BEAR Services for Parents and Families

IEP or Section 504 Plan Review

• Assessment of the appropriateness of your child’s current educational program
• Identification of areas of need and solutions to meet child’s needs

Advocacy Services focused on blindness/low vision and its impact on the total child

• Extensive experience with the application of relevant special education and civil rights laws
• Development of meaningful, individualized, and appropriate IEP goals
• Collaboration in determining appropriate educational placement
• Consultation with parents/families in preparation for effective communication with school officials
• Non-attorney advocacy and attendance (in-person or via distance technology) at any or all school-related meetings, including IEP meetings

Independent Educational Evaluations and Assessment Services

• Independent Educational Evaluations
• Substantiation of the need for appropriate quality, quantity, and duration of services
• Recommendation of necessary assistive technology (AT) use and training—including home use and teacher and parent training on the AT
• Documentation of needed accommodations and modifications
• Collaboration with other assessors to ensure that assessment tools are as meaningful and valid as possible for students with visual impairment, including blindness

Blindness/Low Vision Resources

• Information about available blindness/low vision resources
• Description of the utility of various blindness/low vision tools and software
• Assistance in choosing the resources your child needs at this time and in the future
• Access to a broad network of professionals in blindness/low vision education

Private/Homeschool Education Support Services

• BEAR provides families and educational professionals the training and support they need to confidently teach students with visual impairment, including blindness—from instructional techniques to guidance on efficient curriculum preparation, BEAR can help parents and educators increase their teaching efficiency and effectiveness.
• BEAR staff have a broad-based foundation and expertise in appropriate accommodations and modifications for students with visual impairment, including blindness, with and without additional disabilities.
• We coach parents and individual teachers in practical instructional strategies, choosing and obtaining effective and efficient blindness/low vision tools, and integrating assistive technology into the learning environment.