Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Outreach Programs

www.tsbvi.edu | 512-454-8631| 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, TX 78756

Resonance Boards and The Lily Voelkel Foundation

It has been less than a year since Christi, Tyson and Eliana lost their angel, Miss Lily.

In the physical world, Miss Lily touched so many lives in so many different ways. In our memories and hearts, Lily continues to touch so many through her generous family, as they continue to spread their love and compassion.

Lily Voelkel Foundation http://lilyvoelkel.com/

Newly made resonance boards (handcrafted by one of Lily's great-uncles, Uncle John) and instructions will be delivered to Texas Deaf/Blind Outreach so they may be given to children, like Lily, to provide hands-on activities to enhance development of all the senses, as well as physical, cognitive, and emotional development. These boards can be expensive and time consuming to make. For families of children with special needs, the cost of a Resonance Board listed on Lilliworks.com is $249.00 per board plus estimated shipping cost of $120(totaling $369.00 http://www.lilliworks.com/LW_CAT2008-PriceListv2.pdf). We are thrilled to be able to provide them to families in need through the efforts of the Lily Voelkel Foundation.

On Thursday, February 7, 2013 Christi Voelkel, her mother Barbara and Gigi Newton from the Texas Deafblind Outreach Program had the honor of delivering two Resonance Boards to two wonderful families in the Austin area. It was an awesome day for everyone, moms, grandmoms, children, and teachers! The Lily Voelkel Foundation donated nine Resonance Boards to TSBVI Outreach to give to families. The Lily Voelkel Foundation is AWESOME, and they are NOT done yet! The joy and knowledge little Miss Lily brought to her family and others is continuing to live on....this family is truly "paying it forward" by making these boards available to other families.

If you think your child, or a child you know, would benefit from a Resonance Board in the home, please contact:

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What Is a Resonance Board?

Teachers and caregivers tend to place children on soft surfaces such as blankets or rugs. However, a soft surface doesn't provide much information to a blind child. For instance, when the child drops a toy, there is no sound to indicate where it landed. It simply disappears.

The Resonance Board is a thin, flexible sheet of wood (4feet x 4feet is the smallest a Resonance Board should be in size) that gives tactile and auditory feedback whenever the child moves. When the child kicks the board, there is a sound and a vibration. This feedback encourages the child to repeat the movement, and eventually to experiment with other movements as well. The child moves independently, without an adult manipulating his or her body. Sounds created by the child's movements resonate from the wood. This immediate feedback can help the brain integrate motor activity and listening skills.

Gigi Newton, Early Childhood Consultant for Texas Deafblind Outreach, remembers one child she visited. He was lying on a rug, his legs scissored, his back so arched you could see underneath it. His physical therapist said, "You're not going to put him on that board, are you? It's got no padding!"

Before the session was over, the child's extension had broken up. He had used his hands at midline, and he was bending his knees so that the soles of his feet rested on the board. That night the physical therapist called Gigi. She said, "You need to know that in the three years I've seen him, this is the first time he has ever moved that way without adult intervention." She was a big believer in the Resonance Board after that!

Ways to Use the Resonance Board

The Resonance Board can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some examples.

1.  An adult sits with the child and offers favorite items. The adult is the child's playmate, not a teacher. The adult does not talk or do hand-over-hand with the child.

2.  The child lies alone on the board with favorite items around him/her playing with them independently.

3.  The child uses the board while inside the Little Room. The adult is an observer. The adult notes what the child is doing and tries to determine which are the child's favorite items and activities. By collecting this data, the adult learns what interests the child; those items of interest can be used in other environments to support progress.

To learn more about Active Learning please go to the TSBVI Active Learning page at http://www.tsbvi.edu/outreach/=3415. Articles, resources, and information about training events related to Active Learning may be accessed from this page.

Gigi Newton, Texas Deafblind Project, Early Childhood Consultant

512.206.9272

TSBVI Outreach, 1100 W. 45th Street

Austin, Texas 78756
www.TSBVI.edu

http://www.tsbvi.edu/blog/blogs-2/

2013 Texas Symposium on Deafblindness – Active Learning - Newton Page 2