Transition Services for Youth (14-25)
Meet Our Transition Specialist
Heather Withrow (aka Hex) joined the Texas Deafblind Project in 2023 with already a long history of focus on deafblind education. A graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington, DC with a BA in graphic design, she also has a Masters degree in Special Education and a graduate certificate in deafblind education, both from Texas Tech. Heather is a certified orientation and mobility specialist. She is also the mother of three children, one is a Deaf adult, one is a CODA* (hearing Child of Deaf Adults) teenager, and one is a DeafBlind teenager.” Her personal and professional experiences brings a rich perspective to issues individuals who are deafblind face in transitioning to adult life.
Heather has maintained a wonderful blog, A Mom’s Musings, has many published articles, and has presented on a wide range of topics in Texas and the United States. Heather is also very involved in a number of family and professional organizations including Deaf-Blind Multihandicapped Association of Texas and the National Family Association of Deaf-Blind.
Want to connect with Heather? Email her at withrowh@tsbvi.edu.
Consultation
As the Project’s Transition Consultant, Heather is available to work with local school districts and agencies in planning for transition from school to adult life in the community. She does this in a variety of ways by helping them plan for pre-employment activities, conduct person-centered planning groups, and guiding them on innovative practices related to quality of life adult outcomes for transition. In all of the work she does, the young adult who is deafblind and his / her family members are at the heart of the consultation. As a parent of a young boy who is deafblind, Heather has a unique perspective to help her in supporting individuals who are deafblind, as well as their family members, during the period of transition from school life to adult life.
Training
Heather provides training in both face-to-face and distance learning modalities throughout the state and nation. She trains staff who work at group homes or in the community to provide deafblind specific supports to young adults who are deafblind. She also helps develop an annual transition weekend for parents of individuals who are deafblind and visually impaired, one year focusing on individuals who are able to live independently and one year for those individuals who will always need significant support. As a certified orientation and mobility specialist, Heather also has a special interest in topics related to travel, orientation, and general mobility topics.