News and Highlights

Sherlock Center 2012 Annual Report

2012 NE AER Awards

Award recipients, Christine Wilson and Tony Antosh, and RIVESP team.

Christine Wilson, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments at the Sherlock Center, is the recipient of the 2012 NEAER Award of Excellence for Direct Service to Children with Visual Impairments. This award recognizes a teacher whose dedicated service and innovative approach is outstanding in the field of education and significantly contributes to the independence of children with visual impairment. Christine provides direct and consultative instruction to students and school districts in northern RI. Mrs. Wilson was presented the award at the annual NEAER conference held in Newport, RI on November 14, 2012.

Christine Wilson works in collaboration with the Rhode Island Vision Education and Services Program (RIVESP) team at the Sherlock Center. RIVESP provides teaching and consultation services to children who are blind or visually impaired, their families and educational staff within the school environment. The array of services available includes Early Intervention, Orientation and Mobility, and the instruction of specific compensatory skills to children from birth through 21 years.

Dr. A. Anthony Antosh, Director of the Sherlock Center and Professor of Special Education at RI College, was also presented with the Distinguished Services Award at the Conference in recognition for his ongoing support of students with vision impairments.

The 2012 Northeast AER Conference was held on November, 14 -16, in Newport, RI. More than 240 educators and professionals were in attendance. For more information on the Northeast Chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (NEAER) go to www.neaer.umb.edu.

Sherlock Center Launches Self-Directed Supports website!

Are you eligible for supports through RI's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)? Do you know about Self-Directed Supports? Self-Directed Supports (SDS) give individuals a way to have more choice and control over the services and supports they need to live a full life at home and in the community. With Self-Directed Supports, the individual, along with their family or people they know and trust, decide how to spend their Medicaid long-term care dollars in ways that work best for them. The Self-Directed Supports website, www.sdsri.net, offers a variety of resources on SDS including a guide to getting started, answers to frequently asked questions, and person-centered planning. This important information is also available in a printed factsheet. For your copy of "What You Need to Know about Self-Directed Supports," call (401) 456-4773 or email bpanicci@ric.edu. This publication is available free of charge in English and Spanish.

RI Health Care Survey - Adolescent Health Care Transition in RI

There has been a growing recognition that Health Care Transition (HCT) is a critical aspect of successful entry to adulthood. HCT supports economic self-sufficiency, independence and prevents school dropout and delinquency. As a result, there is an increasing interest in services and supports for young people with disabilities and chronic health conditions that address all aspects of health and well-being, including promoting health, preventing secondary conditions, and preparing for entry into adult systems of care.

In order to complete the picture of knowledge of and attitudes toward HCT, to understand the barriers to addressing HCT, to assess the HCT information and training and to set the direction of HCT work, the Transition Council invites the following groups to complete this survey: Parents, Students, Teachers, School Nurse-Teachers, Special Education Directors, Transition and Care Coordinators (@RIDE, ORS, DCYF, DHS, BHDDH), and other education and health care stakeholders.