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March is here and in California that means hillsides begin to burst with color and the days are getting warmer and stretching longer. In this month’s newsletter we’re excited to share an article about Creating Social Support Groups that include gardening activities. You’ll also find out what our team has been up to in the past month and our upcoming events. Don’t forget to check out our Resource Corner!

New Blog: Gathering the Gardens

Janelle Dowling, our Educational Specialist, share her memories of creating Social Support Groups as a teacher. The school garden was a wonderful place for peer-to-peer connections and sensory exploration. Check out her tips and thoughts about adding the creation of Experience Books to gardening social clubs. Extra Bonus: Recommended Experience Books Resources.

Comunicación: Apoyando el desarrollo del lenguaje y la comunicación de su hijo

CDBS and the New York Deafblind Collaborative are hosting a webinar series for families whose preferred language is Spanish. All presentations are conducted in Spanish and open to families with children who are deafblind in any state or territory. The webinars will be held from 4:30-6:00pm on March 19th, April 9th, and April 23rd.

Please share this informational flier with families who may be interested in attending this webinar series. Click on the link below to register for this series.

7th Annual CHARGE Syndrome Foundation

Walk and Roll on April 25th

California Teams

For information about the NorCal Team Golden State Walk and Roll for CHARGE Syndrome contact Julie at jmaier@sfsu.edu.

For information about the SoCal Team Inland Empire Walk and Roll Team contact Myrna at myrnam@sfsu.edu.

Click on logo above to learn more about the event and register.

February was a busy month for our team and found us in a few different places in California.

The Lowenfeld-Akeson Early Years Symposium at CA School for the Blind

The Cal-TASH Conference: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers in Sacramento

District-wide Training for San Bernardino City Schools

BTFVN Nancy Mansfield Family Workshop, Braille Institute, Los Angeles

DeafBlind Kids We have received many requests about information and resources related to Protactile. Protactile is a tactile-based language created and used by DeafBlind individuals. A useful website for families and professionals to consider as a starting point is DeafBlind Kids. The site includes two video series, Protactile Kids and Protactile.