CUPECOY–A free, special education symposium will be held August 9 and 10, at the American University of the Caribbean (AUC). A team of experts in special education from the United States will conduct the six hours of innovative education, developed specifically for educators, health professionals and caretakers of special needs children and adults. The sessions are organized by Kidz at Sea and Sea the Vision of Dallas, Texas.
In addition to the free symposium on Friday, the team will also conduct seminars at White and Yellow Cross (WYC) Foundation on Saturday, August 10. There will be a session fully dedicated to the parents and families of special needs individuals. They will conduct a community session for anyone in St. Maarten who would like to learn more about how to be more inclusive of those with disabilities.
Anyone interested in the free symposium on Friday, August 9 at AUC should visit seathevision.org to register.
All special needs parents and family members are welcomed at 10:00am on Saturday, August 10 at the WYC Foundation. This community session is open to interested persons at 6:00pm.
While 80 per cent of a child’s learning occurs through their eyes, vision is just one of the critical components to success in the classroom. Although, there is a lack of concrete data globally on how many individuals are facing disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities, dyslexia and emotional and behavioural disorders, agencies in the US currently believe that one in seven children have some form of disability.
Numerous studies have reported that individuals with disabilities often face significant bullying, more physical and mental abuse in addition to being outcasts throughout many communities.
Kidz at Sea founder Garth Steyn and Lorraine Talmi, along with Ellen Haag Sea the Vision founder, have partnered over the past four years to provide eye exams and free glasses to children in St. Maarten and clients of WYC in need of vision correction. To date over 3,000 eye exams have been conducted by top optometrists and their support team from the United States resulting in more than 2,000 pairs of free glasses.
While the two groups plan to continue providing assistance with vision correction, they are now advancing to the next phase of the Sea the Vision mission. The core mission is “to provide assistance to individuals in need through vision care, education and personal health care.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/89533-free-special-education-symposium-on-aug-9
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