Little Lighthouse for Babies – Early Intervention

Vision is the primary sense used for learning; it motivates a baby to take an interest in the world around him/her, assists with developing skills and confidence, and ultimately, it encourages active participation. Without vision, a baby must learn to use other senses and develop other skills in order to develop fully. Blind babies have very special needs, since they must learn to locate, reach and grasp objects, then crawl, stand, walk, and play while having a vision loss.

The “Little Lighthouse” program teaches babies, young children, and their parents, adapted skills and ways to use residual vision and other senses so that babies are able to meet their unique developmental milestones and be as prepared as possible to enter the school system.

“I know my child can be anything she wants to be!” stated a mother who saw her 6-month-old daughter start to explore the world around her, as a result of the training provided by Becky Barber, the Early Intervention Specialist at the Lighthouse.

The Blind Babies Program is funded in part by the Florida Division of Blind Services, foundations, corporations, and private donors. The Annual Chasco Coronation Ball also raises funds for our Blind Babies Program. Recently, we received a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union in support of our babies. We were so fortunate to have Suncoast Credit Union volunteers at our 2024 Beeping Easter Egg Hunt. Read about the 2024 Beeping Easter Egg Hunt in Suncoast News’ article titled “Children with visual impairments go Easter Egg hunting” and see our 2024 Beeping Easter Egg Hunt photo album. We also received Community Grants for the Early Intervention and Children’s Programs from Walmart Supercenter #5266 Hudson, Walmart Neighborhood Market #6207 Spring Hill, Walmart Supercenter #1085 Port Richey, Walmart Supercenter #967 Spring Hill, and Sam’s Club 6448 – New Port Richey. We are so grateful for all the support!