Using the developmental journal for babies and young children with visual impairment: training workshop

Click here for the training brochure page for this course.

This workshop will help participants to use the developmental journal to:

• monitor and celebrate the progress of babies and children with visual impairment and
• use the activity cards to support effective early intervention for them, across all areas of their development.

The Early Support developmental journal for babies and children with visual impairment  was published in September 2006. You can read about and download this package here.

Who it's for

The workshop will be valuable for parents/carers and practitioners from all disciplines involved with children from birth to 5 years and their families. The developmental journal has a key role to play in supporting partnership working with parents/carers.

How you'll benefit

You will gain knowledge, understanding and confidence in the use of the developmental journal, so that it can be used as part of a mutually respectful working relationship between parents and practitioners. Parents who have a child with visual impairment find that they have to change and adapt so they can cope with the new and unexpected issues and problems they now face as a family. Helping families to adapt and to move forward is a complex process, but an integral part of this is helping them to understand and provide for their child's needs effectively.

The developmental journal enables parents to track their child's development, helping them to record and celebrate progress in the early years. The activity cards that are part of the journal show families what they can do to promote their child's progress, including using any vision the child has. It supports partnership working between parents and practitioners by providing a shared basis for discussion and a common frame of reference when many practitioners are in contact. It supports early intervention by improving everyone's understanding of the developmental processes involved.

How the workshop is structured

This workshop can be run over one and a half or two days. Participants will learn how the developmental journal fits into the Early Support programme, how it was developed, what it contains and how to use it. They will also learn about the specific needs and areas of particular developmental difficulties for children with impaired vision.

Find out more

A course outline will be posted shortly. The course is now available.

Where wokshops are held

The courses will be held at various locations in England depending on demand. We aim to run workshops for groups of no more than 20 participants (and not less than 10). The courses can also be arranged in other locations if there is sufficient interest.

How to enrol on a workshop

Click here for a list of training providers. You can contact a training provider direct to enrol on a course or go through your local authority early years department to find out if there is a course being offered locally.