commenced testing elements of the new service delivery in communities of learning/kāhui ako within Whakatane, Ōtūmoetai and Taupo.

Some of the key things we’re testing are: • simpler, quicker and easier access to learning support • developing a single learning support plan that meets the child or young person’s unique needs, follows them through transition and is flexible to their changing needs as they learn and grow • the ease and ability for the sector to work more collaboratively and share knowledge and expertise to benefit children and young people • collecting and analysing data related to learning support and how learning support contributes to positive education outcomes and achievement.

What are we doing next?

Over the next 12 months our regional offices will work with local sector partners, stakeholders and parents to implement the new delivery model of Learning Support in their regions.

We’ve already started sharing information and engaging within some communities and will continue to meet with more of our sector partners, stakeholders and parents as the year progresses.

What is the Learning Support Update?

The Learning Support Update is about putting children and young people that need learning support at the heart of everything we do.

We aim to modernise and improve learning support so it’s easier to access, child focused, flexible and better connected to the wider education sector.

Benefits for children and young people and their parents or whanāu • Quick, simple and easy access • Improved education outcome • Tailored, flexible and dedicated support • Support both inside and outside the classroom Benefits for the education sector • Ability to prioritise resources • Visibility of demand for and provision of services • Local solutions to reflect community needs • Consistency and transparency of accountability Benefits for the Ministry of Education • Visibility of demand for and provision of services • Reduce silos and duplication of effort • Lead strategic direction for Learning Support and inform MoE strategic direction • Ability to inform and influence investment decisions Benefits across Government • Joined up services across agencies • Reduce silos and duplication of effort • Consistency and transparency of accountability • Ability to inform and inluence investment decisions Why are we doing this work?

We’ve heard from parents, whānau, teachers and other educators that Learning Support can be hard to navigate, with far too many hurdles to get the right support. Parents and whānau have also told us that they don’t always get support for their children soon enough.

We want to address these issues and implement a new service

— P V I N Z 28 —

Useful links (Click on text to open url) • Learning Support Update

delivery model for Learning Support.

The new service delivery model will see: • simpler, quicker and easier access to learning support for children and young people and their parents, whānau and teachers • local Learning Support facilitators to facilitate and coordinate the delivery of learning support, and who can act as the single point of contact for parents, whānau and teachers • a single Learning Support Plan for children and young people who need it, that reflects their individual circumstances and environment, moves with them through their education pathway and is flexible to their changing needs • collecting and analysing data that focuses on positive progress and achievements made by the child or young person.

• Learning Support Update information release Contact person For more information, feel free to email LSUpdate@education. govt.nz, National Director Learning Support David Wales, or Deputy Director Learning Support Heather Mackie.

What informed us?

In mid-2015, we consulted extensively across New Zealand about special education and received feedback from 3,650 parents, whānau, teachers and sector partners about special education.

You can read the summary of findings at https://education.govt. nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Initiatives/special-educationupdate/Special-Education-Update-summary-of-engagementfindings-Nov-2015.pdf What have we discovered along the way?

While it is still too early to identify preliminary results from testing in the Bay of Plenty – Waiariki region, we have discovered that early and ongoing engagement and consultation with our sector partners, stakeholders and parents is vital to the success of Learning Support.

This is a particularly important process in order to prepare, encourage and influence a more collaborative and connected up way of working across the sector, in order to put children and young people that need learning support at the heart of everything we do.

— P V I N Z 29 —

PVINZ

CO N TACT U S Parents of Vision Impaired (NZ) Incorporated Executive Officer David Heather PO Box 513 Waikanae 5025 04 293 8236 027 4402 073 david@pvi.org.nz

Upper North Island Board Member Mrs Stacey Dodd 021 133 8949 mrsstaceydodd@hotmail.com

Physical Address: Level 1 11 Mahara Place Waikanae

Upper South Island Board Member Mr Adrian Secker 027 201 1028 adrian.secker@gmail.com

Let us introduce our PVINZ Inc Board Members: Chairperson and Tangata Whenua Board Member Mrs Riripeti Paine 0226 194 340 riripeti.paine@gmail.com

Lower South Island Board Member Mrs Judith Hyslop 027 250 4018 judithhyslop@xtra.co.nz

Treasurer Central North Island Board Member Mr Donald Fairgray 027 286 7798 don@pvi.org.nz Upper North Island Board Member Mrs Linda Moore-Carter 027 320 2693

PVI.ORG.NZ

Lower North Island Board Member Mr Matthew Hunt 021 173 4300 matt@likeable.org

Tangata Whenua Board Member Ms Georgia Kenyon New Plymouth 027 204 5100 Anywhere in New Zealand Board Member Ms Nikki Stokes 022 693 7653 nikki.stokes@icloud.com nikkins.08@gmail.com

FACEBOOK.COM/PVINZ

We also have a private group for the parents.