This Concludes My Wonderful Trip to Greece & Germany

All in all, it was a wonderful trip to both Greece and Germany. I was treated well in both countries and the hospitality was incredible! I enjoyed speaking with many individuals from Europe and my keynote speech went very well in Athens. And, I truly enjoyed my guest lecture for graduate students at Oldenburg University and the joint work with the Dean and the faculty was also quite relevant and I left with clear plans to continue our work. There looks like there could be several possible collaborations within both countries and Salus. A professor at the University of Athens indicated interest in learning more about the BLVS  programs and there is interest from Oldenburg University in Germany to discuss ways to mesh the role of mental health with our rehabilitation programs in CER, as well as working to provide global experiences for our junior faculty members. (Included in this blog are some photos from my guest lecture and my presentation to faculty in Germany.)

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Safe Arrival in Oldenburg, Germany

Safe arrival into Germany but Sal had a rough time as I was stopped after flying from Athens to Frankfurt.  I was stopped and a policeman was brought over as all the contents of my back pack, Sal included, were removed. Well, needless to say, all was well with everything in my backpack and my suitcase! And, Sal and I were able to get on the next flight to Bremen. We are safely in the hotel now in Oldenburg and I will be having a working dinner with the dean and faculty of the School of Education and Rehabilitation from Oldenburg University.  Sal is nice and relaxed now as you can see!

 - Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

UDLnet Presentation & Off to Germany!

I had a wonderful turnout and was delighted to represent Salus University and the US at the UDLnet conference. I am en-route today to Germany so that I may begin my work with Oldenburg University tomorrow.  Athens and its people were very hospitable and I look forward to seeing more of the country at a later date. I met with a member of the Ministry of Education and also met with a member of the university of Athens. There might be some possible ways that Salus University may be able  to find some synergies in the near future. I must sign off for now as my plan is boarding!

 - Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

First Day of Consortium Meeting of UDLnet

Sal and I are with Stephanie from Ireland

The Consortium Meeting of UDLnet (Universal Design for Learning) began today! As the only US member of the consortium as an AssociatePartner, I represent Salus and the US. In this role, I provide assistance to the full European partners (from Ireland, Greece, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, and Cyprus) and associate partners in the area of Universal Design for Learning in schools, including primary and secondary schools and universities. This is the final meeting of the consortium and I have been working with them for the past 4 years of their 5-year program. The primary goal is to ensure that there is validation of the project which was to have effective way to disseminate and then to assure maintenance of the products created and the integration of the use of UDL in practice. The conference opening begins this evening and my keynote will be tomorrow morning, Nov. 5th. Sal joined me at the meeting this morning to boost the spirits of all participants!

UDLnet International Work Group

And here is a photo of the view from my hotel room! 

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Travels to Greece and to Germany

I will be leaving for Europe this Tuesday, arriving in Athens mid-afternoon on Wednesday to begin a very busy week and a half of events. I have been invited to be a keynote speaker at the Schools for Open Societies Conference/ UDLnet.eu Strand in Athens, Greece on the topic of Understanding the Differences between Universal Design for Learning and Appropriate Accessibility Accommodations. 

I will also be representing Salus University as the sole American associate partner in the consortium at the UDLnet.eu meeting prior to the conference.

Following the conference, I will spend a day meeting with colleagues from the NHL University of Applied Sciences to discuss future collaborative endeavors. I will then be off Oldenburg University in Germany to meet with our other partners. Salus has signed MOUs with both institutions. I have been invited to present a professional development workshop to faculty and to conduct a guest lecture for graduate students in their School of Educational and Social Sciences, Department of Education and Rehabilitation. We will be also be discussing an initial junior faculty exchange that we hope to begin next fall between our colleges. 

I am bringing Sal the Salamander along with me to take photos and share stories about our work overseas!

I will try to write every few days to keep the blog updated, so make sure to check back. 

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Salus Admissions Recruitment Trip to Texas

University of Texas at Dallas Pre-Optometry Club
Richardson, Texas

Representatives from the Office of Admissions at Salus University often visit campuses around the US and Canada to meet interested students, providing information and answering questions about the University. 

Earlier this month, Larry Walsh, associate director of admissions traveled to Texas and visited multiple campuses. 

University of Houston Pre-Optometry Club
Houston, TX 

Texas A & M University Pre-Optometry Club
College Station, TX 

University of North Texas Pre-Optometry Club
Denton, TX - 10/20 

Baylor University Pre-Optometry Club
Waco, TX 

If you would like an admissions representative to visit your campus, please email us at admissions@salus.edu in order to determine if we can accommodate your group or event

Vision Therapy in Berlin

I was invited to do a vision therapy workshop at the European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO) conference in Berlin, Germany. This year was the 8th year of the meeting, with previous locations being in Budapest, Prague, and Dublin to name a few. The EAOO draws an international crowd with attendees from many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. My workshop saw a great representation of this diversity.

The goal of my VT workshop was to introduce participants to six basic activities that they could incorporate into their practice. The workshop included a brief presentation with lots of time for hands-on experiences.

There were many attendees there that had received their masters from Salus University as part of our international program, so it was great to see some familiar faces. Many of the attendees spoke of the limitations optometrists have in most European countries, and how they are roughly 60+ years behind what optometrists in the US have been able to accomplish as a profession. This information was met with surprise, sadness, and pride as I considered the scope of practice I’m able to enjoy in the US, and how well Salus University prepared me. 

The conference ended with a lovely dinner on the Alexander von Humbolt boat, which took us down parts of the Spree River, the major river that runs through the city of Berlin.

I was honored to be a representative of Salus University at the EAOO, and enjoyed hearing others speak highly of their own experiences at the University. I look forward to participating in this conference again!

- Ruth Y. Shoge, OD, is an Assistant Professor at Salus University and Director of the Pediatric & Binocular Vision Services at The Eye Institute of Salus University 

Last Few Days in Doha

Evening in Doha

I wanted to shared about my last two days working at the Shafallah Center. They were amazing! I had a wonderful time working with mothers of children with autism. I have no photos of the workshops as one of the royal family members was in attendance for both days and they often do not allow photos to be taken. Even though our cultures are very different, people all over the world have the same concerns and needs. It was a humbling experience when one of the participants told me she was saddened knowing that there were more opportunities for her child in the US. Part of my role was to help them learn to advocate for themselves and work with companies that are interested in social justice. Every one of my business cards was taken at the workshops! I also met with a member from the US State Department who immediately asked if I would come back! If there was another opportunity, I would certainly take it! This has been a fantastic experience and I would strongly recommend it to anyone. I have learned about a new culture, made new friends that I will most probably communicate with for the rest of my life, and hope to have helped to share knowledge that was new and helpful to this center. Now, I'm preparing for my 14-hour flight home. I look forward to sharing stories with the Salus community soon!

Group photo with Emir Plaque

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Working By the Pool in Doha

Working by the pool 

I am in the process of writing two reports, one for the Shafallah Center regarding the overall review myself and the international team worked on last week and on my individual report for the US State Department. Working by the pool is more relaxing even in the 95 degree heat. As long as I'm not in the sun, it is all good! Here are two other photos: one of a an outdoor prayer area and a view from my hotel window. While I was able to get out a bit and see some of Doha, I have been at the Shafallah Center and the hotel most of the day time. But, the overwhelming hospitality shown by the wonderful staff and parents at Shafallah have very rarely left me alone to eat any of my meals! All have been exceedingly gracious and warm and welcoming, including into their homes!

View from my hotel room in Doha

Prayer area outside in Doha

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Second Week in Doha

During my presentation 

It is hard to believe how quickly my time in Doha has flown! With the start of my second week, I have completed two days at the 2nd Annual Autism and ABA conference at the Shafallah Center along with my two presentations. Today, I begin my first day conducting parent workshops. Overall, the experience has been wonderful! The translation during the conference was a bit challenging at times, going both ways, but for the most part, all went very well. Only once was I asked to slow down by a participant at the conference; my New York ‘talk’ sometimes comes out when I speak which includes speaking a mile-a minute! Everyone has been so hospitable. I have not had one day when I wasn’t invited to someone’s home or out for a meal. I have also had some wonderful conversations regarding how Salus could meet some of the training/education needs of the Shafallah Center. I am including more photos from the conference and the sites of Doha for your enjoyment!

Official photo from the 2nd Autism & ABA Conference

Group photo at Al Hilal, Doha

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Shafallah Center Update

It was a lovely 95 degrees in Doha the other day, 90 degrees today!

Souq Market

I am happy to be representing Salus and the College of Education and Rehabilitation and upholding the vision and mission as well! ( As, we know,  Salus means health and well-being, and the College of Education and Rehabilitation Vision statement is: “To enhance the quality of life of individuals who have, or are at risk for, disabilities through excellence in interdisciplinary education, service delivery and research, and to increase the numbers, diversity and leadership roles of education and rehabilitation professionals worldwide”.) 

The College’s vision and mission are in alignment with the mission of the Shafallah Center, which is: “ Based on the mission of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, we help people with intellectual disabilities and autism by providing model services in the State of Qatar, in the areas of education, rehabilitation, community awareness, and human rights support in order to achieve more independent life and to activate inclusion in the society.”  

The Center sits beside a vision center which I hope to visit next week. Both the Shafallah Center and Al Noor, the vision center, are government funded programs.

Inside the Shafallah Center 

I have been working with a group of international experts in the area of program and behavioral organization brought in to assist the Shafallah Center in the first step in their holistic organizational assessment and evaluation process to enhance their overall service to their students with disabilities and their families. Of course, I also work directly with the wonderful members of the Shaffalah Center staff who come from all around the middle east, including Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, and of course Qatar! The international team of evaluators that I am working with have been vigorously observing, reading translated documents, interviewing multiple stakeholders, and discussing at length in order to create a detailed final report with recommendations for improvements for the administration. We will have our reports in by the end of next week.

The weekend begins here on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday I present my first of four presentations at their 2^nd Annual Conference on Autism. I am including a photo of some Shafallah staff and international experts (and myself!). And, additional photos from the Center and some for flavor!

Shafallah staff, international experts and myself

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

First Day at the Shafallah Center

Entering Doha

First day at the Shafallah Center today! I met the international evaluation team who will be working to identify the strengths of the center as well as producing recommendations for further development of programs and services. The international team of experts is made up of three Americans from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, including myself, one from Saudi Arabia, one from France and one from Palestine. Each of us has been assigned a psychologist to work with and to assist with verbal and written translations as we review all units of the center. Our charge is to jointly create a document for the center to use to not only improve the educational system but to also evaluate and improve the related services provided to the students, which includes both in and out patient clinical occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychology and social work. I am honored to be part of such a wonderful endeavor that brings together individuals from around the world to work for the good of children, no matter our language or cultural differences. I am attaching a photo of one of the classrooms which I visited today. They, too, have the same rules regarding using photographs of children without permission so you will only see the face of the teacher and the backs of the heads of children. The classes are primarily gender specific but the teacher may be either male or female. Notice the sparseness of the classroom for children with mild/moderate disabilities. It is not for lack of funding but due to the understanding that it is best not over stimulate students with autism spectrum disorders. A generalization has been applied to all children with disabilities. I will be in touch again soon!

Classroom at the Shafallah Center

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation

Fulbright Specialist Experience in Qatar

I am getting ready to begin my Fulbright Specialist experience! The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) promotes linkages between US scholars and professionals and their counterparts at host institutions overseas. The program awards grants to qualified US faculty and professionals, in select disciplines, to engage in short-term collaborative two-to-six-week projects at eligible institutions in over 140 countries worldwide. Learn more about the Fulbright Specialist Program. 

I'm very excited to begin my trip as a specialist to assist the Shafallah Center in Doha, Qatar as a program reviewer to assist in their institution's further development, and, as an invited speaker to their second annual autism conference where I will be talking to teachers and conducting multiple workshops for parents. Learn more about Shafallah Center. 

I will be arriving on Saturday, April 16 after leaving on Friday April 15. I begin working at the Shafallah center on Sunday, April 17 as the weekend in Doha is only from Friday to Saturday. I will continue to provide updates throughout my two week stay in Doha!

- Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, MS, EdD, is the associate dean for the Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation