Heather Withrow - Keynote Speaker
Heather Withrow is an artist, writer and social media fan. She blogs at “A Mom’s Musings”, and has written for the Communication Matrix Community and the Odyssey magazine. Her commitments include National Intervener Certification E-Portfolio, legislation to support children with low-incidence disabilities on the state and national level, including the Cogswell-Macy Act. She believes we should communicate, play, laugh the way our kids can.
An alumna of Gallaudet University, she is currently a Texas Tech University student studying for her M.Ed. in Special Education, specializing in Orientation & Mobility. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Thomas, and their three children, Skyler (Deaf), Anastasia (KODA), and Orion (DeafBlind).
Keynote Presentation
Lessons From a Family Looking for Their Groove When Everyone is Unique
I will share family stories going over road bumps and through doorways with three children who are Deaf, KODA, and DeafBlind. Much is possible for us with DeafBlind interveners supporting our son, Orion, in our home and out in the community. As parents, we have grown to understand better why we are attracted to using touch, motivation and movement to support Orion’s overall growth as a DeafBlind child. When we think creatively and learn from our mistakes and strive for fun and meaningful opportunities together, our family comes away far richer in shared experiences.