Teacher of Children with Visual Impairments

About

Kindering embraces children of diverse abilities and their families by providing the finest education and therapies to nurture hope, courage, and the skills to soar. As a nonprofit neurodevelopmental center, we have provided comprehensive services for children with special needs and their families since 1962. Kindering is dedicated to maintaining a highly trained, licensed and certified team of professionals. Current services include comprehensive developmental assessments; physical, occupational, speech, language, and infant mental health therapy; special education; family counseling; nutrition and feeding therapy; childcare consultation; parenting education; and family resource coordination.

Kindering’s vision for equity is I BELONG. Eradicate systemic racial and oppressive barriers so everyone succeeds. Kindering values diverse perspectives and life experiences. We aim to seek out people from systemically oppressed and marginalized backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ, immigrants, and refugees.

Purpose

The Teacher of Children with Visual Impairments (TCVI) will provide specialized support to infants and toddlers (birth to 3 years old) with visual impairments, collaborating closely with families and a multidisciplinary team. Through parent coaching, the TCVI empowers families with knowledge, tools and confidence to support their child’s development within daily routines. We are looking for an individual dedicated to providing inclusive, culturally responsive services that respect the diverse backgrounds of families and ensure equitable access to Early Support within King County.

Develop, coordinate, and implement early intervention vision services according to Part C of IDEA for enrolled children across all of King County, Washington.

The King County Birth-to-Three (B-3) Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) was established by the King County Developmental Disabilities Division and King County Early Intervention (EI) providers for the purpose of providing leadership, development, and coordination of a countywide system of technical assistance and consultation that will increase local capacity to meet the identified needs of families with eligible infants and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired. The King County B-3 TVI will ensure that families of infants/toddlers with identified blindness/visual impairment can access appropriate EI “vision services,” regardless of where they live in King County. This TVI reports to the Special Education Program Manager at Kindering with guidance provided by the King County Vision Coop Advisory Group.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Participate on EI teams across King County to assess children’s vision needs, develop appropriate IFSPs, provide vision services in accordance with Part C regulations, and recommend strategies that address families’ priorities, and monitor progress.
• Provide guidance to EI teams regarding best practices in evaluating birth-to-three year olds who are blind/visually impaired; help implement early screening for visual impairment including cortical visual impairment with appropriate follow-up services; conduct functional vision assessments of children as appropriate; make recommendations for vision services, including functional activities that address families’ priorities; help monitor children’s progress; assist with planning children’s transition to Part B services.
• Collaborate with existing local, regional, and state resources (e.g., Department of Early Learning/ESIT, Family Resources Coordinators, EI agencies, school districts, Washington State School for the Blind, Department of Services for the Blind, Washington Sensory Disabilities Services) for the purpose of implementing and maintaining services, and make use of distance technologies where feasible to ensure equitable access to EI vision services.
• Conduct initial and periodic county-wide needs assessments of birth-to-three providers to determine current needs of families and EI providers. Develop long- and short-range plans for the purpose of ensuring county capacity to meet EI needs of families of infants and toddlers who are visually impaired. This might include training of county EI providers and families on high-priority topics.
• Participate in meetings, workshops, and conferences for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering information required to perform job duties.
• Prepare progress reports and maintain accurate records of contact for each child.
• Collect and maintain a variety of data for the purpose of documenting, monitoring, and evaluating program activities and outcomes. Prepare a variety of written materials (e.g., reports, budgets, grant proposals, etc.) as required by King County and Kindering for the purpose of documenting activities, soliciting and maintaining funding, providing written reference or conveying information.
• Provide or support outreach, intensive informing, care planning, coordination, anticipatory guidance for complex health needs, assistance to access services, consultation, resource development, interagency coordination, training, program planning, quality management, and administration to support Medicaid programs

Required Education & Experience

• Master’s (preferred) or Bachelor’s degree with endorsement as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, with additional experience and training in birth-to-three development and in providing early support for families.
• Washington State teaching certificate.
• At least five years job-related experience as a TVI, including practical experience in early intervention services for families of infants/toddlers who are blind/visually impaired.
• Experience and comfort with interacting with diverse populations.
• Demonstrated skill in word processing and familiarity with MS Word and Excel.
• Strong teamwork skills.

Minimum Prerequisites

• Pass Washington State DSHS criminal history and background check and FBI fingerprint check.
• Have or be able to acquire current CPR and first aid certification within 6 months of hire.
• Possess valid Washington State driver’s license and valid automobile insurance.
• Have access to a dependable personal vehicle.
• Be able to lift 40 pounds (average three-year-old).
• Pass tuberculosis test.