Infant and Preschool Services (Birth-5)
Meet Our Early Childhood Consultant
Hillary Keys holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education: Visual Impairment from Stephen F. Austin State University and a graduate certificate in Deafblind Education from Texas Tech. She has over 30 years of experience in education beginning as a high school Special Education classroom teacher and a few years teaching general education content before becoming a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI). After many years at ESC Region 10 in North Texas as an itinerant TVI and several years as the regional Deafblind Consultant, Hillary worked for several years in the statewide capacity of Deafblind Specialist for the Texas Sensory Support Network before joining the Texas Deafblind Project.
Want to connect? Contact Hillary at keysh@tsbvi.edu.
Consultation
Home is a child’s first learning environment. Experiences in the first five years shape the brain architecture during this critical developmental period when the brain creates more connections than at any other time. Families and caregivers provide the foundation for learning, and children learn best when they feel safe and the world makes sense to them. Nurturing responsive relationships support physical, cognitive, conceptual, communication, emotional, and social development. The Texas Deafblind Project can explore how to make everyday experiences accessible for children who are deafblind. Hillary is available to meet with families and other members of the intervention or instructional team at home, school, or in the community to discuss needs related to identification, education, resources, training, and any other concerns.
Training
Families and programs serving infants and preschool-aged children (birth through 5 years of age) may request a variety of supports. Topics for consideration may include child development for children with typical vision and hearing and what to do when concerns arise, strategies addressing access to information, interaction, communication, early literacy, Active Learning and more. Information is also available about various agencies such as Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services, how to connect with ECI agencies, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services, and the Blind Children’s Vocational Discovery & Development Program.
Learn more about TSBVI Outreach’s Early Childhood Team!
Download a visual milestones infographic
