1. Quick and Easy Expanded Core Curriculum: The Hatlen Center Guide
CTEBVI
Share Your Vision in our Changing Times
March
Quick and Easy Expanded Core Curriculum: The Hatlen Center Guide
As of October 2014, Quick & Easy ECC is available through Federal Quota from APH

2. Quick HISTORY The national agenda for Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youths, Including Those with Additional Disabilities
-Began in 1993 as a result of parents, teachers & administrators working as partners to look at the most important things needed to make education better for students with vision loss.
-This resulted in a historical statement of consensus in the field about how educational programs must change to meet the needs of students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities.
-There are currently 10 priority goals (see afb.org for more information).

3. 2. ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY
1. COMPENSATORY OR FUNCTIONAL ACADEMIC SKILLS, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION MODES
2. ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY
3. SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS
4. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS
5. RECREATION AND LEISURE SKILLS
6. CAREER EDUCATION
7. USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
8. SENSORY EFFICIENCY SKILLS
9. SELF-DETERMINATION
8th goal of the National Agenda was originally presented in 1996 by Dr. Phil Hatlen.
The ECC now has 9 goal areas (see AFB website & tsbvi website)
Compensatory: those needed by students w/vision loss to access all areas of core curriculum
Functional skills are those skills that students with multiple disabilities learn that provide them with the opportunity to work, play, socialize & take care of personal needs to the highest level possible.

4. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
Social Interactions
Independent Living and Independent Travel
Educational Opportunities
Meaningful Job and Career Opportunities
-Children, youth, & adults with visual loss deserve the opportunity to have full, rich lives.
-What does that include? 1. Maximize quality & level of independence: Social interactions (recreation, community relationships outside of family, personal relationships outside of family),
2. Maximize: independent living & independent travel
3. Maximize the ability to independently access/participate: Educational Opportunities (highest level of ability)
4. Maximize the ability to participate in meaningful employment: Jobs/careers
-These four items are the driving force behind the components of the ECC.

5. THE HATLEN CENTER FOUNDED IN 1972
-Reason Hatlen was founded: Between 1941–1953, over 12,000 babies worldwide were affected by ROP (Stevie Wonder). In1960s and 70s a high number of these children were becoming young adults.
-They were educated in a mainstream setting and were graduating from high school, but they were unable to move forward from there.
The Hatlen Center was created as a transition center for young adults with vision loss due to the importance of ECC. The name has changed, but the needs have not.
-We serve students with low vision; blind; college bound; additional challenges, regional center 
-The Point: The ECC has long been recognized as critical for promoting the quality of life of students who are visually impaired
-Recent research has supported the provision of instruction in these areas
FOUNDED IN 1972

6. Why? Quick & Easy expanded core curriculum
-2006 Hatlen Center opened program to people from out of state.
-Did some research about what to present at national conferences. Noticed on the AFB website about problems implementing the ECC.
-Mike Cole & Patty Williams (Hatlen/SFSU) taught to have a list of cards with some short lessons in case we ever had a few extra minutes in the day. The idea was that there was so much to teach, we should never waste time.
-Presented the idea with some samples at a couple of AER national conferences and CTEBVI.
-People were interested

7. ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE ECC: Then and now
The ECC has not been fully accepted
Lohmeier, Blankenship, Hatlen (2009) Survey of Professionals about the National Agenda and the ECC
Most TVIs/OM Specialists accept the ECC
-Most respondents believed that TVIs and O&M specialists were knowledgeable about the ECC and most were committed to the need for assessment and instruction in all areas of the ECC.

8. ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE ECC: Then and now
Personnel preparation is inadequate
Sapp and Hatlen (2007) Survey of 50 professionals who attended 16 university training programs
Personnel preparation can still improve in some areas
Students who graduated in the past 10 years, compared to students who graduated earlier, rated their training higher in all areas of the ECC, with differences in scores on career skills, self-determination, social skills, and technology skills.
Despite this improvement, wished they had received more training: -in skills in specific areas of the ECC -ways to incorporate the ECC into the typical school day -applying the ECC to students with a range of visual and intellectual abilities -incorporating the ECC into students' IEPs and lesson plans The differences in responses indicate that some personnel preparation programs are strong in preparing teachers for providing instruction in the ECC, but that all can improve in some areas.

9. ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE ECC: Then and now
Teachers may not only lack the skills, they do not have the time or the resources
Lohmeier, Blankenship, Hatlen (2009) Survey of Professionals about the National Agenda and the ECC
Children in inclusive & mainstreamed settings do not have the time
1. Unfortunately, the survey found that most respondents did not believe that these professionals had the time to teach all areas of the ECC.
2. Direct Evaluation of how TVIs spend their time: Wolffe, et al., 2002
-most of their time on academic and compensatory skills and only a limited time on other areas of the ECC
-Much of the time that the teachers spent on areas of the ECC that are not closely tied to academics occurred in an unplanned and unstructured manner that limited their instructional effectiveness. -Again, the study is old. Does anyone in the audience have any comments about this?

10. ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE ECC: Then and now
Parents are unaware of ECC needs
Some parents are unaware of the importance of the ECC compared to academic needs and/or may not have the time or expertise to address the ECC
-Parents participated in the National Agenda. Some may not know the name of the ECC, but they are aware of the gaps.
In my own observation in talking to parents about transition youth: -Some parents focus on academics b/c it is something parents know.
-There is very little time during the school year to focus on anything but academics.
-Parents may not understand the impact of the ECC (don’t want child to “take off a year”).
-Parents may not have expectations in the areas of the ECC. This may be out of pity or fear of the child getting hurt.
-Cultural differences
-Many parents are trying to address ECC. They mention they do not know how or that the child doesn’t want to have the parent as a teacher.
-Some parents do everything possible to help address non-academic learning, but there is much to teach a child who is growing up with vision loss.

11. ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE ECC: Then and now
Teachers & administrators are unaware of ECC needs
Teachers, administrators, and students may be unaware of the importance of the ECC compared to academics
Last problem listed on the AFB website 2006
-New Guidelines for Programs Serving Students With Visual Impairments 2014 Revised Edition might help. Not law though.
-Hearing from TVIs and O&Ms that teachers cannot teach off campus; cannot take children in their cars (impacts O&M)

12. AVAILABLE ON FEDERAL QUOTA
-Designed for transition students with vision loss
-The Quick: Lessons take very little time (will vary with student)
-The Easy: Lessons take very little expertise; very little equipment
-Lessons are designed for use by students, families, and instructors (students first)
AVAILABLE ON FEDERAL QUOTA

13. How to use Quick and Easy Expanded Core curriculum
The lessons are in the form of “recipe cards”

14. Goals cross environments
sections
At School or Home Divided by Subject
In the Community Divided by Location
Goals cross environments
Showing the print version of the guide; it is available in an accessible format for braille readers
Yellow section describes the product
Then the Q&E checklists
At School or Home (blue)
In the Community (red) assumes the student is in the location, either on an O&M lesson or with family and there is a little extra time to work on a predetermined goal area.
Be sure to look at both sections

15. ASSESSMENT Hatlen Guide checklists as a starting point
Goals Based on COMMON gaps seen at The Hatlen Center
-Dedicate some time to determine which lessons to address throughout the year

16. ASSESSMENT Lesson 55 (at Home) answering the door;
-This lesson looks basic, it would be easy to assume that a student with good social skills would not need to address this goal.
-Almost none of the Hatlen Center students have this down
At the Hatlen Center we go to the student apartments for many reasons (lessons, check-up, visitors)
-First we teach students to ask who it is before answering the door; most get that quickly

17. -Next we work on body language. 20 years at Hatlen, a few common themes
-The 4 finger welcome
-The otherwise focused
-The body block. Initially ok, but continue to stand there and not move.
BODY LANGUAGE
Lesson 55

18. STUDENT LIASONS ASSESS DON’T ASSUME Lesson 55
Student Liaisons: students who volunteer to host visitors
-In getting the student liaisons ready, the first thing we do is teach them to answer the door in a welcoming manner. Model bad examples (explain), good examples (refer to picture). It is still hard for them.
Point: Assess, don’t assume. These are common gaps
Lesson 55

19. SELECT GOALS After Assessing: Select goals
-Student and rest of the IEP team should make selections for the year & determine who should implement
-Lessons A1 (at home/school) and A2 (In the Community)
Self-determination (The student needs buy in for this curriculum)
-These are the 2 most important goals in the Guide

20. QUICK AND EASY ECC MATRIX
In making selections, refer to the ECC matrix. The matrix comes with both a print & e-copy Matrix in a spreadsheet format.
Gives a quick overview of ECC areas covered in each lesson. Allows to choose broad range of ECC skills

21. KEEPING TRACK Two checklists (At School or Home; In the Community)
Make copies (print or e-copy from disk). You will need to use your Tools menu to unprotect the checklist and then “save as” for each student.
Complete information at the top
Five columns:
Page number
Target goal (insert date, person targeting goal, checkmark, other indicator)
Progress (OG is on-going)
Complete
Description of lesson

22. FORMATTING OF THE CARDS
HEADING COLOR BAR (Blue for At School or Home\Red for In the Community; Page number on left; ECC icon on the right)
Goals are in general format; may need to reword for IEP
Link it: Suggestion to make it meaningful to the student
Equipment in bold color; verbs in bold assume need materials to perform the action (buy=need money)
Follow up: Way for the instructor to extend the lesson
Try it: Suggestion for practice at home

23. Icons as a quick reference

24. SAMPLE LESSONS

25. At School or Home
Independent living, sensory efficiency
What do we need? Read the red sections (assumes we know we need something to place it on)

26. At School or Home
29-insert trash bag
Independent living, sensory efficiency
What do we need? Read red

27. At School or Home
43-layout of checks
Independent living, compensatory, sensory efficiency

28. 58-Practice conversation skills (across environments)
Social interaction

29. 74-Food Groupings
Independent living, compensatory, O&M, sensory efficiency
-O&Mers could have this list ready in their iPhone, which can be switched to accessible format.

30. 118-jobs in a drug store
Career education, assistive technology, compensatory, O&M, self-determination, sensory efficiency, social interaction

31. ECC RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY
-Q&E ECC is NOT comprehensive. It is a starting point
Summer camps (Bloomfield, Enchanted Hills); summer programs (STEP, STREET Week, CSB); Junior Blind weekend programs
Local agencies for the blind
Residential programs (include Hatlen Center, DPI, OCB, California School for the Blind);
California Department of Rehab

32. Our vision for changing times
Students, families and educators will acknowledge that vision loss creates unique learning needs regardless of intellect. Taking time to address the ECC is not taking time off.
Students will take the lead in advocating for assessment and training in ECC skills
Quick and Easy Expanded Core Curriculum: The Hatlen Center Guide will be a catalyst for more ideas
Great ideas for addressing ECC from audience

33. Quick & Easy Expanded Core curriculum
DRAWING
Quick & Easy Expanded Core curriculum

34. Remember that this is available on Federal Quota
Remember that this is available on Federal Quota. Brochures can be picked up at APH table in the exhibit hall. This PowerPoint and APH flyer are available on our website.

35. www.hcblind.org www.juniorblind.org FOR MORE INFORMATION