A Shared Vision: Partners in Pediatric Blindness and Visual Impairment
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A Shared Vision's 2021 Impact Report
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This 2021 Impact Report is dedicated to the 215 families in Colorado whom we supported last year. While our operating model flexed, these families were our constant, our raison d'être. We held to our mission of educating, inspiring, and empowering families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so all children may discover their brightest future.
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Shaylee and her grandmother Kimberly are just one of the many families we supported in 2021. Shaylee has cortical visual impairment (CVI), and as a result, has limited vision.
“Our teacher from A Shared Vision recognized Shaylee would benefit from a light box. We put toys on it and Shaylee started exploring right away. Her attention was right on it,” explains her grandmother Kimberly. Her teacher also taught Kimberly how to read Shaylee’s cues and allow her to lead. “I learned how to allow Shaylee to make her own choices,” said Kimberly.

Because of her teacher, Kimberly became more curious and empowered as a caregiver, and Shaylee is now reaching her developmental milestones more quickly. As Kimberly explained, “Once you become more knowledgeable, you can trust the process of your child’s development.” Like many other families we support, Kimberly found hope.

This Impact Report also recognizes our teachers. With a team of 16 graduate trained, highly qualified, and licensed Early Intervention Teachers of the Visually Impaired provided services in families’ homes or via telehealth in 55 Colorado counties.

As one parent commented, “Our teacher is in our corner cheering us on and providing the tools and techniques for our child’s success.” In 2021 we continued our efforts to ensure appropriate compensation for our teachers, including funding unreimbursed travel expenses and the development of unique, teacher-led programs such as our Learning Experiences. (Learn more about Learning Experiences below.)

Through the updated vision screening protocol and continued training during 2021, we expanded the community of providers capable of finding children in need of vision services. The success of this collaboration is proven by data recently obtained from Early Intervention Colorado, which reported a 49% growth in the occurrence of vision services for children in early intervention from 2019 through 2021. It is the most significant growth of any service type statewide.

With our unique and flexible operating model, we continued our efforts to attract and support a highly skilled workforce, build partnerships throughout the state, and deliver a breadth of programming that grows the capability and capacity of all early intervention providers to serve these families.

While we are very pleased with the growing number of children we supported in 2021, we are carefully watching the number of education visits which has continued to decline during the pandemic. This past year, we conducted 1,655 education home visits, down 23% from the prior year. Along with our Community Centered Board partners, we believe the decline is due to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as teacher availability. We are partnering with EI Colorado and our CCBs to review data to understand the causes and adjust our model, as needed.
 
None of our programs could have been possible without the friendship and generous support of the foundations and individual donors who recognize the value early intervention brings to families who raise very young children with blindness or visual impairments. We are so grateful for your continued partnership!

With gratitude,
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Stefanie Hamilton
Founder, EI-TVI
shamilton@asharedvision.org
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Paula Landry
Founder, EI-TVI
plandry@asharedvision.org
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Steven Lindauer
Founder, Executive Director
slindauer@asharedvision.org
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We educate, 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.

Because of your support, we are Colorado's leading provider of early intervention vision services and the ONLY organization dedicated to serving these families throughout the state.

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For every family, our teachers provided a portfolio of services curated to their unique needs and the needs of their child with blindness or a visual impairment. The goal is preschool and kindergarten readiness and a positive trajectory for cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development for each child.
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Mary, Nathan, and Leland

“Once we started seeing our teacher from A Shared Vision, we started to get more information on his vision diagnosis, and we were filled with hope," said Mary. Their teacher taught Mary and Nathan how to set up Leland’s environment, how to read his cues, and how to adapt the “hand under hand” strategy to “hand under foot” because his hands were so sensitive. “Obviously, we didn’t plan on having a kid with such significant needs, but we cannot imagine our life without Leland now. These kids will teach you more about life and resilience than you know is possible,” said Mary.
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Bree, Solvi, and Lucky the Horse

When Bree got the results of Solvi’s genetic test after her first seizure, “Everything changed on how I navigated life,” explained Bree. “If Solvi didn’t get the early intervention services as soon as possible, it would set her back even further.” Their teacher taught Bree how to use vision strategies while playing with Solvi. Solvi’s other “therapist” is her horse, Lucky. “Horses are magical. Lucky has taught Solvi how to be strong, how to use her balance, and engage all her senses. And Lucky makes her laugh!” explained Bree.

Shelly, Kreigh, Ella, and Namni

“Our teacher taught us that being hands-on is very important, and every minute counts when your child is learning with a disability," explained Shelly. Namni’s teacher also taught her how to understand her feelings. Her teacher and another provider created a self-soothing strategy for Namni called “smelling the flower and blowing out the candle” because Namni loves flowers and birthdays. Now when Namni gets angry or frustrated, she’ll say to herself, “Do you want to close your eyes and breathe?,” and she calms down. Being empathetic will help Namni build new friendships when she starts preschool in her Grand Junction, CO, school district in 2022.
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Parent Reflections from 2021

Maggie joined my daughter's care team at a very pivotal time in our family's journey. She facilitates fun and engaging activities, she is also a wealth of knowledge, and she provides us with great resources and advice for my daughter's future. We are so thankful for Maggie!”
Our teacher from A Shared Vision listens and works with my child. I've seen huge improvement from the beginning 'til now! Magic it really is! Thank you so much for all your help."
Our teacher is the absolute best! She has helped our son through so many hurdles! We have been so lucky to have her. Thank you!"
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We provide education, community connections, and support for families of children with visual impairments through group activities, the newsletter, website, and social media. Our goal is to improve the capabilities and the emotional health of caregivers who raise children with visual impairments.

Learning Experiences

During the pandemic we developed “Learning Experiences” for our caregivers who requested activities they could do with their child while staying safe at home. Using a pedagogically sound design based on the Expanded Core Curriculum, these fun, sensory experiences enhance a child’s global development within everyday routines. Nineteen experiences have been developed since June 2020, and our teachers are using them with their families.
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Going on an Easter Egg Hunt!
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That's How I Roll!

Sensory Cookbook (First Edition)

In December 2021 we published our first cookbook of sensory recipes for families of children with blindness and visual impairments. The idea for this collection of sensory recipes came from one of our teachers, who made pumpkin pie play dough with one of her families.

We developed 12 recipes for the cookbook. With each step, we give sensory suggestions and strategies for the ingredients, utensils, and techniques you can hear, touch, smell, taste, and see in the recipe.

Mystery Parties

Virtual events are often easier for our families to attend. In the fall of 2021 we piloted our first "CVI Mystery Party"  hosted by our teachers to support and educate parents of children with cortical visual impairment. During the one-hour program, our teachers created a fun atmosphere of sharing and curiosity about CVI.  Starting in 2022, this virtual event will be held quarterly, and all A Shared Vision families will be invited to attend because the same strategies can be applied to children with CVI and other visual impairments.
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We actively invest in creating a community of skilled and collaborative professionals so that all families of children with visual impairments have access to and receive essential early intervention services.

Our Team

Our teachers are the cornerstone of the community that supports families with very young children who are blind or visually impaired.

With graduate degrees in visual impairment, our team of 16 licensed Early Intervention Teachers of the Visually Impaired are uniquely qualified to meet the needs of families. As one parent commented, “Our teacher is in our corner cheering us on and providing the tools and techniques for our child’s success.”

Click on the pictures below to learn more about each of our team members.
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Janet Anderson (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Kerry Auld (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Suzan Barlow (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Sally Burch (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Lorraine Cheverria (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Stephanie Crosen (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Morgan Fitzpatrick (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Caitlin Geoffrion (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Stefanie Hamilton (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Paula Landry (EI-TVI)
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Katie Lindauer (Communications Manager)
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Steven Lindauer (Executive Director)
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Janis Mountford (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Kimala Rein (EI-TVI, COMS, Infant Massage Instructor)
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Leonor Rosser (EI-TVI)
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Edie Smith (EI-TVI, COMS)
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Wendy Stoltman (EI-TVI, COMS, CLVT)
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Maggie Tutt (EI-TVI)
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Liz Wieder (EI-TVI, COMS)

Our Colleagues

Experts in Colorado’s early intervention community recognize that many children with visual impairments are still unidentified because of insufficient screening and a lack of qualified vision providers.

We continued our partnership with Colorado Department of Education and the Office of Early Childhood to expand the community of providers capable of finding children in need of vision services.


During 2020 and 2021, we hosted more than 60 free training sessions on the updated vision screening protocol for 949 early intervention professionals throughout the state, as well as providers from Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
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We also conducted briefings for the American Academy of Pediatrics-Colorado Chapter and the Colorado Optometric Association. We supported transdisciplinary team meetings with our Community Centered Board (CCB) partners. And we led trainings with therapy organizations and childcare facilities.

Our Partners

Meeting our families' needs throughout a diverse state is only possible through teaming and collaboration.

“A Shared Vision creates relationships that are impacting the work we do and impart knowledge to do our jobs well. We are fortunate to have them to lead and support early intervention vision services at Community Options,” commented Margaret Davey, Assistant Director and EI Coordinator.

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Our Board

Kivanc Ozer
Susan Raymond
Stefanie Hamilton, Board Vice President
Paula Landry, Board President
Steven Lindauer, Secretary & Treasurer

Our Advisors

Dr. Tanni Anthony, Department of Education
JC Greeley, retired TVI/COMS
Dr. Kara Hanson, UCHealthEye Center
Laura Merrill, EI Colorado
Dr. Anna Steele, Children’s Eye Physicians

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A Shared Vision services are provided at no cost to families. Unlike center-based programs, we do not charge tuition or other fees to the families we support.

While a part of the costs to deliver home vision services are paid by Colorado’s Community Centered Boards using federal IDEA Part C and other state funds, we rely on support from our donors to deliver the breadth of our programming.

We are a nimble, virtual organization with very little overhead. None of our expenses include brick-and-mortar structures or other capital investments as early intervention vision services are best provided in families’ homes - the ideal model for delivery which is substantiated through years of research.

Our financial position continues to strengthen. The financials are a snapshot in time and include a $54,200 Paycheck Protection Program grant we received as part of the US Government response to COVID-19.

Statement of Financial Position

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Statement of Activity

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The individuals and organizations who gave to A Shared Vision deserve all the credit. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many children and families in Colorado. The following donors helped make our programs possible.
Myrna Ann Adkins
Julia Almond
Amazon Smile
Anna Samsel Anderson
Jadan Anderson
Janet Anderson
Susan Anderson
Vicki Anderson
Anonymous
Anschutz Family Foundation
Andrew Arevalo
Denise Barnwell
Steven Bathgate
George Baumgarten
Nahla Bekkara
Nancy Anderson Bell
Andrew Benson
Layne Benzley
Amanda Blake
Buell Foundation
Paty Bugal
Natalie Buike
Danielle Butler
Dana Caldwell
Wayne Cascio
William Cascio
Kathy & Gerry Case
Sue Catterall
Mary Chambers
Nicholas & Lorraine Chevarria
ColoradoGives Community First Foundation
Daniel Cummings
Tom & Lisa Cummings
Nancy Currey
Beth & Paul Daughtery
Lillian Dean
The Denver Foundation

Celeste B. Drinkard
Joyce Durol
Scott Elliott
Robert Enzenauer
Betsy & Tim Fecteau
Julie Frye
The Gibney Family Foundation
Google
Catherine Grassman
Judith Greeley
Richard Greenlee
Lee & Stefanie Hamilton
Mary Hass
Catherine Hebert
Erin Higgins
James Hynd Trust
Dawn Jones
Linda Joy
Becky Anderson Keller
David & Evangeline Kelly
Seth & Liz Kelly
Christine Kilpatrick
Vivek Kohli
Kroger
Loretta M. Landry
Paula & Jim Landry
Catherine Lindauer
Katie & Steven Lindauer
Sarah Lindauer
Brenda Loewenstine
LONG Building Technologies, Inc.
John Lundgren
Kelly Stadille Manley
Jill McCarren
Jeffrey Meier
Araceli Monarrez
Janis Mountford

Network for Good
Jackie Osantowski
Chris Owens
Kivanc Ozer
Kathrin Parsons
PayPal Giving Fund
Nancy Phares-Zook
Pikes Peak Foundation
Jennifer Poltermann
Carol Puchalski
Susan Raymond
Kimala Rein
Mary Reisher & Barry Berlin
Valerie Reymann
Marcia Robertson
Lisa Roll Moore
Judas Rose
Jeffrey & Kathi Rudolph
Kevin Conrad Schneider
Belinda Severtson
Tyler Simmons
Small Business Administration
Kyle Smith
Jon Smythe
Charles & Margit Squire
Ann G. Stafford
Wendy Stoltman
Emily Talbott
TisBest Philanthropy
Brian & Erin Trujillo
UKOGF Foundation
Loree Vanderhye
Thomas Preston Waters III
Kerri West
Daren Willden
Robert Witkow
Xcel

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© 2022 A Shared Vision: Partners in Pediatric Blindness & Visual Impairment

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    • Pediatric Eye Doctors in Colorado
    • EI Eval Quick Start Guide
    • For Pediatricians
  • Donate Now
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    • Our Partners