Associate Professor, College of health sciences, Education and Rehabilitation
fperla@salus.edu
Education:
- Doctor in Special Education (Ed.D.), Arcadia University, PA
- Certificate in Orientation and Mobility Therapy, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Philadelphia, PA.
- Master of Science in Vision Rehabilitation (M.S.) Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Philadelphia, U.S.A.
- National Certification in Orientation and Mobility, Luis Braille Library, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Educational Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Licenciada en Ciencias de la Educación)
- Certificate in Education of the Visually Impaired, Instituto Nacional Superior del Profesorado en Educación Especial, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Role At Salus University:
- Chair, Blindness and Low Vision Studies
- Program Director, Blindness and Low Vision Studies
- Associate Professor, Blindness and Low Vision Studies
Clinical Specialty:
- Education and Rehabilitation of Individuals who are Blind or have Low Vision
Selected Representative Publications:
- Perla. F. (2014). ¿Quién realiza el aprendizaje? Estrategias para fomentar la participación activa del alumno en Orientación y Movilidad. INTEGRACIÓN- Revista sobre ceguera y deficiencia visual. Digital Edition, 63.
- Perla, F. (2013). Whose learning is it? Fostering student ownership in O&M. International Journal of Orientation and Mobility, 5(1), 28-33.
- Perla, F., & O’Donnell, B. (2010). O&M Family Booklet (CD Rom), American Printing House for the Blind.
- Perla, F. (2008). Orientation and Mobility and the question of ownership. AER Journal, 2(1), 27-30.
- Perla, F. (2008). Stories from the inclusive classroom: Student-teacher relationships, ownership and membership (Doctoral dissertation). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Accession Order No. 3293416])
National & International Presentations/Workshops
- 2013
- AER International O&M Conference, New Orleans
- Enhancing Problem Solving Skills in O&M: Understanding, Assessing, and Promoting Our Students' Skills in This Area
- Family Centered O&M: What does it look like? (poster session, with Brooke Smith)
- 2012
- 14th International Mobility Conference, Palmerston North, New Zealand - Students as partners: Strategies to promote student engagement in their Orientation and Mobility learning experience
- AER International Conference, Seattle, WA - Building relationships with families: Bridging the gap between knowing and doing (with Brooke Smith)
- SOMA/COMA (Southeast & Central Mid-Atlantic Association) Mobility Conference, Richmond, VA- Invited presenter - Problem Solving in O&M: Strategies for advancing our students’ skills (with Betsy O’Donnell).
- Easter Seals High School, Voorhees, NJ - Workshop for high school teachers working with students with visual impairments in the general education classroom.
- Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia PA - Walk on the Blind Side: Helped designed and conduct an exhibit for the Little Rock Foundation where participants experienced traveling without sight.
Professional Affiliations & Certifications
- Certified Orientation and Mobility Instructor (ACVREP)
- Certified Low Vision Therapist (ACVREP)
- Member, Association for Rehabilitation and Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
Teaching Awards:
- 2008 Graduate Studies Educator of the Year Award
- 2007 Graduate Studies Educator of the Year Award