Los Angeles Unified School District

Division of Special Education

Schools for All Children

VISUALLY IMPAIRED PROGRAM

Donnalyn Jaque-Antón

Associate Superintendent

Visual Impairments

Contents Eligibility Types of Visual Impairments Unique Educational Needs of Visually

Impaired Students Orientation and Mobility

VISUALLY IMPAIRED PROGRAM

Shirley Kirk , Coordinator

Los Angeles Unified School District

Visually Impaired Program

323-464-5052

skirk@lausd.k12.ca.us

Eligibility for Special Education

The Visually Impaired Program serves students who have a visual impairment which, even with correction, adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

Visual ImpairmentDetermined from a current report from ophthalmologist or optometrist indicating:

Eye medical diagnosis which includes: Limited visual acuity after correction Visual field loss Total blindness

Partially Sighted The acuity, AFTER

THE BEST POSSIBLE CORRECTION is

20/70 to 20/200

Legally Blind The acuity, AFTER

THE BEST POSSIBLE CORRECTION is 20/200 or worse.

Visual Field Loss A visual field of 20

degrees or smaller is also considered to be legal blindness

Visual Impairment or Visual Processing

A visual impairment does not include visual perceptual or visual motor dysfunction resulting solely from a learning disability

These students do not meet eligibility as visually impaired or low incidence disability

A vision loss can occur at anytime in a student’s life

Congenital visual impairments occur at birth from causes such as: Premature birth – Retinopathy of

Prematurity Infections such as rubella, and

toxoplasmosis – Cataracts, Myopia Genetic/Hereditary – Retinal Blastoma,

Optic Albinism, Aniridia Unknown causes – Optic nerve hypoplasia

Adventitious visual impairments occur after birth from causes such as Accidents such as gunshot wounds, auto

accidents, head injury – total blindness, specific damage to occipital lobe

Tumors/cancers – total blindness to fluctuating visual impairment due to removal of parts of occipital lobe

Illness/ allergic reactions to medications – total blindness due to extreme light sensitivity, glaucoma, cataracts

Common visual impairmentsCataracts Opacity of the

lens resulting in decreased acuity, blurred vision, photophobia, squint, nystagmus. The world looks like this:

Detached Retina Parts of the retina pull away from the ocular structure resulting in blind spots, field loss, central loss, blurred vision. The world can look like this:

Retinitis Pigmentosa Hereditary disorder causes degeneration of light sensitive cells in the retina resulting in night blindness, tunnel vision, total blindness. The world can look like this:

Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetes can cause changes in blood vessels of retina resulting in double vision, fluctuating acuity, detached retina. The world can look like this:

Ocular Albinism: Lack of pigment causes abnormal optic nerve development resulting in decreased acuity, photophobia, nystagmus. The world can look like this:

I am only one; but still I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still I

can do something;

I will not refuse to do

something I can do.

Students with visual impairments have unique

educational needs.

The Expanded Core Curriculum for Visually Impaired Students Concept Development and Academic

Needs Communication Social/Emotional Sensory/Motor Orientation and Mobility Career/Vocational Needs

Concept Development Understanding concepts such as laterality,

time, position in space, size, shapes, sequence, quantity, actions, emotions, classification of object

Sense of their own body image

Specialized Academic Needs

Developing listening skills – auditory reception, comprehension, analysis

Knowing how to use specialized reference materials in primary reading medium

Interpretation of maps, graphs, charts, etc. Develop note taking skills Ability to select and use a reader

effectively

Specialized Communication Skills Mastery of specialized reading

modes Mastery of specialized writing

modes Able to write own signature

legibly Operate basic communication

equipment Proficiency in using specialized

devices for reading and writing Proficiency in using specialized

devices for mathematics

Unique Social/Emotional Needs Ability to discriminate

between behaviors that are socially unacceptable in public, yet acceptable in private.

Displaying acceptable social behavior in variety of group situations.

Ability to control body posture, movement and physical mannerisms in acceptable manner.

Awareness of appropriate social distance for various communication situations.

Ability to recognize teasing and develop appropriate ways to handle it

Awareness of peer pressure and appropriate degree of conformity

Ability to identify and share feelings about own visual impairment in relation to being accepted by peers

Understanding of long range results of too much dependence on others

Being comfortable asking for help when appropriate

Sensory/Motor Needs Learn to identify, discriminate and use various

textures and objects tactually and underfoot. Learn to identify, discriminate, track and use

continuous and intermittent auditory sources and indoors and outdoors.

Learn to identify, discriminate and use various kinesthetic and proprioceptive sources indoors and outdoors such as changes in temperature, movement of air currents or height and depth changes

Daily Living Skills Perform basic personal

hygiene tasks Perform dressing skills Prepare foods Choose and care for own

clothing Acceptable and competent

eating skills Manages money Skills in using

telecommunications Understanding time and

schedules

Career/Vocational Needs Knowing and using personal information skills

including legal signature Knowing how to make contact with the

Department of Rehabilitation Ability to train and use readers Knowledge of sources for transcription of

materials, and for access equipment Ability to serve as own advocate in obtaining

services needed for job success

Orientation and Mobility

Orientation:Knowing where you are,

what is around you, where you want to go, and what steps you must take to reach your destination.

Mobility:Purposeful, independent

movement that

gets you where you want to go safely

and efficiently

Orientation and Mobility Needs Include:

Developing a conceptual understanding of: Body image Concrete environment Spatial concepts Compass directions and map reading Traffic and traffic patterns

Learning to become oriented and travel

independently at home and at various school

settings

Learning to use appropriate sighted guide skills Learning protective, trailing and long cane skills Learning to use remaining vision, and

distance low vision aids Learning to use public transportation

The best and most

beautiful things

In the world

Cannot be seen

Or even touched.

They must be felt in the heart.

Helen Keller

ResourcesBraille Institutewww.brailleinstitute.org California Optometric Association http://coavision.orgCalifornia Transcribers and Educators of theVisually Handicappedwww.ctevh.orgAmerican Foundation for the Blindwww.afb.org

List serve for questions and information:

braille-n-teach@mlist.cde.ca.gov

Los Angeles Unified School District

Division of Special Education website:

http://dse-web.lausd.k12.ca.us