With the new money, the project aims to develop better transition plans for older students about to age out of the program.
NDSIP plans to provide more coaching to parents about kids’ communicative behavior and also to paraprofessionals that work with children in school settings.
The program offers hands-on and child-specific training and helps meet unique educational needs, said Chevonne Sutter, the project’s coordinator.
“The project is able to provide extra coaching and training to people who might not have as much experience working with this particular population just because of the fact that it’s a low-incidence disability,” she said.
NDSIP trains parents and teachers that work with children who have both hearing and visual impairments. The project works with 125 kids ages 0 to 22 statewide.
Even though the project is based at the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Education, this grant makes up most of its budget for the next five years.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
As a note of disclosure, the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents owns the license to this station.
