We Saved You a Seat

Thank you for joining us for the second episode with guests Matt and Laura Samargis, as we continue to highlight and honor this incredible family during Deaf-Blind Awareness Month. (You can listen here to Episode One [https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zghx5tav7dduiep5/Podcast_-_Laura_Samargis_Family_with_Oklahoma_Deaf-Blind_Project_Audio_Rawbh4ub.m4a])   In this episode, Matt and Laura share impactful moments and resources for living in rural Oklahoma.    What an honor to meet and visit with Matt and Laura and know you will enjoy hearing more from them today.   Special Resources: Active learning spaces (Activities for deafblind learning and movement)  [https://activelearningspace.org/] Paths to literacy (educational resources for deafblind) [https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/] Oklahoma library for the blind (Free educational resources for deafblind) [https://oklahoma.gov/olbph.html]   Communication Matrix (Assessment for non-verbal communication) [https://www.communicationmatrix.org/]   Perkins school for the blind [https://www.perkins.org/]   Christian Roman Lantzy (Cortical Visual impairment) [https://cviresources.com/]   Jane Korston (communication devices) [https://everymovecounts.net/index.html]   NRCpara (national center for paraeducators, interveners, and more)  [https://nrcpara.org/]   Central Michigan University (Online intervener classes) [https://discover.cmich.edu/] Beth Kennedy-CMU deafblind department director  [https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/college-education-human-services/centers/deafblind-central/staff]

Matt and Laura's Samargis, a family from rural Oklahoma share with us today some of their journey as parents who have a child in the deaf-blind community. Today we get a glimpse into their incredibly busy lives and I know you will enjoy hearing their unique testimony and learning more from them.   They share some of their favorite resources with us today, and you can find their links below: Oklahoma Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Project [https://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/deaf-blind-project] Oklahoma School for the Blind [https://www.osb.k12.ok.us/] National Center for Deaf-Blindness [https://www.nationaldb.org/] Oklahoma School for the Deaf [https://www.osd.k12.ok.us/]

As we honor and celebrate Deaf-Blind Awareness Month, I'm excited for people to hear from Lisa Lawter with the Oklahoma Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Program.    Lisa is passionate about helping and serving families who have children with unique medical needs, and this is a resource we want to celebrate and share.   https://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/deaf-blind-project   Lisa Lawter, Ph.D. Project Director  Oklahoma Deaf-Blind TA Project  University of Oklahoma  Department of Educational Psychology  820 Van Vleet Oval, Room 321  Norman, OK  73019  405.325.0441  405.325.6655 fax  Friend us on Facebook at Oklahoma Deaf Blind Technical Assistance Project

Lora Roberts, Eastern Regional Coordinator for Oklahoma Family Network, helps us understand Sibshops for brothers and sisters who have a sibling with special needs. She shares more about her Tulsa Sibshops experience and what families can expect when they bring their child.

Understanding healthy boundaries in our relationships is essential to taking care of ourselves. Join us for a class as we work through misconceptions and proven strategies that help you set healthy boundaries for yourself to help in all of your relationships.   If you'd like to watch the training and view Lauren's slides, please joining us on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/xuz2yg8P8S0