Since 1949, Blind Babies Foundation Off to a Good Start Program has served families of infants and young children with visual impairments in Northern and Central California.
"Our son has a visual impairment which put us on a hunt
for some sound help and direction. We have been on a medical and emotional
roller-coaster and we can wholeheartedly say that having BBF at our side has
made this trying time much easier to handle." - .Steve & Jody C. of Lodi, California
Why Use Our Services?
The birth of a baby marks the beginning of many challenges for a family. With a baby who is visually impaired, the challenges are more complex. The early intervention program of BBF, called Off To A Good Start, helps the entire family adjust by:
- providing parent education
- providing information
-supporting the parent/child relationship
- connecting the family to resources
- attending medical visits with families
- administering visual and developmental assessments
- referral to other agencies
- supporting family advocacy skills
- giving opportunities for families to meet and to learn from one another
Program Philosophy
It is the belief of the Off To A Good Start Program that parents are the most knowledgeable and important influences on the growth and development of their young child who is visually impaired.
Home Visits & Crisis Intervention
At
the center of our services are the home visits of our specially trained Vision Impairment Specialists. Our Vision Impairment Specialists provide crisis intervention, help
parents understand their child's vision impairment and how their child
will explore and learn about the world. Parents and children
participate in play and learn through hands-on experiences.
The Vision Impairment Specialists are trained to teach infant massage skills to caregivers, and also use many of the Active Learning techniques of Lilli Nielsen, a Danish special educator.
BBF Vision Impairment Specialists work with families to identify, value, and realize each child's strengths in order that families most effectively advocate for their needs.
Our services, delivered in partnership with parents, professionals, and all others involved in the child's life, are offered with respect and acceptance of each family's autonomy, and the uniqueness of every child.
Families Served
Through our Off to a Good
Start program, our Vision Impairment Specialists help nearly 500 children each
year in 14 Central and Northern California counties at no cost to
families. More than 30,000 individuals have benefited from these services over the past 58 years.
Resources For Families & Professionals
The Blind Babies Foundation is committed to supplementing informational resources with our own materials and publications. BBF's educational videos, fact sheets, and other resource materials are in
wide demand in the U.S. and abroad.
Medical Support
Vision Impairment Specialists help families prepare for medical appointments, accompany families to the doctor's office when needed, and take notes during the visit. The Vision Impairment Specialist will also assist a family in further understanding the doctor's findings.
Program Consultation
Many infants, toddlers and preschoolers with vision impairments attend early childhood programs. Vision Impairment Specialists consult with program staff and provide in-service training about the vision needs of the child, adaptive materials, and environmental changes that will encourage learning.
