Visual Impairments

Anatomy of the eye

The eye has many different parts that come together to create vision. If a part of the eye doesnt work then it can cause visual impairments. To better understand a student with a visual impairment a teacher should know the parts of the eye and how each affect the vision. Below is a link that will allow you to explore the parts of the eye.
Visit: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/eye diagram/index.asp

Common Signs:
One eye drifts in a different direction than the other one Eyes that do not seem to focus Pupils that are uneven in size Excessive squinting or blinking Problems moving around, bumps into things frequently Turns or tilts head to see

How IDEA defines a Visual Impairment

Visual impairment including blindness... Means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a childs educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. [300.8(c)(13)]

Identification
1. Have medical report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist 2. A functional vision evaluation conducted by a certified teacher of students with visual impairments and/or a certified orientation and mobility specialist. 3. A learning media assessment that must be conducted by a teacher of students with visual impairments

Student should be within 3 to 5 feet of the board. Student shouldnt be singled out they should be within a group of students VERBALIZE when writing on the board If able, provide the student a copy of what you have written or plan to write on the board If student has a telescope that he or she uses allow them to be seated in the back to increase visual field. A clean board it easier to read

Classroom Environment
To ensure that the visually impaired student is being offered an appropriate education, the teacher should be aware of the accommodations that need to be used. Collaborate with the VI teacher for further accommodations and modifications Here is a link for a module that teachers can do to become aware of the different accommodations and modifications: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/mod ule/v01-clearview/#content

Strategies
EXPLCIT!! Audiovisual: Provide verbal explanations Allow students time to handle tactile materials Give spatial directions from the students perspective Be sure to seat the student in the front to be certain that they are able to hear all instruction. Allow extra time for assignments (When doing assignments in Braille it typically takes double the amount of time) Be sure to have the correct Braille material for the student Promote independence! Keep furniture consistent and if there are changes be sure to inform student When addressing students it is vital to use their names so that the visually impaired student can associate names with voices.

Websites
Local agency: http://www.tsbvi.edu/school National organizations: http://www.svcb.cc/career/blind_national/ http://www.cviga.org/ https://nfb.org/resources Apps:
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http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/apps--