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The festive month of May has arrived when we celebrate Cinco de Mayo and soon afterwards honor mothers on Mother’s Day and Día de la Madre. The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week when we take time to appreciate and thank educators for their dedication and hard work. This is also a big month of graduation and end of the year celebrations when students, families, and educators look back on what has been accomplished in the past year. As this school year closes, it’s important to plan and prepare for what lies ahead next. In this newsletter you’ll find a new CDBS Fact Sheet, opportunities for professional development and family support groups, and links to useful resources. We hope you enjoy your celebrations throughout the month.

New CDBS Fact Sheet

Preparing for the End of the School Year

"Have you thought about how to prepare your student who is deafblind for the end of the school year? They have spent the school year learning classroom dynamics, developing their routines, building consistent relationships with peers and service providers, and making good progress on their goals every day. Now, even if they have a plan to attend an extended school year program, their entire schedule, routines, environments, and many of the people they interact with will change. For some students, they will…" READ MORE

Monthly Virtual Family Support Groups

Come join other family members and Myrna Medina at "The Family Gathering Place" to connect, learn together, and find support on your family’s journey with deafblindness.

"The Family Gathering Place" is a 60-minute virtual Zoom meeting once per month where family members connect, share experiences, ask questions, and gather practical resources.

English Language Support Group Meeting: 2nd Tuesday of the month: May 12th, and June 9th at 6pm PT
Spanish Language Support Group Meeting: 2nd Thursday of the month: May 14th, and June 11th at 6pm PT

Register for Family Support Groups

Peer Learning Community for Professionals

CDBS staff facilitate bimonthly virtual meetings with educators serving children and youth who are deafblind to dig into topics related to educating and supporting these learners. This virtual group is a great way to form connections with other educators around the state who teach learners with multiple disabilities, including deafblindness, and we welcome new members.

The next meeting is Tuesday, May 12th from 4:30pm-5:45 PT
If you’re interested in attending these meetings, sign up below to receive notifications.

Join our Peer Learning Community

Professional Development Opportunities

Literacy Success For All: 3rd Annual Online Language and Literacy Symposium Hosted by CSU LA and U. Mass Boston Friday, May 15, 2026 9am-1pm PST/12-4pm EST

Featured Speakers:

Erin Campbell, Ph.D. Boston University Deaf Center. Keynote Presentation: How vision, hearing, and language input shape toddlers' early language development

Adam Graves, Ph.D. San Francisco State University. Presentation: Including the Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation in Collaborative Assessment for DeafBlind Students

Kristin Di Perri, Ed.D. Boston University. Presentation: Modality Matters: Accessible Language Pathways to Literacy for Deaf Students

Amy Parker, Ed.D., COMS Portland State University. Presentation: Meaningful O&M Routines that Support Literacy for Students who are DeafBlind

Christopher Brum, Ph.D. San Diego State University. Presentation: Engaging Learners who are Deafblind in Meaningful Shared Reading Instructions

Parent Panel: Supporting Students who are DeafBlind With Transition

Questions? Contact Alexandra Futty at alexandra.futty@umb.edu

Cost:$40.00

Format: Zoom & Canvas ASL interpreter will be provided

Symposium Flier and Registration

SFSU-CDBS Online Intervener Training Program California Deafblind Services and the SFSU College of Professional and Global Education (CPaGE) offer a two-semester online training program to prepare paraeducators to serve as educational interveners for learners who are deafblind. These courses are open to paraeducators currently serving students who are deafblind or those interested in this professional pathway. Registration for our next cohort opens in July 2026. The first course starts in late August. More information about the program can be found on the SFSU CPaGE website: Intervener Training: Deafblind Education On the SFSU CPaGE webpage click on the yellow button Send Me Updates in the top right corner to be notified when registration opens.

Questions? Contact Julie Maier at jmaier@sfsu.edu

Resource Corner

End of the School Year Activities from Edutopia Check out this fun and creative list of activities to look back at the school and celebrate all you and your students learned and accomplished!

19 Highly Engaging End of the Year Activities

CDBS Fact Sheet Here’s a helpful, detailed fact sheet about carefully planning transitions from one program or school to next. Successful transition planning is important for many students as this school year comes to a close.

Successful Transitions Between Programs

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May 2026: CDBS Connections (Newsletter)

New CDBS Fact Sheet

Professional Development Opportunities

Resource Corner

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May 2026: CDBS Connections (Newsletter)

New CDBS Fact Sheet

Professional Development Opportunities

Resource Corner

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Like this:

Related

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