Chapter 12 Children with Visual Impairments © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Brief Historical Overview 1829 – first residential school for the blind established in the US 1834 – Louis Braille creates a raised dot system of reading 1900 – first public school classes for the blind begun in Chicago Education for All Handicapped Children Act guarantees access to public education for blind students © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Brief Historical Overview Post 2004 – after IDEA 2004, education for students who have multiple disabilities including visual impairment began seeing more services addressing their visual impairment © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Definitions and Identification Blindness – corrected vision less than 20/200 Low Vision – corrected vision between 20/70 and 20/200 Students with low vision may still (with aid) use their visual sense as the primary mode of learning; students with blindness will use their tactile or auditory senses. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Definitions and Identification Children identified as having visual impairments through a screening test should have a full assessment, including a physical exam and functional assessment, to determine their educational needs. Visual impairments are a low-incidence disability making up less than 1% of the school-age population. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Causes of Visual Impairments Common Causes of Visual Impairments: Cortical visual impairment Retinopathy of prematurity (associated with low birth weight babies and the over administration of oxygen to premature infants) Optic nerve hypoplasia Albinism Optic nerve atrophy Congenital infection © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

The Eye © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Children with Visual Impairments Children with visual impairments tend to develop at a slower pace than typically developing children. Sensory input is the component of the information processing model most affected by visual impairment. This can in turn hamper cognitive development and development of the executive function. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Children with Visual Impairment Children with visual impairments seem to develop structural language roughly on track with their peers; however, development of pragmatic (social) language often lags behind. Restricted mobility can cause some children with visual impairments to develop passivity and dependency. Participation in social activities seems important in developing independence and confidence. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Early Intervention A child’s experiences during the period from birth to age 5 are critical to subsequent development. Early intervention programs reduce the number of secondary problems. Many fundamental skills/concepts – such as symbolic play and object permanence – are learned by sighted children through incidental learning. They must be explicitly taught to children with visual impairments. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

The Role of Families Families play a key role in supporting the child with visual impairments. Children with visual impairments may be less likely to explore their environment and parents may be cautious about allowing them to do so; it is important children be encouraged to use other senses and aids to safely explore to increase confidence and independence. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

The Role of Families The national agenda for children with visual impairments is a helpful checklist for families and professionals to make sure a child with visual impairments is receiving the proper services and supports. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Culturally Diverse Students with Visual Impairments Students with visual impairments are an increasing diverse population, reflecting the increasingly diverse student population in general. Many educators report feeling unprepared to work with families from diverse backgrounds. Training in culturally responsive pedagogy, access to resources for diverse families, and the recruitment of translators and educators from diverse backgrounds are all important steps in better serving all children. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Organizational Structures 64% of students with visual impairments spend 80% or more of their school day in general education classrooms. The RtI model ensures that all students receive appropriate supports and services. Tier I: focus on inclusion and the use of UDL to access the curriculum Tier II: small group or individual instruction in needed skills areas Tier III: intensive support including Braille use and orientation and mobility training © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Organizational Structures Some students attend residential schools which offer a curriculum geared towards the needs of the visually impaired as well as a sense of shared experience. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Curriculum and Instruction Lowenfeld’s 3 principles for adapting instruction: Concrete experiences Unifying instruction Learning by doing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides the scaffolding students with visual impairments need to access content. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Expanded Core Curriculum The expanded core curriculum is intended to address the additional skills students with visual impairments need to master and does NOT replace the academic curriculum. © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Expanded Core Curriculum Divided into the following areas: Compensatory or Access Skills Career Education Independent Living Skills Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Recreational and Leisure Skills Social Interaction Skills Self-Determination Skills Use of Assistive Technology Sensory Efficiency Skills © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Transitioning to Independent Living Many individuals with visual impairments have difficulty finding employment. Transition programs can help them overcome barriers to independent life. Successful transition programs address: Career awareness Job seeking skills and placement assistance Social skills Career development activities Family support and involvement programs Work experiences including volunteer opportunities © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.