A Step Forward

Have you ever met someone who has accomplished so much in her career but is still humble enough to say, “I am still learning!”? In this episode, I had the privilege to interview someone who takes every opportunity to continue to grow and further her knowledge so she can share new ways to help people with disabilities.

Meet Dona Sauerburger, an Orientation and Mobility practitioner for 50 years. She is the author of Independence Without Sight or Sound and Self Study Guides: Street Crossing for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, to name a few. She loves to share ideas that could help O&M’s build strategies in addressing students’ challenges.

Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode12

Being a mother is not always about cute little smiles and kisses from our children; its beauty comes with struggles, too. More so, being a mother and a career woman is on another level. Finding a balance between family life and profession is one heck of a fight, especially for women. We often catch ourselves at a crossroad with hopes that we would make the best decision for our family. Making things work and has become one of our specialties.

In this episode, Michelle Hicks, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, gladly shared her fair share of struggles to get to where she is today. It’s amazing how she was able to find a middle ground for motherhood and career.

Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode11

Lack of confidence can sometimes hold us back from doing things that we want to do, especially if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s human nature to have mixed feelings about new challenges. There’s the excitement to learn and then we also have the fear of not measuring up.

In this episode, we had a lovely time chatting with Anna Peskin. She is one of the best experts on teaching Orientation and Mobility to children with multiple impairments.

Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode10

It’s the time of the year again and I don’t know about you, but I am already feeling the holiday breeze in the air! As much as we want to keep our students exploring and learning outdoors, the cold may bother them at some point. So, you might want to start looking at things to do inside, because crossing the streets outside in the cold may be effective, but it’s not very fun.

In this episode, I am going to share some activities that you can do with your students that don’t require being outside. They are all holiday activities that you can do to stretch out that weird time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode9

Have you ever had trouble assessing your students' O&M Skills when they were 0-5 or had multiple impairments? On this week's episode, we are joined by Texas Two Steps creators for a casual conversation about the inconsistent evaluations they experienced and how they wanted to improve the assessment and curricula strategies being used with young children. 

You'll get to hear all about Tracy's biggest accomplishment, despite having a TON of accolades under her belt. And what Shay thinks is holding us back from becoming the experts in our own right. 

Resources listed: 

International O&M Online Symposium. 

Get the Texas Two Steps. 

Have you ever felt overwhelmed because you have so much on your plate, you couldn't possibly get it all done? Well my friend. Today is your lucky day. I am taking you on a step by step journey detailing the exact system that I use to manage my time. It helps combat feelings of stress, overwhelm, and helps keep you on track so you can get more done in less time. 

Learn how to throw away your to-do list with this super easy 4 step time management system. 

Find more information at our website: https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode7 

Teaching O&M in rural areas can be frustrating. The bus doesn't run on time- if at all. There are no sidewalks to help our students get a sense of orientation. The community, though well-meaning, can sometimes hinder our students' independence. 

In this episode, Shannon Wright and Jeremy Hill come together from opposite sides of the world to discuss the challenges of teaching O&M in rural areas and how they overcome these challenges. 

Join us for an insightful episode that's sure to help you find a creative way to help your students increase their independence in rural areas. 

Our free webinar is being held November 12 at 8 PM EST. The link to register for the webinar is https://alliedindependenceonline.com/webinar. 

In this lesson, Kassy shares 5 ways to get your students off of their school campus and in to appropriate learning environments. 

See full show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode5

You probably already know that our profession officially started during WW2 and then catapulted in the ’60s when the first university accredited programs were created. Although we started by inviting only World War 2 veterans to live their highest level of independence, we now serve a much broader range of students. Find out where we still struggle and how the veterans of WW2 are still influencing your students' independence. 

Want a copy of a card you can easily download for your student? Visit Allied Independence Online to grab your free download!