Week #8 - VI Assessments

     Admittance into the Program for the Visually Impaired requires specific assessments to be completed in order to determine if a student qualifies for the program. Once the student is in the program, these evaluations must be updated at least every three years. In the following post, I will list individually each necessary assessment that is used to guide professionals in VI in establishing evidence for those decisions.

1.) The Medical Eye Exam: Must be completed by an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist. A formal, medical account of what the student's diagnosis is and what treatment,(i.e. surgery, or medications) course has been taken ; acuity with best correction; field of vision (central or peripheral loss); and whether or not the condition is going to result in a progressive loss of vision.

2.) Functional Vision Assessment, (FVA): Completed by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), sometimes with assistance from O&M specialist and vision rehabilitation specialists. This assessment is done via observation, interviews, and individual testing. It helps to determine how the student utilizes his/her residual vision to perform tasks required for him/her to function in the classroom environment and in his/her daily living environment as well as in other real-life situations. A great deal of data is collected over time for this assessment. Observations require the student to be in both indoor and outdoor settings; various types of lighting; various times of the day on different days, and the data must be collected over time to get an accurate idea of how the student responds.

3.) Learning Media Assessment (LMA):  Completed by a TVI. Assesses what media the student requires to function in the classroom involving reading and writing skills. Some examples are Braille, large print, and audio books as well as high and low tech assistive devices. This also involves anything needed for writing skills such as note-taking and handwritten classroom assignment needs.  Media needs may change for the student depending upon the task, his/her eye condition, skill needs, and stamina to process the stimuli. Data taken in this assessment also must be done in a variety of settings and over time.

4.) Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC): Completed by a TVI. Assessment that collects data on what level of functioning the student has in nine components that make up the ECC. The domains are: compensatory access ( including communication skills), sensory efficiency ( how student utilizes all of his senses to compensate for lack of visual stimuli), assistive technology ( either high or low tech), orientation and mobility ( O&M specialist completes this part), independent living skills, social interaction skills, recreation and leisure; career education, and self- determination.

5.) Orientation and Mobility Screening: Completed by an Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O&M). Screening determines if the vision student requires instruction for orientation and mobility. The assessment covers skills that a student must have to navigate safely and efficiently through his/her environment.

6.) Orientation and Mobility Evaluation: Completed by an O&M specialist. This assessment determines what skills the student needs to acquire to safely navigate and orient him/herself to his surroundings. This evaluation looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the student's ability in order to establish goals for O&M on the IEP.

7.) Clinical Low Vision Screening: Completed by an Optometrist with additional training as a Low Vision Specialist. This assessment is a combination of both medical and functional vision diagnostics. Patient history, visual acuity testing, visual field testing, prescription of optical or electronic devices, and training in how to use devices are part of this assessment. This is done when all medical and functional vision bases have been covered, but the patient continues to have trouble performing tasks visually.

8.) Vision Screening: Usually completed by an eye care professional or a general medical practitioner such as a pediatrician. This is an initial assessment done to discover if an individual has a need for more intensive visual assessment. It notes the appearance of eyes, pupillary response, general fix and follow skills, near and distance visual acuity with an eye chart, ocular muscle balance, color vision depth perception, and compensatory behaviors.

9.) Assistive Technology Assessment: Completed by specialty members of the IEP team.  This assessment takes into account all of the data collected by previous assessments of the student to determine what assistive technology should be utilized. This also takes into account the training needed to help the student maintain the device, as well as utilize it.