On the second Tuesday of each month, you’ll find the AIDB Huntsville Regional Center hosting its monthly Early Intervention (EI) Virtual Story Time. 

“I love the EI storytime,” said Mechele Mosley, Service Coordinator and Special Instructor at the AIDB Huntsville Regional Center. “It's such a great way to get moving and go about the day!” 

This October, they focused on fall and the spooky holiday season. Ashlyn Riley, a music therapist at Music Therapy Milestones in Birmingham, opened story time by playing her guitar and singing a song to welcome everyone to the session. Then, Dena Dodd, Field Supervisor for the Blind and Deaf at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, read “Boo! Baa, La La La” by Sandra Boynton. Dodd is blind and read the book in braille, showing the book’s pictures along the way. 

Tamara Little, owner-operator of NutriLevel Consulting, provided recipes for healthy treats to help parents and children add balance to their diet during a month filled with indulgent snacks. These healthy treats included a pumpkin pie dip; a witches broom stick made with a pretzel stick, string cheese, and chives; and a guacamole Frankenstein with blue corn chips for hair. 

Riley then lead the group in a fall Halloween Song about picking pumpkins before Mosley presented crafts that parents and children could make at home. These crafts included a pig made out of a paper plate and tissue paper, a chicken made out of a paper plate and feathers, and a sheep made out of a paper plate and coffee filters. Mosley noted that since these crafts were made out of different surface materials, they each provide a different tactile touch experience for children. 

The EI Virtual Story Time was closed out with the song “Old MacDonald” led by Riley who incorporated the crafted animals into the song. 

“I have loved the opportunity to work with our music therapist and nutritionist,” said Mosley. “I share their ideas all month with families that don't attend storytime for one reason or another! It also gives us an opportunity to expose our families to deaf and blind role models for their children. So many times, an early intervention family has never met any blind or deaf individuals, only their own child! Our guest readers expose them to the communities available to support their family journey!”