Being Blind in Inclusive Schools
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Transcript of Being Blind in Inclusive Schools
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Being Blind in Inclusive Schools
The Effects of Blindness
How important is vision to learning?How many areas of ones life does lack of
vision affect?What must educators do to ensure the
student is ready to face the world when they leave their classroom?
Vision Loss
The term vision loss refers to individuals who reported that they have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, as well as to individuals who reported that they are blind or unable to see at all. This estimate pertains to a nationally representative sample of the non-institutionalized civilian population 25 years of age and over.
Legally Blind
In North America and Most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 ft (6.1 m) from an object to see it- with vision correction- with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 ft (61 m)
Visually impaired facts
Visual impairment refers to partial or total vision loss 35,000 citizens of MA are legally blind 10 million people in US are blind Legal blindness compares someone that has lost enough
vision so that the farthest away that they can see an object is from 20 ft away compared to a person with perfect vision that can see the same object from 200 ft away
visual impairments during youth usually come from accidents (getting hit in the eye, or in the head with a baseball, or from a car accident)
Congenital Blindness occurs at birth and can be caused by- Inherited traits Infection (ie german measles)
1 in 4 people with vision loss!!!
Approximately 5.7 million people with vision loss in the U.S. have a family income of less than $20,000. There are approximately 14.6 million people with vision loss in the U.S. that have a family income of $20,000 or more
Sensory Impairment- two types
Vision - The capacity to see, after correction, is limited, impaired, or absent and results in one or more of the following: reduced performance in visual acuity tasks; difficulty with written communication; and/or difficulty with understanding information presented visually in the education environment. The term includes students who are blind and students with limited vision.
Deaf-Blind - Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs
Types of visual impairment conditions
Amblyopia- reduced vision in an eye by lack of use (related to cross eye)
Cataracts- cloudy lenses. Congenital cataracts found in babies
Diabetic retinopathy- blood vessels in eyes are damaged due to diabetes. Occurs quickly
Glaucoma- increased internal pressure of the eye, damages optic nerve. Occurs in babies, children, and teens
Macular degeneration- gradual and progressive deterioration of the macula. generally age related but young people may also develop this condition
Types of visual tests
Visual acuity test- reading an eye chart at various distances
Visual field test- tests field of visionTonometry test- determines fluid pressure in
ones eye for glaucoma
If my child were blind what would her/his options for education be?
Perkins School Oldest school for blind and visually impaired in
country Kindergarten to age 22 Watertown MA 200 student 1:2 staff to pupil ratio (many staff are themselves
blind or visually impaired)
Variety of opportunities
Physical and language therapyPrevocational trainingIndependent living skillsAcademic work ranges from ungraded classes
to a fully accredited, traditional high school program
Early Curriculum
sensory skills (vision, touch, hearing)communication and early literacy skillssocial skillsthe use of assistive/adaptive technologyorientation and mobilityself care skillsplay skills
Secondary Curriculum
English (Grades 9-12)English as a Second
LanguageBraille LiteracyCreative WritingTheater ArtsMathematicsAlgebra I and IIGeometry ScienceGovernmentFrenchSpanish
Earth ScienceBiologyChemistryPhysicsTechnology and
EngineeringSocial StudiesGeographyWorld HistoryUnited States HistoryEconomicComputer Use
Independent Living, Social and Recreational Studies
Teaching Children who are Deaf-blind
Etiology
Characteristics
Communication Techniques
Teaching strategies
Etiology of Deaf-blindness
RubellaUsher Syndrome I & II
Congenital deafness & RP (I) Uses sign
Late onset deafness & RP (II) Mostly uses speech
MeningitisCHARGE Syndrome
Etiology of Deaf-blindness Cont.
PrematurityParental use of drugsSTD’sOther
Characteristics of Children with Deaf-blindness
Heterogeneous groupMultiplicative of deafness or blindnessMethodicalNeed for samenessMay become frustratedDesire for communicationEnjoy movement
Slides, climbing, swings Swimming, dancing Scooters, jumping on trampoline
Characteristics continued
Need for multiple choicesNeed for Ecological Task AnalysisNeed for instruction to be flexibleNeed for all incidental information to be
given to themShare knowledge of progress on rubric or
checklist
Communication
Sign language Tactile In small space Far away
Voice and sign Todoma possible
Voice only May use microphone
May use gestures
Teaching Techniques
Use multiple teaching modesUse the techniques of
Coactive movement Physical guidance Brailling** Document all teaching techniques used
Decrease physical cues to natural cuesLink movement to language and explain
the how, why and what of all activitiesOne person teaches at a time-more than
one touch is confusing
Teaching Techniques
Task analyzeBe creativeBe patient-repeat skills until student
understandsBe flexibleObserve movement and modify as necessaryThere is more than one way to do many
activities
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