Department of Social and Health Services • Department of Health • Health Care Authority • Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. • DSB is represented on a governor-appointed board to oversee early intervention and learning services. DSB coordinate and provide services for families with children ages 0-3 who have visual impairments through non-VR dollars. The children are referred through outreach efforts among community partners such as local children’s hospitals and eye care physicians. DSB staff provide families with advocacy, referral & information, and training services. DSB partners with service providers to provide training and family support workshops, group trainings and other family-focused events. Coordination with K-12 The DSB Executive Director is an acting member on the Special Education Board. Ages 3 8 – DSB’s Services specialists provide on-going supports through non-VR dollars for children with visual impairment and their families through age 8, as needed. They provide children and their families with advocacy, referral & information, and training services, and assist in IEP and 504 planning. Ages 9-13 Washington State interpretation of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) allows for transition services as young as necessary, and DSB recognizes that providing pre-employment transition services as early as possible for blind youth is critical for success in their later transition to the adult world of work. DSB Youth Services specialists facilitate and manage pre-employment transition group service workshops for youth ages 9 13. The workshops provide an opportunity to introduce the skills to join – in family labor, to gain exposure to the world of work, and to learn adapted methods for interacting within the community at large. These workshops are available statewide for customers. The agency plans to expand the scope and location of these workshops to better meet local pre-employment transition needs. The agency collaborates closely with local teachers of the visually impaired and the statewide educational service districts to identify and serve youth in these pre-employment transition group services. DSB Youth Services specialists also coordinate with statewide consumer, family and school organizations to facilitate youth adaptive skill and self-advocacy activities as services to groups.
• Department of Social and Health Services • Department of Health • Health Care Authority • Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. DSB is represented on a governor-appointed board to oversee early intervention and learning services. DSB coordinate and provide services for families with children ages 0-3 who have visual impairments through non-VR dollars. The children are referred through outreach efforts among community partners such as local children’s hospitals and eye care physicians. DSB staff provide families with advocacy, referral & information, and training services. DSB partners with service providers to provide training and family support workshops, group trainings and other family-focused events. Coordination with K-12 The DSB Executive Director is an acting member on the Special Education Board. Ages 3 – 8 DSB’s Services specialists provide on-going supports through non-VR dollars for children with visual impairment and their families through age 8, as needed. They provide children and their families with advocacy, referral & information, and training services, and assist in IEP and 504 planning. Ages 9-13 Washington State interpretation of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) allows for transition services as young as necessary, and DSB recognizes that providing pre-employment transition services as early as possible for blind youth is critical for success in their later transition to the adult world of work. DSB Youth Services specialists facilitate and manage pre-employment transition group service workshops for youth ages 9 – 13. The workshops provide an opportunity to introduce the skills to join in family labor, to gain exposure to the world of work, and to learn adapted methods for interacting within the community at large. These workshops are available statewide for customers. The agency plans to expand the scope and location of these workshops to better meet local pre-employment transition needs. The agency collaborates closely with local teachers of the visually impaired and the statewide educational service districts to identify and serve youth in these pre-employment transition group services. DSB Youth Services specialists also coordinate with statewide consumer, family and school organizations to facilitate youth adaptive skill and self-advocacy activities as services to groups.