Sarah Vallese

Sarah is a third-generation Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired and joined A Shared Visino after practicing for the past 12 years. She entered the field after following both of her parents and grandfather into the world of visual impairments. She honed her skills alongside A Shared Vision’s founders Stefanie Hamilton and Paula Landry as well as some of the most respected master teachers in the field.
Sarah has always been drawn to working with young children and their families. When finishing graduate school, she had two internships that changed her life. One was in the preschool program at Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, the other at Anchor Center for Blind Children in Denver. She instantly knew that working with little ones was her passion. “I found a new ability to use my creativity to provide rich real-world experiences for children with visual impairments, and my heart was full of joy working with and watching small children learn about the world around them,” explains Sarah.

Sarah is often coaching parents of children with visual impairments on two lessons. “Parents know their child best. They can trust their instincts. And they are the MOST important person in their child's life. And two -- their child is capable. Set the bar high. They will show us all the miraculous things they can do.”

Besides her regular home visits with her families, Sarah visits KidStreet once a week, Children’s Hospital Colorado’s rehabilitation and daycare center for very young children with complex medical needs. She loves the staff’s trans-disciplinary teaming approach. “For most of the children that I see their vision impairment is just one aspect of a complicated picture that they present,” explains Sarah. “Early intervention is of utmost importance because the information that a child gains through their vision (or learned compensatory skills) is the foundation for all development.”