Janis joined A Shared Vision in 2018 after working for 23 years as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and an Orientation and Mobility Specialist for Weld County School District Six in Greeley, CO. She began her career working in special education but was particularly drawn to teaching children with visual impairments.

As an Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired for A Shared Vision, Janis gets to work one-on-one with families in their homes. By focusing on everyday routines and basic strategies parents can use with their child, Janis’s role is more hands-on than in a classroom setting. “I also appreciate the direct collaboration I have with other service providers when we do home visits together,” explains Janis.

Janis arrives well prepared for all home visits. She likes to bring multi-sensory toys and books for the parents to use with their child. Janis strives to honor, respect, and empower parents to use the materials in order to positively impact the growth of their child across all developmental areas. If a home visit isn’t possible because of illness or schedules, she will leave the materials at their doorstep, and then later, schedule a video call with them. “Video calls are helping me be a more purposeful communicator with parents. It’s a way for us to stay in touch, even when I can’t be there in person,” explains Janis.