Diane and our service staff work with infants and toddlers and their parents to provide a wide variety of early skill training. These include tactile and sensory learning experiences, such as buttoning and zipping clothing, opening bags of food, and peeling bananas or hard-boiled eggs. Children ages 0-2 are provided with vision stimulation. Pre-schoolers are provided with Orientation and Mobility (travel training) instruction and pre-Braille skills to prepare for schooling. Forums and information sharing for parents are also provided. Diane coordinates closely with Early Intervention and Pre-school agencies and the NewYork State Commission for the Blind.

Diane and her staff work with school-age children, their parents and teachers in all grades up to age 14. Services include Orientation and Mobility instruction at schools and around the community, independent living skills training both at home and at school, teaching Braille and adaptive computer technology and connecting peers.

Through a Recreational Grant from the New York State Commission for the Blind, A.V.R.E. provides recreational outings for children and teens who are legally blind. Involvement in recreation and social activities during the formative years of life has a significant, positive impact on many basic aspects of growing and reaching adulthood. A.V.R.E.'s goal is to increase the social skills, independence, confidence and self-esteem of children with a vision disbility by using a recreational setting.