This center covers Clarke, Washington, Monroe, Conechuh, Escambia,
Baldwin and Mobile Counties. Most of our services are free to residents
of Alabama who have a diagnosed vision or hearing loss of at least 25%,
and for children with a diagnosed developmental delay.
Children's services
The earlier children learn, the better. Some experts estimate that up
to 20% of the skills learned in a lifetime are learned in the first
five years. That's why we place so much emphasis on helping families,
and encourage families to come forward with their concerns as early as
possible.
The most important issue is the acquisition of language. Without
language skills, we are isolated, cut off from the rest of the world.
Language is the key. And, just as for sighted and hearing children, the
early acquisition of language skills typically means a higher level of
comprehension.
Everyone around your child can be a teacher. Brothers, sisters,
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, caretakers. Infants and toddlers
will soak up language and information from every source. Regional Center
staff members can show you how to make this happen. It may take more
time, more creativity to communicate with a child who is blind or deaf,
but the rewards of making that effort are incalculable.
Parent Infant Preschool Program -- PIP
This program was established in 1980 to help families adjust to their
child's needs without accepting limitations. We work closely with
medical professionals to spot problems sooner, because the earlier we
can offer support to the family, the easier it is to adapt.
Adjusting to family life with a child born deaf or with a visual
impairment is the first step. Regional Center staff members will come to
your house and explain which expectations are realistic and which are
not. Home visits provide families with support and encouragement during
these critical early days.
Our staff will also help train parents and family members to be
effective teachers and advocates, and introduce you to community
services offering specialized programs. For children under three,
Regional Center services focus on the home and family.
Children three to five years old benefit from our Kinderprep classes,
which provide learning in a school-like environment with a uniquely
qualified staff. It is our goal to stimulate the child's language
development and enrich the world around them, so they are all prepared
to reach their full potential by the time they enroll in school full
time. Some children may take advantage of residential programs at
Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, while others may attend their
local school systems, but all are ready to meet the challenges ahead.
AIDB staff work closely with other agencies, including the state
Department of Rehabilitation Services, to comply with federal
regulations. Federal law provides for special assistance for children
from birth through age two (Part C) and children aged three to five
(Part B).
For children and families, we offer the following services:
- Information and referral services
- Parent Infant Preschool home training in skills and techniques appropriate to child's sensory needs
- Early intervention service coordination
- Speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy
- Kinderprep, a center-based classroom for sensory impaired
preschool children three to five years old supported by United Way and
AIDB
- Evaluation and ongoing assessment of child
- Information about general child development and management
- Technical assistance for community agencies such as daycare centers and preschools
- Parent support groups
- American Sign Language classes for families
- Family counseling
- Summer activity programs for young people ages six to 15
- Parenting classes for deaf parents
- Resource lending library
- Resources for projects, papers and reports from elementary through graduate school
- Participation in Individual Family Service Plan
(IFSP)/Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings for developing child and
family goals
Adult services
The Mobile Regional Center offers a variety of services for our
clients. We serve as a primary source for referrals in the area for
people who are deaf and blind. We can tell you everything from where to
find a special piece of adaptive equipment to how to get special
transportation to the store or the doctor.
Interpreter services for deaf people are an important aspect of our
program. AIDB interpreters can be found in the business world, the
healthcare field, in courts, churches, schools and clubs.
Providing mental health services to people who are deaf is another
part of our mission. The communications barrier is especially formidable
when you have sensitive issues to discuss, and a translator is seldom
the ideal solution. In addition, a mental health professional who is
also deaf brings a special understanding of the culture and the nuances
of the language to the counseling process. Our deaf clients experience
problems with their spouses, children and workplace, just like everyone
else, and having someone to talk to can be a great relief.
Local eye doctors help lead a monthly group that provides information
and support regarding the latest information and treatment of glaucoma,
macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other eye diseases.
We make presentations to students, businesses, educators, civic and
community groups. This makes issues facing our clients easier to
understand, and forges stronger ties to the rest of the world.
As we age, many of us experience a loss of vision or hearing;
adjusting to these changes can be difficult unless we're aware of the
many resources our community offers to help. Making connections between
our older clients and these resources is an important part of our
services. Deaf senior citizens also enjoy weekly exercise classes, art
classes, field trips and special speakers.
Adaptive Technology Laboratory
Adults and senior citizens who become hard of hearing or deaf may try
adaptive devices such as doorbells that attach to lights in the home,
smoke alarms with strobe lights, amplified telephones, and other devices
in the adaptive technology laboratory.
Local ophthalmologists and optometrists refer patients who are
visually impaired or blind for evaluations for technology that may
benefit them in the classroom, the office, or in the home. We have more
than 100 adaptive devices in our technology lab including talking
watches, talking scales, lighted magnifiers, electronic magnifiers,
computer programs that enlarge the screen, talking computers, Braille
printing, and more. Equipment may be loaned to determine the true
benefits to the consumer. Computer classes and training are available.
Services we offer to adult and senior clients include:
- Information and referral services
- Client advocacy
- Clinical counseling
- Family counseling
- Technical assistance to community agencies and schools
- Sign language classes
- American Sign Language interpreters
- Community education/workshops
- Transition services
- Home visits for blind clients
- Support groups for senior clients
- Recreational opportunities
- Adaptive technology assessment, training and loans
Become an Ambassador.
Over the years, we have reached out to literally hundreds of people.
While our services are free, they often make an invaluable contribution
to the quality of life. In appreciation, many families ask what they can
do to help.
There is a place for you to make a contribution of your time and
energy. Other families who may be in the same situation you were years
ago can use your informal support and encouragement. If you have special
skills in ASL or Braille, you can help other clients. Or you can help
us by talking to other people about sensory impairment and what we do at
AIDB. We call these volunteers "Ambassadors," because they go out into
the world as living proof of our focus on abilities. To become an
Ambassador, call us. It's one way to return the gifts others have given
you.
How can we help you? Click here to email us. Or contact us at:
Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind
Mobile Regional Center
Michelle Jones
1050 Government Street
Mobile, Alabama 36604
251 432-3199 (fax)
251-432-7777 (voice/TTY)