The pandemic brought vision screening to a halt. We partnered for a creative solution.
With unexpected suddenness, business processes changed for everyone in March 2020. This included Colorado's professionals responsible for vision screening of very young children. They no longer had a protocol that would allow them to conduct screenings as they were unable to meet with children face-to-face. Yet, the state was required by law to continue screenings.
|
In a collaborative and creative effort, the Colorado Department of Education and A Shared Vision quickly developed a new statewide vision screening protocol that enabled professionals to conduct screenings via telehealth. Then, in partnership with Early Intervention Colorado, A Shared Vision developed the accompanying virtual training program to reach EI professionals statewide.
Between April and December, A Shared Vision conducted 36 virtual trainings for more than 600 early intervention professionals associated with Community Service Boards, Child Find, and Early Head Start teams to very positive reviews. By the end of 2020, more than 380 professionals had completed the final assessment and were qualified to use the new tool to identify vision concerns in very young children and refer the family to a pediatric eye doctor and an EI-TVI. Even as overall referrals into early intervention declined, A Shared Vision supported a record number of children as professionals began using the new tool. |
Click HERE to see the full list of qualified professionals.
|
The trainings continue into 2021 with additional sessions scheduled through August. To learn more about the training and to sign up click HERE.
"This was one of the most outstanding, timely, and applicable trainings that I have had and I've been doing this for 16 years! I walked away with something that I can do starting immediately that can directly and permanently impact families of young children as well as address a dire need in the community as shown by the research." (Mara Kuczun, Bilingual Early Childhood Special Educator).