The Week 5 material regarding the role of the teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) and the introduction to the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) has been packed with information. In comparison to the first time I experienced this material, back in the late 80's early 90's, where there wasn't really a formal name for the skills we were presenting, it's refreshing to have a clear way to describe what we do when we are working with the visually impaired and blind. Being a TVI is so much more than just adapting materials and teaching Braille. The Expanded Core Curriculum provides an excellent way to describe the skills our area of expertise encompasses. I truly appreciate that change as a better way to articulate my role as a professional.
I found it awkward to explain my role as a TVI in a video to an imaginary administrator. The reason being, I really don't enjoy watching myself or listening to my own voice. I might have done 10 takes just because of an unexpected background sound, (such as a dog barking, or plane flying overhead), or just thinking I didn't sound conversational enough. My worst take was trying to spit out all 9 areas of the ECC in two minutes. I'm positive I would have left an administrator confused had I gone that route. On the other hand, I truly appreciated how easy it was to do! If only all technology could work that simply. Hopefully, I will gain more comfort as I get more experience with this medium.
I was finally able to speak with my mentor, Marielhi this week! She currently works in the elementary school where I was one of the original TVI's working in the pre-k/ Kindergarten vision resource room. Flash forward 23 years and the program has expanded to three vision resource rooms with three TVIs that serve students with visual impairments from pre-k to fifth grade. I found it exciting to hear about how students with VI / blindness are being served through these resource rooms. Marielhi also works part-time at Central Florida Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired with adults in transition. I'm looking forward to hearing more about that program! I know that Marielhi is going to be a fantastic resource for understanding how this field has grown and developed.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Week #4: Top Ten List for TVI
10.) Consider the parents the experts on their child with VI. Listen to what they are experiencing with the daily living experiences and THEN give instruction or guidance. If you go in like the new sheriff in town, it builds walls instead of a productive, positive relationship.
9.) Don't wait for the child! Start early exposing them to real-world experiences in their community. If the parents need guidance in this area, give reasonable suggestions on how to help them encourage interactions in stores, place of worship, doctor visits, or anywhere they regularly go. As a teacher, you could set up a field trip ( perhaps even a scavenger hunt for sounds, smells, or textures) and encourage parents' involvement.
8.) Consider cultural influence on how the family treats their child with VI. Some families have traditions that dictate how they treat their children regardless of whether the child had an impairment or not. Be sensitive and willing to understand where they are coming from.
7.) Allow the student to get dirty, explore, and make a mess. That is part of the real-world experience of childhood for any child, but it's even more essential to the child with VI. Let them smear shaving cream, play with a sand and water table, do cooking projects that allow them to feel, smell, and taste what the ingredients are. Take them out on the playground and help them learn to explore it. Encourage parents to do this at home as well.
6.) Be genuine with your student with VI. Yes, maintain that professional decorum ( never lose that), but if the child doesn't believe you care about him/her, you will never get them to trust you to guide them through their environment. Make sure you aren't another person treating that child like he/she should be wrapped in bubble wrap. Treat them with the respect and warmth you wish to be treated with because that's basic humanity that everyone needs.
5.) Build relationships with the students family. Like I said in #6, if they don't believe you truly care about the outcome for their child and build rapport, they won't help the student carry over what you are teaching and the whole thing becomes pointless. Make a concerted effort to relay a positive accomplishment their child makes frequently. Encourage them to come to you with any concerns or questions and validate them, don't dismiss them.
4.)Encourage student with VI to do their daily living skills and make sure the family helps carry over those skill to the home. If they are physically coordinated enough to do basic skills, they need to do them to develop a sense of empowerment over their lives. Even if the skill has to be paired down to adapt to other physical challenges, encourage simple steps in the classroom towards independence. Examples would be finding a cubby, or setting a place for lunch.
3.) Remind parents that how their child with VI reacts to new experiences is greatly in their control. If you go in with your own fears, the child absorbs that negativity. Be descriptive in relaying what to expect. Point out the sounds, smells, and textures they can identify. Your energy has a huge effect on how the child will respond.
2.) Make time to allow the child with VI to explore and experiment in his/ her environment. We live in a hyper-busy world, but if the child is rushed, he/she will never develop the skills they need to function. That may mean starting earlier to go somewhere, so a child can help get ready without being rushed. It might mean clearing something off of the schedule to give the child time to practice a needed skill or go on a trip to enjoy a new experience.
1.) Be positive! By the time the student with VI and his/her family reaches you for services, they have been through the wringer. They have heard about their child's dire diagnosis and the worse yet, the child has heard it too. Your job is to empower them with what they can do and better yet, how the child can adapt and learn to navigate in spite of the dire diagnosis. Make thinking outside of the box an adventure that they want to join you on. Give suggestions for fun activities the family can participate in with their child. Communicate often and with enthusiasm, (relaying an activity their child enjoyed participating in is encouraging and builds hope).
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Weekly Blog #3
When a student experiences his/her age of onset of visual impairment has a huge impact on life experiences. A congenital visual impairment does not allow for visual memory to play a part in development and thus can cause the student to be reluctant to explore his/her environment. However, an adventitious visual impairment, while allowing for the experience of vision can also carry other negative psychological effects that impact how the student engages in his or her environment.
The student that loses his/her vision while in elementary school is going to have a different perspective than a student with congenital vision loss. The former would have had at least 5 years of visual memory and experiences to draw from while adapting. That would not be the case for a child with congenital loss and little to no visual memory to gain incidental learning experiences from. Much of early childhood learning is done through observation that leads to exploration. If that child hasn't had the ability to observe due to low vision or blindness from birth, the gaps of understanding the world around him/her are extensive. Learning would be part to whole concepts which wouldn't entirely lend itself to an accurate understanding of complex concepts until the child develops the ability to make higher-order connections.
Middle school is a time of both dramatic physical changes, while also requiring students to keep up with greater educational demands. For the student with visual impairment, depending upon the age of onset of his/her impairment, adapting to the common demands of this age while also gaining proficiency in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is essential. A student that has no visual memory to draw from is going to need guidance in understanding the social complexities of puberty. He/she will require meaningful instruction that further helps fill in the conceptual gaps that have been caused by not having experienced vision The student that has visual impairment through an adventitious loss will need support not only educationally, but emotionally in order to help them feel comfortable in utilizing ECC skills that he/she may feel reluctant to use.
During the high school years, the focus for students with visual impairment/ blindness should be to gain a greater ability to operate with independence. At this point, the student would have been receiving instruction in the ECC for several years and hopefully, have a greater proficiency in utilizing those skills. Brain development that has occurred by this age should aid both the student with congenital visual impairment and adventitious visual impairment in making those higher-order connections that were difficult prior. Meaningful instruction combined with consistent practice of ECC skills should further close the conceptual gaps that often confuse younger students.
When a student experiences his/her age of onset of visual impairment has a huge impact on life experiences. A congenital visual impairment does not allow for visual memory to play a part in development and thus can cause the student to be reluctant to explore his/her environment. However, an adventitious visual impairment, while allowing for the experience of vision can also carry other negative psychological effects that impact how the student engages in his or her environment.
The student that loses his/her vision while in elementary school is going to have a different perspective than a student with congenital vision loss. The former would have had at least 5 years of visual memory and experiences to draw from while adapting. That would not be the case for a child with congenital loss and little to no visual memory to gain incidental learning experiences from. Much of early childhood learning is done through observation that leads to exploration. If that child hasn't had the ability to observe due to low vision or blindness from birth, the gaps of understanding the world around him/her are extensive. Learning would be part to whole concepts which wouldn't entirely lend itself to an accurate understanding of complex concepts until the child develops the ability to make higher-order connections.
Middle school is a time of both dramatic physical changes, while also requiring students to keep up with greater educational demands. For the student with visual impairment, depending upon the age of onset of his/her impairment, adapting to the common demands of this age while also gaining proficiency in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is essential. A student that has no visual memory to draw from is going to need guidance in understanding the social complexities of puberty. He/she will require meaningful instruction that further helps fill in the conceptual gaps that have been caused by not having experienced vision The student that has visual impairment through an adventitious loss will need support not only educationally, but emotionally in order to help them feel comfortable in utilizing ECC skills that he/she may feel reluctant to use.
During the high school years, the focus for students with visual impairment/ blindness should be to gain a greater ability to operate with independence. At this point, the student would have been receiving instruction in the ECC for several years and hopefully, have a greater proficiency in utilizing those skills. Brain development that has occurred by this age should aid both the student with congenital visual impairment and adventitious visual impairment in making those higher-order connections that were difficult prior. Meaningful instruction combined with consistent practice of ECC skills should further close the conceptual gaps that often confuse younger students.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Weekly Blog - Week #2
Visual Impairment professionals work with families and school staff to ensure high expectations and decrease learned helplessness for students with visual impairments. Of all the many responsibilities of a TVI, this is the most vital. The success of our students depends on our ability to clarify expectations of everyone working with the student with visual impairments, as well as creating a cohesive team of support for both the student and his/her family. It is a team effort and it is important that all members of that team understand that each member has a role in the success of the student. Building a relationship with each member of the team, creating clear lines of communication throughout the team, and engaging each member of the team in understanding the role he/she plays in encouraging the student are three ways to ensure the success of the student and reduce the chance of learned helplessness.
Building relationships between the professionals and the family of the student is the first step to creating an enriching learning environment for the student both at home and at school. If we are to reduce the chance of learned helplessness, professionals must engage the family in encouraging the student to carry over skills from school to his/her home. The family must be a part of creating goals for the student with visual impairment in order to support the student in obtaining skills that not only empower the student at school but also at home. Encouraging parents to share what they are experiencing with their student in terms of how the student approaches new experiences, how the family allows for the student to attempt to engage in his/her environment, and both the student's and family's response to learning experiences at home is important to consider when creating goals for the student. If the family is reluctant in allowing for learning experiences, it is important for professionals to build a relationship of support and trust with the family where they can feel comfortable in encouraging the student at home. Home visits, emails, and communication folders passed between family and the professionals regarding student progress go a long way in building rapport and a feeling of comfort that everyone is part of the journey. Building relationships between the TVI, the classroom teacher, and any other therapists, (orientation and mobility specialist, speech, occupational, and physical) is also essential in encouraging families. If the family sees a cohesive unit of professionals working to help their student, it brings another level of comfort and validation.
Creating clear lines of communication throughout the team becomes easier once relationship building has begun. It is important for each member of the team to communicate expectations, experiences, and encouragement regarding the student's goals and his/her progress. Professionals need to communicate clearly how the family can encourage the student in the home. Every member of the team needs to be clear in understanding the skill the student needs to accomplish in order to avoid creating a learned helplessness situation. When a student puts forth a half-hearted effort, he/she shouldn't be overly praised. Encouragement is not praising and knowing the difference is essential in helping the student to gain more independence. Well-meaning individuals can fall into that habit without realizing it. TVI's can encourage other therapists such as occupational, speech, and physical therapy by setting up sessions where they work together with the student. It allows for the professionals, including the TVI, to get fresh perspective and approaches in working towards goals with the student.
Accordingly, when professionals work together with the family throughout this process of building relationships and communication, it clarifies how important each member of that team is to the success of the student with visual impairment. Understanding how each member of the team, especially family members, engage with the student towards obtaining skills will also make writing future goals an easier and more relevant task. The student will also develop more confidence to enter into new experiences when he/she knows that everyone is part of creating goals to enrich his/her environment and allow for more personal empowerment. No one individual is more important on a team. It must work together as a cohesive unit in order to achieve in empowering the student with goals that enrich his/her life experience.
Visual Impairment professionals work with families and school staff to ensure high expectations and decrease learned helplessness for students with visual impairments. Of all the many responsibilities of a TVI, this is the most vital. The success of our students depends on our ability to clarify expectations of everyone working with the student with visual impairments, as well as creating a cohesive team of support for both the student and his/her family. It is a team effort and it is important that all members of that team understand that each member has a role in the success of the student. Building a relationship with each member of the team, creating clear lines of communication throughout the team, and engaging each member of the team in understanding the role he/she plays in encouraging the student are three ways to ensure the success of the student and reduce the chance of learned helplessness.
Building relationships between the professionals and the family of the student is the first step to creating an enriching learning environment for the student both at home and at school. If we are to reduce the chance of learned helplessness, professionals must engage the family in encouraging the student to carry over skills from school to his/her home. The family must be a part of creating goals for the student with visual impairment in order to support the student in obtaining skills that not only empower the student at school but also at home. Encouraging parents to share what they are experiencing with their student in terms of how the student approaches new experiences, how the family allows for the student to attempt to engage in his/her environment, and both the student's and family's response to learning experiences at home is important to consider when creating goals for the student. If the family is reluctant in allowing for learning experiences, it is important for professionals to build a relationship of support and trust with the family where they can feel comfortable in encouraging the student at home. Home visits, emails, and communication folders passed between family and the professionals regarding student progress go a long way in building rapport and a feeling of comfort that everyone is part of the journey. Building relationships between the TVI, the classroom teacher, and any other therapists, (orientation and mobility specialist, speech, occupational, and physical) is also essential in encouraging families. If the family sees a cohesive unit of professionals working to help their student, it brings another level of comfort and validation.
Creating clear lines of communication throughout the team becomes easier once relationship building has begun. It is important for each member of the team to communicate expectations, experiences, and encouragement regarding the student's goals and his/her progress. Professionals need to communicate clearly how the family can encourage the student in the home. Every member of the team needs to be clear in understanding the skill the student needs to accomplish in order to avoid creating a learned helplessness situation. When a student puts forth a half-hearted effort, he/she shouldn't be overly praised. Encouragement is not praising and knowing the difference is essential in helping the student to gain more independence. Well-meaning individuals can fall into that habit without realizing it. TVI's can encourage other therapists such as occupational, speech, and physical therapy by setting up sessions where they work together with the student. It allows for the professionals, including the TVI, to get fresh perspective and approaches in working towards goals with the student.
Accordingly, when professionals work together with the family throughout this process of building relationships and communication, it clarifies how important each member of that team is to the success of the student with visual impairment. Understanding how each member of the team, especially family members, engage with the student towards obtaining skills will also make writing future goals an easier and more relevant task. The student will also develop more confidence to enter into new experiences when he/she knows that everyone is part of creating goals to enrich his/her environment and allow for more personal empowerment. No one individual is more important on a team. It must work together as a cohesive unit in order to achieve in empowering the student with goals that enrich his/her life experience.
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