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Understanding Visually Impaired Students
- 1. Understanding Students with Visual Impairments Jenny Hester North Carolina Central University
- 2. Educational Definitions • IDEA: • an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance; The term includes both partial sight and blindness. • State of NC: • visual acuity of 20/70 or worse in best eye with correction OR • visual field loss of 20 degrees or more OR • progressive eye condition AND • impairment must have a negative impact on the student’s ability to learn using traditional methods.
- 3. What does this mean? Duffy, M. A. (2002)illustrationsOf.com
- 4. Causes of Visual Impairment Acuity • Retinopathy of prematurity • Diabetic retinopathy • Albinism • Achromatopsia • Cataracts • Aniridia • Progressive myopia Restricted field • Retinitis pigmentosa • Glaucoma • Macular degeneration • Optic nerve disorders • Chorioretinitis • Degenerative myopia Either or Both Trauma, Macular degeneration, Cortical Visual Impairment, Cancer of the eye Schwartz (2010)
- 5. Personnel • Ophthalmologist/Optometrist • General Education teacher • Special Education teacher • Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) • Orientation and Mobility Instructor (O&M) • Paraprofessionals Lewis (2016)
- 6. Classroom strategies: Physical environment • Orientation to the school • Demonstrate procedures • Clutter-free classroom • Create clear pathways • Minimize changes • Tape down rugs and cords • Extra storage • Lighting Rao (TSVBI)
- 7. Classroom strategies: Supplies and Equipment • Bold-line paper • Slant board • Braille writer • Audio tapes • Large print books • Dark pens/pencils • iPad/laptop computer • Adaptive keyboard NOAH (2014)
- 8. Classroom strategies: Instruction • Talk with the student, family, and TVI • Allow other students to examine assistive technology • Have the student talk about their eye condition • Address students by name • Provide copies of teacher notes • Read aloud while writing on board • Audio books • Have same expectations in class and homework as sighted peers Rao (TSBVSI), NOAH (2014)
- 9. Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) • Compensatory Skills • Career Education • Independent Living Skills • Orientation and Mobility Skills • Recreation and Leisure Skills • Social Interaction Skills • Self-determination Skills • Use of Assistive Technology • Sensory Efficiency Skills Sapp & Hatlen, 2010
- 10. Strategies for incorporating ECC 1. Compensatory • organization • study skills 2. Career education • school employees • blind/low vision role models 3. Independent living • problem-solving • real objects • concrete experiences 4. Orientation&Mobility • map reading • trailing Willing (teachingvisuallyimpaired.com)
- 11. Strategies for incorporating ECC 5. Social Skills • facilitate friendships • small group work 6. Assistive Technology • choice of devices • operational skills 7. Self-determination • self-advocacy • problem-solving • independence 8. Recreation • adaptive PE Reed (2011); Sacks (2010); Wolffe (2011)
- 12. IEP • Testing accommodations: • Extra time • Extra breaks • Use of magnifiers • Large print/Braille • Manipulatives • Small group • Transcription • Mark in book • Special lighting • Classroom modifications: • Preferential seating • Assistive technology • Large print/Braille • Slant board • Special lighting • Roaming privileges • Computer magnification software • Equipment storage space (Lewis, 2016)
- 13. References Duffy, M. A. (2002). Making life more livable: Simple adaptations for living at home after vision loss. New York, NY: AFB Press. Lewis, S. (2016). Understanding students with visual impairment, including blindness. In A. Turnbull, R. Turnbull, M. L. Wehmeyer & K. A. Shogren (Eds.), Exceptional lives: Special Education in today's schools (8th ed., pp. 314-339). Boston, MA: Pearson. Kaine, N. & Kent, R. (2013). Activities to encourage employability skills in middle childhood. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 107, (524-528). National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation. (2014). Raising a child with albinism: A guide to the school years. East Hampstead, NH: National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation. Rao, Elsie, (n.d.). Suggestions for working with Braille students in a regular classroom. Retrieved from http://www.tsbvi.edu/program-and-administrative-resources/3250-suggestions-for-working-with-braille- students-in-a-regular-classroom Reed, M. & Curtis, K. (2011). High school teachers' perspectives on supporting students with visual impairments toward higher education: Access, barriers, and success. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 105, 548-559. Sacks, S. Z. (2010). Psychological and social implications of low vision. In A. L. Corn & J. N. Erin (Eds.), Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (pp. 67-96). New York, NY: AFB Press. Sapp, W. & Hatlen, P. (2010). The expanded core curriculum: Where we have been, where we are going, and how we can get there. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 104, 338-348. Schwartz, T. L. (2010). Causes of visual impairment: Pathology and its implications. In A. L. Corn & J. N. Erin (Eds.), Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (pp. 137-187). New York, NY: AFB Press. Willing, C. (n.d). Guiding principles for teaching students who are blind and visually impaired. Retrieved from http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/guiding-principles.html Wolffe, K. & Kelly, S. M. (2011). Instruction in areas of the expanded core curriculum linked to transition outcomes for students with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 105, (340- 349).
Editor's Notes
- How do students qualify for services? Definition varies slightly from state to state. State of NC definition (States are moving towards a functional definition.)
- Reduced acuity: Snellen chart: 20/20 is bottom line; (20//30 above green line); 20/70 required for VI services; worse than 20/200 cannot see the big E. Students need to sit in the front row in class. Reduced visual field: Up to 20/20 acuity, but presence of “tunnel vision”; Alternatively, the central field (not shown) can also be affected. Students usually need to sit in the back of the room. (Lewis, 2016)
- Eye conditions categorized by function (Schwartz, 2010) Alternative categorization methods: or genetic vs. environmental anatomically (cornea, iris, retina, optic nerve, brain) Students with same condition or acuity don’t necessarily function the same in the classroom. Functional vision is the most relevant to educational outcomes and decisions.
- TVI is the primary mediator of the learning environment for students with VI. Conduct Functional Vision & Learning Media Assessments. Help identify goals for IEP and appropriate accommodations. Consult with general education teacher on environment and instruction. Modify materials. Paraprofessionals: Braillist Classroom aide All members need to collaborate as part of a team.
- Physical orientation: where is the library, restroom; cubby pencil sharpener, point out hazards Procedures: cafeteria line, lockers, try out playground. Organized classroom. Clutter-free, clear pathways. Either keep furniture consistent or inform and/or involve the student in rearranging. Avoid leaving doors and drawers ajar or chairs out from under tables and desks. Use colored Duct tape to mark edges and areas of low contrast. The student may need extra storage space for equipment. May need an electrical outlet. Do not “pull” a blind child.
- Needs determination made by TVI via Functional Vision Assessment and a Learning Media Assessment. Assistive technology and other specified materials should be written in the student’s IEP and purchased by the school district. (Lewis, 2016) Supplies (NOAH; American Printing House for the Blind website)
- Find out prior knowledge. Let classmates looks at optical aids. Ask VI student to talk about their condition. Address all students by name so that the visually impaired student can learn to associate names with voices of classmates. Address the visually impaired student by name as well, so he or she knows when he or she is being spoken to. TSBVI Expect the visually impaired student to complete the same assignments as the rest of the class. Due to alternative media, assignments may take a visually impaired student longer to complete TSBVI Remember to teach them as a student just like all the others. “It is a child you are teaching, not a blind person.” (Rao)
- “Nine areas of instruction that children and youths with visual impairments need to be successful in school, the community, and the workplace” ECC introduced in 1996 by Hatlen. TVIs are trained, but not enough time to implement (p. 344 for specific integration ideas into gen ed curriculum)
- VI students do not learn incidentally through vision. Clearly model planning and organization; speak steps to accomplishing a task. Career education: lack of role models; expose them to examples for success (Kaine, 2013) Concrete experiences, learning by doing, independence (Willing) Concepts may not have been learned fully, like the concept of “roundness” or common knowledge of objects the blind student has not experienced, i.e. student’s family has a van so doesn’t know what a car is or what car parts are if she hasn’t touched the steering wheel. (Willing)
- Social skills-friendships (VI students have to work harder to maintain friendships with sighted peers Sacks, 14); working in small groups gives opportunity to form relationships with peers Encourage independence. Be patient. You can help student and TVI with what assistive technology is working in the classroom. Also, you need to know how to use it. Often students are given devices but not enough support for how to use it effectively. (Wolffe, 2011) Adaptive PE: colored balls, balls with noise; goalball; partner choices