Working with the Experts Spring
Date & Time
March 3 and 4, 2027
Day 1: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm EST
Day 2: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm EST
Location
Orange Technical College – West Campus
2010 Ocoee-Apopka Rd.
Ocoee, FL 34761
Here are some hotels within a 20-minute drive from the venue:
- Homes2 Suites by Hilton - 12341 W Colonial Dr, Winter Garden, FL 34787
- Hampton Inn by Hilton - 11405 W Colonial Dr, Ocoee, FL 34761
- Holiday Inn Express - 7474 W Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 34761
- Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suite -10971 W Colonial Dr, Ocoee, FL 34761
Registration
Tentative Agenda (Coming Soon)
Presenters
Stacey Chambers
Description
Join Stacey Chambers, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments in Texas and consultant with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), for an engaging professional learning session focused on Symbols and Meaning. With more than a decade of experience supporting learners with visual impairments and complex learning needs, Stacey brings practical expertise and evidence-based strategies that educators can immediately apply in their classrooms and programs. Stacey is currently collaborating to update the SAM and is hoping for a Spring release from APH!
About the Workshop
Communication begins with meaning. Before students can use symbols effectively, they must first develop an understanding of the people, objects, actions, and places that make up their world.
Symbols and Meaning (SAM), developed by the American Printing House for the Blind, is a communication and concept-building program designed for preschool children with visual impairments and learners with visual and multiple impairments who are functioning in the late sensorimotor and early preoperational stages of cognitive development. This innovative framework helps students build a strong sensory foundation for symbolic understanding by connecting symbols to authentic real-world experiences, making communication purposeful, meaningful, and accessible.
Participants Will Explore
- How SAM supports early communication development
- Strategies for building meaningful symbol use through sensory experiences
- Methods for teaching foundational concepts in various contextual environments
- Practical applications for learners with visual and multiple impairments
Who Should Attend?
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs), early intervention providers, speech-language pathologists, special educators, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and administrators seeking effective communication supports for learners with visual and multiple impairments.