Lilli Nielsen

CURICULUM VITAE

(maiden name: Reker), born December 21, 1926 in Rønne, Bornholm, Denmark.
Citizenship: Danish.
Address: Tjørnebakken 13, 4400 Kalundborg, Denmark.
Phone & Fax: +45 59 50 89 83. E-mail: <lillir@mail.tele.dk>

Education and Employment

1942: General Certificate of Education from Rønne Statsskole.
1943: Trained to a clerk at a Training Centre and at the office of a News Paper in Rønne.
1945 - 1954: Working as a clerk at the office of a News Paper in Copenhagen and as a private secretary for the 
Director of a Travel Bureau.
1995 - 1958: Working as an aid in a kindergarten in Copenhagen.
1958 - 1960: Attending a Teacher Training Centre in Copenhagen
1960: Achieved certificate as a preschool teacher.
1960 - 1961: Working as a preschool teacher in a kindergarten in Kalundborg.
1962 - 1967: Working as a preschool teacher and an OT at a hospital in Kalundborg.
1967: Employed at Refsnæsskolen, the National Institute for Blind and Partially Sighted Children and Youth, Kalundborg.
1967 - 1973 Working as a Parents Counsellor and an Itinerary Teacher in the northern part of Jutland.
1974 -1976: Head of the department for visually impaired preschool children at Refsnæsskolen.
1976 - 1996: Working as Special Education Adviser for visually impaired children with additional disabilities (birth - 21 years of age). District: Denmark.
1997 - ----: Director of LICAL, Lilli's Consultancy for active learning.

Self-Education

Since 1962 studying psychology, biology, anatomy, physiology and
1969 -1970 English by correspondence course.
May 1972: Study tour in England with the aim of studying educational approaches appropriate for blind mentally retarded children. Funded by The European Council.
1981-1982: Three study tours to England and Scotland funded by Norrbaccka-Euginiastiftelsens Fund, Stockholm. (Received without application).
1984-1987: Studying psychology with the purpose of applying for a PhD.
1988: Achieved the PhD at The University of Århus.

Researches:

1976: Participating together with Mr. Preben Frederiksen and Dr. Mette Warburg in an investigation, called BLUS 76, concerning all mentally retarded blind children aged birth to 20 year in Denmark. The investigation was implemented by the National Board of Social Welfare.
1981-1983: Designing and trying out prototypes of "The little Room", the "Support Bench" and several other perceptualyzing aids. The project was finacially supported by a fund of Swedish Crown 500.000  by the Department of Technical Development, Stockholm.
1984-1987: Study on 20 congenitally blind infants' ability to achieve early spatial relations.[Using the Little Room]
1990 - 1998: Designing further perceptualyzing aids as for example the ESSEF Board, the HOPSA-Dress.

Papers read at Conferences:

September 1981: The Situation of Multiply Handicapped Blind, Blind with Mental Deficiences. International Congress on Problems of Rehabilitations and Integration of Multiply Handicapped Blind Adults and Children, Bad Berleburg, West Germany.
May 1983: Paedagogical Methods and Materials Helping Severely Multiply Handicapped Blind Children to Develop. The Second International Symposium on Visually Handicapped Infants and Young Children: Birth to Seven. Aruba, Netherlands Antilles.
August 1984: The situations of Parents - Therapy of Crisis. Nordic Congress on Special Education, Iceland.
March 1985: Development of the Spatial Consciousness. 7th World Congress of the IASSMD, New Delhi.
July 1987: Mobility for Lower Functioning Young Deaf Blind Adults. IAEDB 9th Conference, Poitiers, France.
August 1987: Learning Daily Living Skills Through Games.ICEVH 8th Quinquennial Conference, Wurzburg, Germany.
September 1987: Paedagogical Treatment of Visually Impaired Children with Motor and Mental Impairment. Symposium on Multiple Handicapped Children, Stockholm, Sweden.
August 1988: Opportunities for the Child, and Spatial Relations in Congenitally Blind Infants. International. Two presentations at the Symposium on Visually Handicapped Infants and Young Children, Edinburg, Scotland.
August 1988: Spatiale Relationer hos blindfødte børn. Symposium on Tomtebodaskolan's 100 years birthday. Tomtebodaskolans Resurscenter, Stockholm.
September 1989: Early Chains of Development in Visually Impaired Children. Nordic Conference for Preschool Advisers, Refsnæsskolen, Kalundborg, Denmark.
September 1990: The Challenges of the Nineties Concerning Children with Visual and Multiple Impairments. Conference on Scottish Education for the Nineties, Edinburgh.
August 1991: Facilitation of Learning Basic Skills in Visually Impaired Children with Additional Disabilities. 10th IAEDB Conference, Ørebro, Sweden.
August 1992: Learning Object Concept and Permanence in Blind Infants. 9th ICEVH Quinquennial & Early Childhood Conferences. Printed in Information Exchange, No. 40, 1994.
June 1992: The Blind Child's Ability to Listen. International Workshop, Stresa, Italy. Printed in Information Exchange, No. 37, 1993.
September 1992: The Visually Impaired Multiply Handicapped Child's Learning Basic Skills, Learning Spatial Relations and Sense Integration by Means of the "Little Room", and Special Materials for Facilitation of the Child's Learning. German Conference on The Application of the Principles of Sensory Integration to facilitate Learning in Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Adults, Hamburg University.
October 1993: Active Learning in the Visually Impaired Child With or Without Other Disabilities. The 8th International Conference on Blind an Visually Impaired Children "here's looking' at you kid", Edmonton, Canada.
March 1994: Environmental Intervention Facilitating Early Learning in Mentally Retarded Visually Impaired Children. MAMH Congress Rome 1994. The mentally retarded in the 2000's Society. Rome, Italy.
March 1995: Should the Child with Multiple Disabilities have opportunity to Learn rather than being Trained or Taught? Paper read at Sinn & Sinne im Dialog. Der Kongress zur Warnehmung, Stadthalle Marburg.2.-4. März 1995.
July 1995: The Active Learning Approach: Achieving Midline Organization of Hands in Children who are Blind and Spastic. Paper read at the ICEVH European Conference, Budapest, Hungary. 5-8 July 1995.

Books

1979: "Grib og du kan begribe". Translated to 10 languages. The title of the English version: "The Comprehending Hand"  47 pp.
1980: "Er du Blind?" Translated to Swedish.
1983: "Mens vi venter". Translated to Swedish and German.
1987: "Spatial Relations in Congenitally Blind Infants". (Dissertation). Translated to Swedish and German
1989: Functional & Instruction Scheme. The Visually Impaired Child's Early Abilities, Behaviour, Learning. Also available in Danish, Swedish and German.
1990: "Are you Blind?". 2nd revised edition. 109 pp. Written in both English and Danish. In 1993 translated to German.
1991: "Space and Self". 112 pp. Written in both English and Danish. Translated to German in 1993 and to Swedish in 1994.
1992: "Educational Approaches for Visually Impaired Children". 176 pp.
1994: "Early Learning Step by Step". 168 pp. Written in both  English and Danish. In 1996 translated to German. In 1998 translated to Hebrew and Czech. In 1999 translated to Swedish.
1998: The FIELA Curriculum - 730 Learning Environments. 173 pp. + a Velcro Planning Board and a catalogue with 730 moveable cards each printed with a learning environment. Written in both English and Danish. In 1999 translated to German.
2000: Functional Scheme - Levels:0-48 months

Articles

Practical Experiences with Play Theory for Severely Retarded Blind Children, REAP, No 3, 1975.
Curriculum. Information Exchange. October 1984. Reprinted in Information Exchange "The First Five Years". January 1991.
From Games to Daily Living Skills. Talking Sense, 1988.
Sådan kan en båndoptager også bruges. Refsnæsskolen, Kalundborg, Denmark.
Mundmotoriske lege for børn med ringe udviklet mundmotorik. Refsnæsskolen.
Om udviklingen af spatiale relationer hos blindfødte småbørn. Nordisk tidsskrift for spesialpedagogikk. 3, 1989.
Tidlige udviklingskæder hos det synshandicappede barn. 1989. Refsnæsskolen.
Spatial Relations in Congenitally Blind Infants: A Study. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. January, 1991. [regards Little Room]
Båndoptageren til gavn og glæde i det multihankappede barns tilværelse. Refsnæs-Nyt. No. 32. 1991.
Environmental Intervention for Visually Impaired Pre-school Children with Additional Disabilities. Infama, official Journal of South African National Council for the Blind. No 2, 1992.
Det multihandicappede barns synsevne. Refsnæs-Nyt. No. 36 1993.
Cortikal synsnedsættelse: Hvad skyldes det, og hvordan manifesterer det sig? Refsnæs-Nyt No 38, 1993. This article is printed in English too: Cortical Visual Impairment: Causes and Manifastations. Information Exchange, RNIB, London, July 1995
The Philosophy of the Aprroach of Active Learning. SKI-HI Institute Newsletter, Utah State University. January, 1994.
Mere om cortikal synsnedsættelse. Refsnæs-Nyt no 39, Spring 1994. In English: More on Cortical Visual Impairment. Information Exchange, RNIB, London. March 1996.
Cortikal synsnedsættelse: Synssansen som den sekundære sans? Refsnæs-Nyt no 41, Autumn 1994. In English: Cortical Vision Impairment. Using the sense of sight as a Secondary Sensory Modality. Information Exchange, Issue 52, Spring 1998.
Guiding Hands: Help or Hindrance?. How the Approach of Guiding the Hands of the Visually Impaired Child Can Disturb His Opportunity to Build-up Strategies for Tactile Orientation. Future Reflections. Fall 1995. Vol.14 No.3. and British Journal of Visual Impairment, 1996, 14,1. In German: Vorsicht beim "Führen" von sehbehinderten Kindern! Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik 2/96.
Det synshandikappede barns opbygning af strategier til brug for taktil orientering. Refsnæs-Nyt no 44, 1995.
L'approche de l'apprentissage actif. Pédagogie spécialisée. Novembre, 4/1995. Switzerland.
ESSEF of HOPSA-dragt. To funktions- og begrebsdannende hjælpemidler. Refsnæs-Nyt, no 47, 1996.
2001: Lilli's HOPSA-dress
2001: Lilli's Multi-Function Activity Table (MFAT)

Translation:

1995: Translated to Danish Dr. Van der Poel's book: Die voorskoolse kind van geboorte tot nege jaar. This book is also available in English with the Title "Visual Impairment. Understanding the needs of young children"

Booklets

Fra Leg til ADL. 1988. Refsnæsskolen, Kalundborg.
Det blinde barns høreevne. 1990. Refsnæsskolen, Kalundborg.

Lectures

1977: Ekeskolan, Sweden.
      Lillgården, Hedemora, Sweden.
1978: Neinstedteranstalten, Neinstedt, DDR.
      Hjulsbrohemmet, Sweden.
      Nydalahøjdens Træningsskola, Sweden.
      Synsforum-kursus, Norway.
1979: Hjulsbrohemmet, Sweden.
      Johannesbergs Vårdhem, Sweden.
      Gøteborg University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Skoløverstyrelsen, Sweden.
      Nydalahøjdens Træningsskola, Sweden.
1980: Huseby Utdanningscenter, Norway.
      Gøteborg University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Lillängskolan, Sweden.
      Omsorgsstyrelsen, Stockholm, Sweden.
      Tambartun Skole, Norway.
      Omsorgsstyrelsen, Kallered, Sweden.
1981: Synsskadedes Riksforbund, Sweden.
      The University of Hamburg, Department of Education, Germany.
      Skaraborgs Län, Sweden.
      Omsorgsforvaltningen, Västerås, Sweden.
      Ekeskolan, Sweden
      Haukeland Skole, Norway.
      Emma Hjorths Hjem, Norway.
      Omsorgsnämnden, Stockholm, Sweden.
1982: Särskolan, Jønkøping, Sweden.
      Glenrith Hospital, Leicester, England.
      Särskolan, Malmøhus län, Sweden.
      Rinnehemmet, Helsingfors, Finland.
      IMP Prince D'orange, Bruxelles, Belgium.
      Hjulsbrohemmet, Sweden.
      Särskolan i Ekilstuna, Sweden.
      Omsorgsstyrelsen, Malmø, Sweden.
      Folkvang skole, Norway.
      Hovseter, Norway.
1983: Visby, Gotland Sweden.
      Jønkøping Län, Sweden.
      Gøtegorg University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Omsorgsstyrelsen, Malmø, Sweden.
      Joensu, Finland.
      Rinnehemmet, Helsingfors, Finland.
      Jyvaskyla, Finland.
      Ekeskolan, Sweden.
      The Education Department, Leicester, England.
1984: Karlshamn, Sweden.
      Ganspoelinstitut, Huldenberg, Belgium.
      Athlone School for the Blind, Cape Towm, South Africa.
      Pioneer School, Worcester, South Africa.
      Sociala Forvaltningen, Västerås, Sweden.
1985: Hjulsbrohemmet, Linkøping, Sweden.
      Ekeskolan, Sweden.
      Synskadades Riksforbund, Sweden.
1986: Department of Education, Stavanger, Norway.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Särskolan, Uppsala, Sweden.
      Särskolan, Borlänge, Sweden.
      Hedagården, Sweden.
1987: Särskolan, Borås, Sweden.
      Kopparbergs Län, Sweden.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Safamyrarskoli, Iceland.
      Psykososial Rehabilitering, Tromsø, Norway.
1988: Øsmohemmet, Sweden.
      Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos, Madrid, Spain.
      Gøteborg University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Psykososial Rehabilitering, Oslo, Norway.
      Fondazione Robert Hollman, Cannero, Italy.
      Philippine National School for the Blind, Manila.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
1989: Trondheim Kommune, Norway.
      Kopparbergs Läns Landsting, Sweden.
      Royal Institute for the Blind, Melbourne, Australia.
      Special Education Resource Centre for Visually Handicapped, Brisbane, Australia.
      Royal National Insitute for the Blind, London, England.
      Ekeskolan, Ørebro, Sweden. 
      Schweizerischer Zentralverein fur das Blindewesen, Bern.
      Theofaan, Institute for the Blind, Grave, The Netherlands.
      Ekeskolan, Sweden.
1990: Høgskolan i Harstad, Norway.
      Oslo Universitet, Doktorprogrammet.
      Tambartun Skole, Trondheim, Norway.
      Parents Organization, Vienna, Austria.
      Christoffel Blindenmissionen, Concepcion, Chile.
      Helsevernet for psykisk utviklingshemmede I Nordland, Norway.
      Bergfløtt Rehabiliteringscenter, Oslo, Norway.
      Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Melbourne,  Australia.
      The Royal New South Wales Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Sydney, Australia.
      Narbethong School for the Visually Handicapped, Brisbane, Australia.
      Homai College, Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, Auckland, New Zealand.
1991: Behindertenzentrum Raisdorf, Germany.
      Fondazione Robert Hollman, Cannero, Italy.
      Klingenberg Skole, Norway.
      Østerlide, Stavanger, Norway.
      Royal Blind School, Edinburgh, Scotland.
      Blind Children's Fund, Boston, USA.
      Synscentret, Haukeland Skole, Bergen, Norway.
      Henricksense, Oslo, Norway
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Michigan School for the Blind, Lansing, USA.
      Parents Organization, Vienna, Austria. 
      Theofaan, Institute for the Blind, Grave, The Netherlands.
      Pioneerschool, Worcester, South Africa. 
      Pædagogisk Forum, Bodø, Norway.
      Frederiksstad, Norway. 
      Grindsted Skole, Haugesund, Norway. 
1992: Parent Group, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
      Kilparrin, Adelaide, Australia.
      Townsville University, Australia.
      Narbathong School for Visually Handicapped, Brisbane, Australia.
      Homai College, Auckland, New Zealand.
      Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Melbourne,  Australia. 
      Pædagogisk Forum, Trondhejm, Norway. 
      Royal National Institute for the Blind, London, England. 
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden. 
      Henricksence, Oslo, Norway.
      New Mexico School for the Visually Handicapped Preschool & Blind Children's Fund, 
Albuquerqe, New Mexico, USA
      Nederlands Genootschap ter Bestudering van de Zwakzininheid an de Zwakzinnigenzorg, 
NGBZ, Utrecht, The Nederlands.
      Swiss National Association of and for the Blind, SNAB, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
      Henricksense, Oslo, Norway.
      Training College for Teachers of the Handicapped, Department for the Visually Impaired, 
Budapest,	Hungary.
      Odilien-Institut, Graz, Austria.
1993: Ekeskolan, Sweden.
      Henricksense, Oslo, Norway
      Synspedagogisk Senter, Bergen, Norway.
      Stockholm University, Department of Education, Sweden.
      Blind Children's Fund, Milwaukee, USA.
      Ekeskolan, Ørebro, Sweden.
      Henricksense, Oslo, Norway.
      Behindertenzentrum, Raisdorf, Germany.
1994: Grindahaug Skole, Haugesund, Norway.
      Ekeskolan, Ørebro, Sweden.
      Kompetencesenter, Kristianssand, Norway.
      Henricksense, Oslo, Norway.
      Texas School for the blind, Dallas, USA
      Oppegård Kommune, Norway.
      Cambridge University, Department of Education, England.
      Institut for Helsekompetanse, Oslo.
      Services to Children with Low Vision Impairment, Tasmania.
      Kilparrin, Adelaide, Australia.
      Townsville University, Australia.
      Narbethong School for Visually Handicapped, Brisbane, Australia.
      Homai College, Auckland, New Zealand.
      Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Melbourne,  Australia. 
      Disability Services Commission, Perth, Australia.
1995: SIH, Stockholm, Sweden
      Helsekompetence, Oslo, Norway
      Swiss National Association of and for the Blind, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
      South Africa National Council for the Blind, Pretoria.
      SIH, Gøteborg, Sweden. 
      Novi, Michigan, USA
      APSEA, Halifax, Canada
      Birkelid Kompetencesenter, Norway.
      Landesbildungszentrum für Blinde, Hannover, Germany.
      Helsekompetence, Bergen, Norway 
      Lærerhøgskolan, Stockholm, Sweden
      Grindhaug Skole, Haugesund, Norway
      Deutsche Blindenstudienanstalt, Marburg, Germany.
1996: SIH, Stochholm, Sweden
      Helsekompetence, Oslo, Norway
      Sherwood Park School, London, England.
      Norrangskolan, Hassleholm, Sweden.
      Pioneer School, Worcester, South Africa   
      East Paris Medical Centre, Grand Rapids, USA
      Penrickton Centre for the Blind, Michigan, USA.
      Casper, Wyoming, USA.
      Bodö, Norway
      APSEA, Halifax, Canada
      Göteborg. Sweden
      Lærerhøjskolen, Stockholm, Sweden
1997: Pioneer School, Worcester, South Africa
      Behindertenzentrum, Raisdorf, Germany.
      Helsekompetence, Oslo, Norway
      Schule Blankenstein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
      SRF, Växjö, Sweden
      Bergen, Norway
      SIH, Stockholm, Sweden
      Swiss National Association of and for the Blind, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
      International Conference in Fynen, Denmark
      Services to Children with Low Vision Impairment, Tasmania.
      Kilparrin, Adelaide, Australia.
      Narbethong School for Visually Handicapped, Brisbane, Australia.
      Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Melbourne,  Australia. 
      Disability Services Commission, Perth, Australia.
      Schule für Blinde und sehbehinderte, Friedberg, Germany
1998:
      Helsekompetance, Oslo, Norway
      Behindertenzentrum, Raisdorf, Germany.
      Penrickton Centre for the Blind, Michigan, USA.
      Iowa State University, Des Moines, Iowa
      Eliya, Israel Association for the Advancement of Blind and Visually Impaired Children, 
Tel Aviv.
1999:
      Swiss National Association of and for the Blind, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
      Evansville Association for the Blind, Indiana, USA
      University of Anchorage, Alaska, USA   
      Schule für Blinde und Sehbehinderte, Friedberg, Germany
      Presentations together with Dr. Van der Poel at an International Conference implemented 
by The Danish Ministry of Social Affairs.
      Penrickton Center for Blind Children, Michigan, USA
2000
      Iowa: Presentations together with Dr. Van der Poel at an International Conference
Presentation in Adelaide: three days conference for teachers and parents from Australia and Tasmania.
2001:
     San Francisco
2002:  

2003:  
     Penrickton Center for Blind Children, Michigan, USA
2004:  
     Austin, TX
                             
In addition: Numerous lectures at courses in Denmark and Norway.

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