SPED 537 ECSE Methods: Multiple Disabilities Chapter 5 March 6-7, 2006 Deborah Chen, Ph.D California State University, Northridge

Informal Assessments Functional Vision Screening (child not diagnosed as having VI) VS Informal Assessment of Vision Use (child has diagnosis of VI)

Maternal Infections TORCH - Toxoplasmosis - Other (e.g. AIDS) - Rubella - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - Herpes

High Risk Factors Prematurity Cerebral palsy Neurological problems Hearing loss Down syndrome Other syndromes

High Risk Signs Eye appearance Response to visual stimuli Other behaviors

Unusual Responses to Sensory Stimuli Reduced Absent Hypersensitive Self-stimulatory and repetitive

Functional Vision Screening Not identified as having a visual impairment Unusual response to visual stimuli Atypical eye appearance Birth history and etiology of disability are risk factors

Purpose: Functional Vision Screening Should this child be referred for additional vision screening or evaluations? What instructional strategies and adaptations will support this child’s use of visual information and learning?

Informal Assessment of Vision Use Diagnosed as having a visual impairment May wear corrective lenses Some adaptations may have been made Does not respond consistently to visual stimuli

Purpose: Informal Assessment of Vision Use How effective are current strategies and adaptations in encouraging this child’s efficient use of functional vision? What changes or additional strategies and adaptations are needed to encourage this child’s use of visual information and learning?

Procedures Background information (age, disability, medical and educational information) Teacher and/or parent interviews Systematic observations “Eliciting situations”

Interview Questions Tests Child’s eye appearance and movement Head position/posture Visual skills Favorite toys and activities Visual preferences Response to familiar people Different light conditions

Observation of Child Eyes: appearance and movements Head position/posture Visual skills - Eye contact - Fixating - Tracking - Shifting gaze - Scanning - Localizing - Eye-hand coordination

Systematic Observations Meaningful context Use of objects Use of experience Interaction with others

Environmental Factors - lighting - distance from visual stimuli - position of visual stimuli - color, pattern, and size of stimuli - distractions

Child Factors - State and attention span - Level of interest - Motor abilities - Communication skills - Cognitive abilities

Eliciting Situations What do you want to observe? Responses in quiet, focused situation Stimuli (favorites and others) Distances Positions Lighting

Child Responses Type of responses (motor, communication, verbal) Response time Clarity of response Consistency of response Response level (hierarchy)

Data Analysis What do you know about this child’s use of visual information and learning? - Questions - Suggestions

Intervention plan Measurable objective Meaningful context Input, adaptations and supports Data collection and evaluation procedures How do you know your intervention is effective?

Assignment Components Functional Screening/Informal Assessment Interview Observations (routine and elicited situations) Data collection forms Intervention Plan Measurable learning objective Routine analysis Evaluation plan and data collection form