Individualized Education Programs and Family Advocacy

Advocating for your Child in the IEP Process

Presentation slides 792 Kb

Katie Peacock-Helde, Sign Language Interpreter & Law Student Advocate, Juris Doctor Candidate

Developing Quality IEPs and Educational Goals for Students who are DeafBlind

Developing Quality IEPs and Educational Goals for Students who are DeafBlind 59 minutes
Presentation slides 5.5 MB
Outline 82 kb
IEP Quality Indicators for Students with Deafblindness 174 kb
Functional Evaluation 788 kb
Tactile Working Memory Scale 2.8 MB

Chris Montgomery
Chris Montgomery, DeafBlind Consultant
TSBVI Outreach Program

Chris has worked in the field of deafblind education and visual impairment since 1996 when he was first hired as a teaching assistant at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). Since that time, he has had the experience of being a classroom teacher working with a wide range of students who are visually impaired, blind and deafblind; from emerging language children to those transitioning to an independent adulthood. In 2006, he began work as a Deafblind Education Consultant, for the Texas Deafblind Project at TSBVI. Chris has helped lead system change efforts to establish Teachers of Students who are Deafblind (TDB), and build community of practice for professionals in the field of deafblind education in TX. He is a nationally known speaker and who has presented on a wide range of topics in the field of deafblind education. Chris co-developed the Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation (IFHE), and led development of Texas educator standards for TDB. He has authored numerous articles, and has collaborated often in the development of instructional materials for deafblind educators. His most recent work involved the co-development of the website: Interaction and Communication for Children who are Deafblind. He is currently working with the TSBVI Curriculum Department to co-author the Functional Vision Evaluation, Learning Media Assessment, Functional Tactile Evaluation, and Communication Evaluation product for students who are Deafblind.

Chris presently serves on the board of Deafblind International (DbI) and the management committee for DbI Network of the Americas. He was recently honored with the Everett Bryan award for his professional commitment to the field of deafblindness by the Deafblind Multi-handicap association of Texas (DBMAT).

Chris holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and is a certified Teacher of Students who are Visually Impaired.

The Art of ‘Soft Skills’ in Advocacy Work

The Art of ‘Soft Skills’ in Advocacy Work 1 hour 36 minutes
Presentation slides 4 MB

Thomas Dieter, NYDBC & Educational Consultant

Thomas Dieter, MA has been working in the field of adult education for more than ten years as an educator, program director, and professional developer. He has dedicated his entire career to improving educational access and success for underrepresented and marginalized populations. Over the years, Thomas has worked with hundreds of leaders, instructors, parents, and workforce professionals across the United States to strengthen their classroom practices and program designs to better serve our nation’s students.

Thomas proudly served as a leading member of LaGuardia Community College’s (LGCC) department of Pre-College Academic Programming, developing reading and writing curricula, modeled effective best-practices in the classroom for new faculty and provided ongoing coaching and feedback to the program’s team of teachers, advisors and support staff. He also acted as the director of the Career Pathways Institute at LGCC.

Today, as a professional developer and educational consultant, he continues to lend his expertise to professionals and has delivered workshops, facilitated learning sessions, hosted conference presentations and provided technical assistance to a variety of organizations across the country. Thomas has facilitated several sessions for NYDBC, specifically on advocacy skill development to parents of children who are deaf-blind. NYDBC is thrilled to have him back!

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