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ICEVI-Europe Professional Interest Group, Early Intervention Conference

Dear Participants of the Early Intervention Conference,

As a result of the special circumstances and measures taken in Europe in the context of COVID-19, it was decided that the ICEVI-Europe Professional Interest Group, Early Intervention Conference scheduled to be held on 23 & 24 April 2020 in Leuven, Belgium will not take place. We are looking into the possibility to postpone the ICEVI-Europe Professional Interest Group Early Intervention Conference to a later date, probably in the fall of 2020. As soon as we have more insight into a possible new date, this will be communicated. We would like to thank you for your understanding of the measures taken in light of these exceptional circumstances.

Sincerely,
Hans Welling, President of ICEVI-Europe
Kathleen Vandermaelen, Board Member of ICEVI-Europe
Sonia Meys, Conference Chairperson


ICEVI-Europe Professional interest group, Early Intervention Conference:

The development of social and emotional skills in young children with visual impairments

Dear colleagues,
It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we invite you to attend the ICEVI-Europe Professional Interest Group Early Intervention Conference on the development of social and emotional skills in young children with visual impairments.

It is a great opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise, present your research, and exchange best practices regarding the development of the child with visual impairments and the role of his parents and wider social network.

We look forward to welcoming you at the conference in the beautiful city of Leuven and we wish you a pleasant time!

Hans Welling, President of ICEVI-Europe

Kathleen Vandermaelen, Board Member of ICEVI-Europe

Sonia Meys, Conference Chairperson

CONTENT

Title and Theme of the Conference

The upcoming ICEVI-Europe Professional Interest Group Early Intervention Conference will be held in Leuven, Belgium on the 23th and 24th of April 2020.

The title and General theme of the conference will be:

The development of social and emotional skills in young children with visual impairments

From birth of onwards a meaningful and valuable relationship develops between parents and their baby.

This attachment relationship is a growth process, in which the bond between parents and child ideally keeps on growing stronger. Both parents and child get to know each other better. They learn to understand each other and learn to adjust their behaviour to each other’s need. For the child, the attachment relationship with his parents forms the foundation for all his social interactions later in life.

Step-by-step parents guide their child to a life in the wider community, outside of the family. Over development into (young) adulthood, the number of relationships children develop and maintain with meaningful others gradually expands. Well-developed social and emotional skills may help children to manage this challenging task.

But what if a baby or child cannot see or at least not see enough?

What is the impact of vision on this important aspect in the development of a child?

What role can the wider social network of the child and its family play in the child’s social and emotional development? And how can the professional network provide the appropriate support to these families?

Keynote speeches

Social and emotional well-being of young children with a visual impairment and their family system.

Many visual impaired and blind children are at risk in their social and emotional development. The visual impairment has a major influence on this process. In order to develop good social and emotional skills, extra efforts are required from the child, the parents and the broader family system. Many things require a slightly different approach or have to be compensated in a creative way, which puts pressure on their coping abilities.

Marlies Praet  (De Kade- Spermalie) and Griet Pattyn (De Kade-Spermalie)

Sensory perceptual issues as an explanatory model for special behavior and stress in young children with visual impairment or blindness.

If the sensory perception of a young child with VIB is special, then also the meaning and experience of the world around him and possible his behaviour.

A better understanding of the special perception of young children with VIB can help us to:

When children with VIB feel better understood and supported, their (self) confidence in the world around them will grow, this will positively influence their social-emotional development.

Katrien Strauven (Centrum Ganspoel) and Joke Luyten (Centrum Ganspoel)

The attachment relationship between parent and child.

Children with a visual impairment experience lower psychological well-being than normative populations. In this presentation the importance of the attachment relationship between parent and child will be highlighted as an important aspect contributing to psychological well-being of children in general and specifically to the psychological well-being of children with a visual impairment. First, an overview of common topics included in psychological well-being research from 2000 to 2018 among children with a visual impairment will be provided. The themes that need to be attended to in future will be addressed. Second, specific interventions focussing on contributing to the attachment relationship between the parent and young child will be presented. Examples will be given of interventions in which technology is used to contribute to the development of an attachment relationship.

Prof. dr. P.S. Sterkenburg
(Bartiméus & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Target Group

Professionals working with young children (0 to 6 years) in a residential setting, home counselling and education.

Dates

Venue

The conference will take place at the conference rooms of the Youth hostel ‘De Blauwput’   Martelarenlaan 11a B-3010 Leuven. http://www.leuven-hostel.com/index_en.html

‘De Bauwput’ is situated at only 50m of the Leuven railway and bus station. Take the train or the bus to Leuven; inside the pedestrian tunnel under the railway station you follow the signs "Kessel-Lo". Leave the tunnel and walk under the bridge.

WARNING: when in the French-speaking part of Belgium, do not order a ticket to "Louvain" because you might end up in Louvain-La-Neuve, our French-speaking sister city about 30 kilometers south of Leuven.

Hotel accommodation

Participants are responsible for booking a desired accommodation by themselves. Several accommodation options are available within walking distance from the venue:

                ‘De Blauwput’ offers spacious rooms for 2, 4 and 6 persons

Website: http://www.leuven-hostel.com/index_en.html

Ravenstraat 37,B-3000 Leuven

Website: https://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hotel-Ladeuze/Leuven/272790

Martelarenlaan 10, 3010 LEUVEN

Website: https://all.accor.com/hotel/6682/index.nl.shtml#origin=ibis

Martelarenplein 7, 3000 Leuven

Website: https://www.hotel-industrie.be/en/

Vuurkruisenlaan 4, 3000 LEUVEN

Website: https://all.accor.com/hotel/3153/index.en.shtml

Abstracts

The conference is composed of oral presentations, workshops and posters.

Submission of abstract of paper or poster:

When you want to give a presentation, you have to submit an abstract. The required word limit for the abstract is 250 words, written in the English language. You can download and complete your Official Abstract Form:official abstract form professional interest group early  intervention

Please submit your completed Official Abstract Form before 1 March 2020  to kathleen.vandermaele@ganspoel.be

Please note that to be included in the conference program, presenting authors must be registered participants, who have paid the conference registration fee.

Paper Presentation:

Your accepted paper will be presented and discussed in time slots of 30 minutes.

 All papers will be included in the conference proceedings.

Registration

To register as a conference participant, you have to submit a completed registration form and transfer the payment for your conference registration fee. You can download and complete your Participant’s Registration Form: registration form professional interest group early intervention  Leuven

Please submit your completed Registration Form before April 1, 2020 via email to kathleen.vandermaele@ganspoel.be  

Please be informed that in order for you to be considered a registered conference participant we need to have received your completed Registration Form and Conference Registration Fee Payment before April 1, 2020.

Conference Registration Fee

The conference fee includes: proceedings, lunch and coffee breaks on the conference days.

          ICEVI-Europe Members: 120 euro

          Non-members: 135 euro

Bank Details in Huizen, The Netherlands, for Payment of Conference Registration Fee:

Payments in Euro to Account Holder: ICEVI-Europe

ING, Account Number: 4890207

BIC: INGBNL2A

IBAN: NL90 INGB 0004 8902 07

 *NOTE:  When transferring the payment for your conference registration fee, please make certain to indicate your name as the conference participant, as well as, the below conference reference code.  If you are making the conference registration fee payment on behalf of someone else, please make certain to indicate the name of the individual who will be attending as the conference participant, as well as, the below conference reference code.

REFERENCE: P.I.G Early Intervention Conference

** All transfer fees must be paid by sender.  Please be advised that there will be no refunds for cancellations or non-attendance.

Proceedings

Digital proceedings will be provided.

Transportation Information

With the train, you can travel from Brussels Airport directly to Leuven.

The train station is located directly under the departures and arrivals halls, at level -1. The platform is easily reached by lift or escalator.

WARNING:  do not order a ticket to "Louvain" because you might end up in Louvain-La-Neuve, the French-speaking sister city about 30 kilometers south of Leuven.

All international trains, Thalys, Eurostar, TGV® and ICE arrive at Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid. From this station there are several direct trains per hour to Leuven.

WARNING:  do not order a ticket to "Louvain" because you might end up in Louvain-La-Neuve, the French-speaking sister city of Leuven about 30 kilometres south of Leuven.

Future of the Professional Interest Group, Early intervention

For further information and registration, see the website of ICEVI-Europe