Chapter 11 Learners with Blindness or Low Vision

Chapter 11: Learners with Blindness or Low Vision Megan Hahn, Nicole Thomas, Alison Warner, Debra Williams

Definition and Classification Legal Definition: • 20/200 or less with correction • Field of vision less than 90 degrees • Low vision: between 20/70 and 20/200 with correction Educational Definition: • Ability to function in the classroom • Blind • Low Vision

Prevalence • . 05 % of 6 -17 year olds • 10 times more prevalent in adults • One of the least prevalent disabilities in children

Anatomy & Physiology of the Eye • Visual image becomes electrical impulse through the optic nerve to visual center of the brain. • • • Cornea Aqueous humor Pupil Lens Viterous humor Retina

Measurement of Visual Ability • Snellen Chart: • Useful screening tool • Limitations: • Does not measure acuity for near objects • Visual acuity may not correspond to visual efficiency • Acuity may not correspond to use of vision in natural settings • Functional Vision Assessment

Causes • Refraction errors: • Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism • Disease or damage: • Glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, cortical visual impairment • Heredity: • Retinitis pigmentosa • Prematurity: • Retinopathy of prematurity • Improper muscle functioning: • Nystagmus, strabismus

Psychological and Behavioral Characteristics Language development • Lack of vision does not have a very significant effect on the ability to understand use language Intellectual ability • Performance on standardized intelligence tests • There is no reason to believe that blindness results in lower intelligence • Conceptual abilities • Infants and young children who are blind lag behind their peers usually because they rely more on touch • These delays do not last long

Orientation & Mobility • Orientation and mobility - refers to the ability to have a sense of where one is in relation to other people, objects, landmarks and to move through the environment • “Obstacle sense” • Ability to detect physical obstructions in the environment • While walking along the street, they are able to sense an object in their path

Sensory Acuteness The myth of sensory acuteness • People who are blind do not have lowered thresholds of sensation in touch or hearing

More Information… Academic achievement • Researchers believe when low achievement does occur, it is due not to the blindness but to such things as low expectations or lack of exposure to Braille Social adjustment • Personality problems are not an inherent condition of blindness Stereotypic behaviors • Body rocking, poking, rubbing the eyes, repetitive hand or finger movements and grimacing

Ben Underwood-Echolocation Extraordinary People – The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=G 1 Qa. Ceos. Umw

Educational Considerations • A student with little or no sight will possibly need special modifications in four major areas: • • Braille Use of remaining sight Listening skills Orientation and mobility training

Braille • Literary Braille: Braille symbols used for most writing situations. • Nemeth Code: Braille symbols used for mathematics and science. • Unified Braille Code: A combination of literary braille and braille codes for technical fields, such as the Nemeth Code, but this is not yet widely adopted.

Useof. Remaining. Sight • Teachers should encourage students to use what sight they do have, but not to the exclusion of braille for those who may also need it. • Consider including large print books in the classroom and magnifying devices for students to use.

Listening Skills • Do not assume that listening skills will develop automatically in children who are blind. • Teachers should provide a classroom environment as free from auditory distractions as possible. • Listening skills are becoming more important than ever because of the increasing accessibility of recorded material.

Orientation and Mobility Training • Long Cane • Guided Dogs • Tactile Maps – embossed representations of the environment. • Human Guides

Research Based Recommendations • Understand where and when incidental learning is NOT taking place and create supports to address students’ lack of access to visual cues. • Promote independent movement around the classroom and school. • Collaborate with the vision specialist to identify resources and design instructional and curricular adaptations. • Provide tactile support for learning whenever possible.

Research Based Recommendations • Check for comprehension of auditory information. • Make use of any vision capacity. • Teach social skills such as shaking hands, conversational skills, and using hand movements in conversation.

Technological Aids • Infusion of technology has occurred in two general areas • Communication and Information Access • • • Computers Screen Readers Braille Notebooks Newsline Descriptive Video Service • Orientation and Mobility • Laser cane • Miniguide • Cautions About Technology

Early Intervention • Research suggests immediately after birth intensive visual impairment intervention should begin to help infants explore their new surroundings • Infants lag behind their peers in motor development, therefore the faster the intervention, the quicker the progress towards their non-visually impaired peers • Preschool children with visual impairments should be educated in inclusive settings with sighted students & teachers need to facilitate interactions • Teachers must provide instruction in appropriate interactions, using active engagement and repeated opportunities for engagement

Early Intervention Continued • Parental involvement is critical in early visual impairment intervention • Parents can help their visually impaired children at home with mobility, feeding, and being responsive to their infants vocalizations • It should be noted too, parents may need support when coping with their child having a visual impairment

Transition to Adulthood • Independent Living • With early intervention starting no later than middle school, most people who are blind can lead very independent lives • However, some people do not live independent lives because of the way society treats people without sight • Do not treat someone without sight as if they are helpless • Each minority has something to add to society

Transition to Adulthood Cont. • Employment • Many working-age adults with visual impairment are unemployed, and those who do work are often overqualified for their jobs they hold • Adults who are blind are employed at about half the rate of those who are sighted • Proper transitioning programs are required to help those individuals excel and find proper jobs • These programs should be intensive and extensive as well • Minor adjustments at the work place go a long way • Car pools, better lighting, hallways free of obstacles and fire drills

Meeting the Needs of Students with Blindness or Low Vision • Research • Children with blindness or low vision learn best with active engagement in their environment • Tactile interactions • Recommendations Based on Research • To promote cognitive skills, children with visual impairment require direct instruction, repeated interactions with objects, people, and situations to better understand cause and effect • Interaction with real items is best • Children with visual impairment will need many opportunities to manipulate objects to reinforce spatial concepts such as “in front of” or “behind you” • Direct instruction of language is essential (Pronouns: I, you, me) • Hand-over-hand modeling, social modeling, participation modeling

How to Teach Students With Visual Impairments • First, work collaboratively with special education teachers • Collaboration works best when there is a match of: personalities, energy, enthusiasm for teaching, and professionalism • Research suggests daily interaction among special education teachers and general education teachers • Collaboration can help both teachers create: • • Multisensory learning environment Promote self-advocacy and independence (critical) How to interact socially with peers How to properly implement appropriate instructional goals

Famous Adults with Visual Impairments Andrea Bocelli (Italian Tenor) Claude Monet (French Impressionist Painter) Stevie Wonder (Motown Musician) Galileo (Astronomer) Franklin Roosevelt (FDR- 32 nd President of the United States) Ray Charles (Rhythm and Blues Musician) Homer (Greek epic poet – The Iliad & The Odyssey) Helen Keller (First deaf & blind person to graduate from college) • Louis Braille (Invented Braille writing) • •

Myth or Fact? • Blindness is primarily an adult disability

FACT • Fact: Blindness is primarily an adult disability • Fewer than 0. 05 percent of students from ages 6 -17 are identified as visually impaired

Myth or Fact? • Motor delays in infancy are common among infants with visual impairments

FACT • Motor delays in infancy are common, however with early intervention and adult encouragement they can bridge the delay gap

Myth or Fact? • Learning Braille is not an important skill those with a visual impairment need to learn

MYTH • Learning Braille is a fundamental skill and will help bridge the academic gap between those who have a visual impairment and those that do not

Myth or Fact? • Some people with visual impairment have the obstacle sense, the ability to detect objects by noting subtle changes in high frequency echoes (the Doppler effect)

FACT • This is rare but this does exist, however blind people do not have an extra sense and cannot automatically develop better acuity in their other senses • Example: Ben Underwood

The End • Thank You! • Megan Hahn, Nicole Thomas, Alison Warner, Debra Williams