- 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.
- Collaboration and Carryover:
The reading highlights the importance of consistency across home and school environments. Choose one recommendation from the section and discuss how you could engage family members or classroom staff to reinforce that strategy beyond direct TVI sessions. What communication or training method would make that collaboration successful?
The recommendation I chose from the article was from Topic 2: Specific recommendations for students with central field loss. Specifically, how to ensure the student is maintaining eye contact when interacting with another individual. I feel this adjustment is easy to keep consistency across the board with the general classroom and at home. Maintaining eye contact when discussing with another person is something that can be addressed by a little bit of feedback in the moment and the behavior becomes more consistent as it is reinforced repeatedly.
To communicate this I would send an initial communication out via email to the classroom teachers as well as the students parents. Within that email would be the student expectation that we are working on, why we are working on this, and some tips and tricks for providing appropriate and consistent feedback to the student if it is noted they aren’t making eye contact. I would explain some of the activities we have been working on and possible cues that are being implemented to help teach the student. Keeping things uniform is very helpful with a student that has low vision as it won’t confuse them about the expectations of the task/behavior. To conclude the email, I would express that there is an open line of communication if they were to have any questions, need any assistance, or had progress to share regarding the student. If either area were to find themselves having trouble with this, we could schedule a meeting to go over it all in person as this tends to help people more than reading an explanation in an email.
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Encouraging use in real world and having family encourage the use of the monocular at a store (Target or Wal-Mart).
Before entering the toy aisle, pause briefly with the student and talk about what they will be doing.
- Explain that toy aisles are wide and colorful, which makes them a great place to practice looking far away.
- Let the student know it is okay to take their time and that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to look.
Example prompt:
“We’re going to use your monocular to look at toys that are far away, just like reading a sign at school.”
Using the Monocular to Scan the Aisle
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Ask the student to stand in one spot at the end or middle of the aisle.
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Encourage them to look down the aisle with their eyes first.
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When they identify something, they want to look at, prompt monocular use:
Example: “Can you use your monocular to see what toys are on the top shelf?”
Identifying Toy Features from a Distance
Once the student locates a toy, encourage them to describe what they see.
Ask questions such as:**
-** “What color is the toy?”
Turning It into a Game
Making the activity playful reduces hesitation and increases motivation.
Ideas include:**
I Spy:
-** “I spy a toy with bright yellow on it. Can you find it with your monocular?”
Before leaving the aisle:
Acknowledge effort and success:
“You did a great job using your monocular to look all the way down the aisle.”
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My selected recommendation is from topic 4: specific recommendations for students with peripheral field loss. When working with a student with peripheral field loss, I would consider the impact of lighting and glare on the student’s vision, as well as bring up to the team how glare and changes in lighting can both impact functional vision and comfort. If the student is uncomfortable, then this will impact their performance when reading, engaging in physical activities, and transitioning from class to class. I may work together with the student to put together a short Power Point for the team, and if the student does not wish to speak in front of the team about what they are experiencing, then they may still record themselves talking about the topic or write down what they find helpful when they are experiencing glare or transitioning from indoor to outdoor environments and what they do not find helpful. There are some examples of what glare can look like online, especially on sites and videos about albinism. I could work directly with team members and show them where to place task lights and which lights the student prefers (which will be highly individualized). The exact time needed to adjust to the lighting can differ, too. Personally, I find it helpful, too, when others tell me when someone is turning the light on or off, especially in a loud environment where you may not hear the light switch being turned on or off. Dimmer switches and light bulbs with adjustable settings are another option. Of note, too, is the use of lighting on devices, such as computers and magnifiers. The glare on the device may differ depending on where the student is in the room and the time of day. Once again, I can let other team members know about the devices the student uses and work to find solutions, such as a glare-resistant screen protector or locating pull-down shades in the room to match the lighting in the room to that of the device. Some communications can happen in person, but at times we may have to communicate through email, Zoom, or by phone. In virtual situations, we can share pictures and videos of what we are observing and any notable changes, which could be in regards to the lighting itself (environmental factors) or individual factors, such as a student experiencing more light sensitivity do to changes in vision, stress, fatigue, or other factors. Everyone needs to be on the same page and know how to reach everyone else, as well as each team member’s role. But, if anyone has input then they should feel like they can contribute and share it without feeling like they are taking over anyone else’s role. Here, it is important to consider clear defining of roles and role release. While the role of the TVI may be to obtain lighting that works for the student and to assess how the student completes reading tasks with different types of lighting, the TVI may teach the student, classroom teacher, and the student’s parents how to adjust lighting and set up task lighting for the student. The TVI would be responsible for teaching others which lights work for the student and where they should be placed, but then the task lights could be used in different settings when the TVI is not there.