- Using the resource, Classroom Adaptations for Students with Low Vision, review content under the header “Strategies and recommendations for addressing low vision” beginning at the bottom of page 5 through page 8.
- Application to Student Support:
After reviewing the strategies for addressing lighting, contrast, and print access, describe one specific student on your current or past caseload who could benefit from one of these approaches. What adjustments to their learning environment or materials would you make, and how would you measure whether it improved access?
I had a student with CVI enter a classroom where he was the only student with CVI. It helped him to have task lighting to illuminate visual targets that were placed onto his slant board. I provided him with a booklight. The other students in the classroom became fascinated with his booklight and so the classroom teacher provided the other students with small standing lamps that we affectionately called candles to be used per their discretion during reading activities. This made my student with CVI feel very special because his peers wanted to reap the benefits of task lighting!
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I had a student in a special education preschool classroom with CVI due to TBI. The vision specialist provided a specialized vision book with black backing and high contrast words and pictures for the child to access in OT sessions. We set the room up with black trifold boards and used spot lighting for the child to better access the book. The student was highly motivated by this task and data was collected twice a month on her availability to engage by turning pages, and reaching and pulling off the velcro pieces in the book while using her vision to locate these interactive pieces. The data we collected helped us determine what adaptations were helpful and if changes needed to be made for the student to further engage in the book.
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Supporting Successful Outcomes for Students with Low Vision Follow-up Activity
Question 1:
Discussion Board: Application to Student Support
After reviewing the strategies for addressing lighting, contrast, and print access, describe one specific student on your current or past caseload who could benefit from one of these approaches. What adjustments to their learning environment or materials would you make, and how would you measure whether it improved access?
First of all, I am a COMS. I go into a school setting very rarely, if at all. I mainly work with adults. On that note, I go into people’s homes. For my low vision clients, I make recommendations for their safety in their environment, such as high-contrast marking of stairs and even doorways or edges/corners of walls. Even painting their walls to a different color that 1) may contrast better with their indoor environment of their home, and 2) the paint may have a reduced glare function should their vision have high-sensitivity to light. Always recommended is to keep the area well-organized and clear of clutter. In addition, recommendations of a variety of sunglass colors and/or darkness may benefit the client for glare depending on the wavelength of light. We also assess, recommend, and issue a variety of handheld monoculars with commensurate training.
I have an unusual amount of students right now with extreme light sensitivity. Success for these students includes half lighting or no lighting (just filtered window light) in classrooms, seating away from windows, options for separate darkened rooms when possible, allowance for sunglasses/hats, reduced back lighting on electronics. It is not uncommon for me to teach pull out lessons in near darkness, where I am the person who struggles to see. Of course, that’s what cell phone lights are for, Right? 
Assessment generally occurs quickly as it is obvious through fatigue, shielding away from light source or even eye pain if when there is too much light.
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I work with a student in a preschool special education classroom with CMV as well as brain damage to the right side of the brain and the basal ganglia. There is no confirmed visual diagnosis however in working with the student I have noticed some functional vision deficits that appear to be a peripheral visual field loss. Strategies that have been implemented by the team include spotlighting to more easily access items, high contrast items, and presenting items at a slant. The current goal that we are working on is to place items in bins for more controlled grasp/release pattern. It was recommended by the vision specialist to place a light in the bin/container. This is a new strategy in place and to track progress to see if it has improved access I will compare accuracies in data gathered 2x/month.