October 15 Is White Cane Awareness Day
The white cane is an essential tool that gives children with blindness or visual impairments the ability to navigate their environment.  It acts as an extension of their hands and arms so they can assess a situation and move quickly and confidently at home, school, or around a neighborhood. 

For babies and toddlers, moving independently and safely in their environment is called Orientation & Mobility. A teacher from A Shared Vision trained in O&M helps a family learn to encourage a child’s purposeful movement, teach body parts and directional concepts, and help their child with an early mobility device such as a push toy or small cane. Learn more about O&M HERE. 
Easy White Cane Treats

To celebrate White Cane Awareness Day make some easy White Cane Treats to share with friends and family! All you need is a bag of regular marshmallows, red licorice Twizzlers, black licorice Twizzlers and Pepperidge Farm Pirouette cookies.  

To make the treat, insert a red Twizzler into one end of the cookie and the black Twizzler into the other end. Then put the red end of the Twizzler into the center of a marshmallow. It’s an edible white cane!
Spotlight on Suzan Barlow

Suzan joined A Shared Vision as an Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired in August 2018. She also works part time as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the Denver Public School district.

Like many A Shared Vision’s teachers, Suzan enjoys providing vision services in the classroom and in the home. When Suzan isn’t supporting a family from A Shared Vision, she likes to spend time with her family and friends, walking, biking and reading. She also helps her son with his real estate business because "It's fun! If your heart and head are there, you're helping people," says Suzan. Read more about Suzan HERE.
A Shared Vision Is Turning Four!
What a year it has been for our nonprofit! Since 2016 we have experienced record growth both in the number of families we serve and the number of visits. Then, with the pandemic, we quickly pivoted to providing our services using telehealth. Our services are up 4% since last year, despite the challenges of adapting to technology and developing new programs that can be delivered virtually. 

We are so grateful for our donors, including the Buell Foundation, for making this growth possible. Thank you for your support!
How to Plan a Successful Birthday Party
Birthday parties and other special occasions are an important part of our culture but can be challenging for children with special needs. Parties are noisy, the setting is typically unfamiliar, people are talking and moving around the room, and unexpected decorations are hanging everywhere. Your child’s energy may be devoted to trying to make sense of the commotion, leaving little left for having fun.

Paula Landry, A Shared Vision’s co-founder, EI-TVI and parent of an 18-year-old with a visual impairment, shares proven strategies HERE that will make birthday parties and other special events more enjoyable for you and your child.
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on the gate.
The first one said, “Oh, my, it’s getting late.”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”
The third one said, “But I don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.”
Ooooo! Went the wind, and out went the light.
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
Get Qualified in Vision Screening
More than 500 EI professionals have completed the free continuing ed course conducted by A Shared Vision in collaboration with EI Colorado. View all the qualified vision screening professionals HERE. Sessions are available through the fall.  Register NOW.

"A Shared Vision has been tremendously helpful in providing training and resources for screening vision in young children. I now feel confident to screen a child's vision, explain the results of the screening to families, and make recommendations for the next level of care. In addition, I feel more comfortable talking with families about the concerns they have or the behaviors they have noticed. I think that all EI professionals should complete the vision training and know about the additional vision services that are available to the families we work with." Nina De La Rosa, M.A., CCC-SLP
A Shared Vision is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the leading provider of in-home and community early intervention vision services in Colorado. We inspire and empower families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so that all children may discover their brightest future.
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