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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
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:
Los Angeles Unified School District
Division of Special Education website:
http://dse-web.lausd.k12.ca.us