Reading Instruction for Students with Visual Impairments: Whose Job is it? (JVIB, 2008, p. 197-209)
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What has your involvement with literacy instruction looked like in your role? What factors have limited your involvement in literacy instruction? Are those factors things that can and should be changed? Why or why not? My involvement in literacy instruction is definitely not the optimal for my students. I am the special education teacher but my training has been limited with regards to children with visual impairments. Much of my knowledge has come from learning and doing my best to address the needs of my students when they become my students.
Quite frequently, I am a reflection of the many teachers in the article which indicated that their programs did not provide enough training. I know that I am part of a collaborative team but due to the lack of time in both my day and the day of regular education teacher, my ability to collaborate is limited at best. It is difficult to balance studentsā educational goals and social needs with how to best implement best practices for instruction in all areas. It is difficult to work collaboratively with other teachers since there are various perspectives on what is the best and what will work for each teacher. Teaching is not always a science. For some teachers it is also more an art which requires a blending of methodology and science. Many of these factors could be changed but requires a significant paradigm shift for administrators, teachers and families to put priority on those foundational skills first and then later work on accessing other academic knowledge and skills.
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Which authorās (Blankenship, Swenson, Farrenkopf, or Holbrook) response is most influential to you? Why? Holbrook gives a very down to earth perspective and understanding of the complexity of being a teacher and teaching reading and writing to students with visual impairments. She gives an answer that models the ideal that one should strive for teaching reading and writing to students with visual impairments.
Eligibility Determinations for Children Suspected of Having a Visual Impairment Including Blindness Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (OSERS, 2017)
- How did The Eyeās Role in Learning to Read shape or alter your opinion of serving students with Convergence Insufficiency?
- How does the OSERS 2017 memorandum contribute to your understanding of eligibility for students with visual impairments, including blindness? Evaluate the implications of removing modifiers from state level definitions of visual impairment, including blindness.
Reading about your experiences and your perspective , helps me to see that I am not alone in my struggles to meet my students needs. I commend your honesty. I really enjoyed reading about how you integrate skills into the classroom materials.
This has been a hot topic in my previous district for many years as well. I think your collaboration with the vision therapy doctor is a great first step for TVIās to understand more about vision therapy and for them to understand more about what we do as well. I guess I would also still have more questions though, like how to specifically help a student that struggles with convergence insufficiency. I saw one response stating that this condition limits access to materials, which would fall under a TVIās job responsibilities, but many of the treatment methods that I have researched involve vision therapy, which we are not qualified to provide, and OT services. OT has always been a very closely related therapy to vision services and maybe a co-treatment model would be beneficial in these situations. As the other article stated, āIt takes a teamā.
I really sympathize with you when you spoke about the amount of time that you have to teach the skills needed and all of the things that affect the amount of time we get with the students. I know in my previous district, there were many times during the day that we were not allowed to pull them from the classroom. I also struggled to work with classroom teachers. The last few years (especially after COVID) teacher burnout has been through the roof. Once they find that they have a blind or visually impaired student, I start to see the frustration build. I come in and I offer support and assure them that I am there to help and this used to calm their fears, but I have found in recent years that they are just to overwhelmed. I have also had students who are learning braille while learning English as a second language. I think it has been very rare to have a student who is blind and reading on grade level. I have maybe only had 1-2 in my whole career (12 years). Working in a district, I always thought negatively of schools for the deaf and blind, but now I am working at one, and I really feel as though this environment is more suited to those students who really need a high level of support. Of course, it is a restrictive environment which is not always ideal, but to be able to develop foundations of reading and math skills in an environment that is completely accommodated for them with qualified and skilled teachers has been very eye opening for me. I have only been here a short time, but I am curious at how educational progress will look from a district setting to a residential school setting.
- What has your involvement with literacy instruction looked like in your role? What factors have limited your involvement in literacy instruction? Are those factors things that can and should be changed? Why or why not?
The district I came from was quite adamant about the separation of braille instruction and reading instruction. When the requirement came through the state that all teachers had to have a reading certification, my department had meetings with the state to explain our role as TVIās to explain the ECC and how reading was not in our job description. The expectation was that the classroom teacher teaches reading while we supplement with braille and accommodations. This, however, never went as planned. The teacher would see us in the classroom with the student, and assumed they didnāt need to teach the student because the TVI was there.
I have thought for a long time about reading instruction and braille because I have worked mostly with early intervention and early elementary. It always seemed like it just didnāt work separately. Sure, some students would make progress and learn, but the progress was very slow and they almost always were below grade level. Farrenkopfās response in the article really resonated with me because we can discuss best practices all day and train highly qualified people, but if the funding is not there, if materials are not available, if caseloads are too big, then quality instruction cannot be provided. I think the biggest factor that limits my involvement in literacy instruction is 1. my own knowledge in reading instruction, I was never trained and 2. the willingness of classroom teachers, reading specialists and other staff to work with me. Unfortunately, I have had many teachers who see a student who is blind and they throw their hands up and say āI donāt know what to doā and even after in-services and trainings, the fact that they are overworked and burnt out seriously affects our ability to work together in the best interest of the students. In their defense, they often have multiple students with IEPs and tons of responsibilities and demands placed on them and it becomes more every year. I am not sure how to change teacher burnout, I think that is a huge conversation to be had, but I do think it would be beneficial for TVIās to be trained and skilled in reading instruction. As much as I donāt really want to go back to school for something else ( I have a Masters in visually disabilities education and an O&M endorsement) I think reading needs to be taught at the same time as braille and I think the only way to accomplish that is to have trained TVIās provide reading instruction. Districts will also have to understand that we are providing literacy instruction, so we should be allowed to pull the students during the 90-minute literacy block that we are currently not allowed to pull from.
Many points that you wrote about are so true. I learned a great deal from OSERS 2017 memorandum regarding who should receive services. I am currently doing an informal assessment on a child with severe astigmatism. Parent is concerned with the impact of this visual impairment on her academics. OSERS 2017 has given an area of exploration to see if this child could qualify for an IEP in my state. I would not have know how to further explore this topic of qualification for special services without reading this article.
How did The Eyeās Role in Learning to Read shape or alter your opinion of serving students with Convergence Insufficiency?
I have worked in the itinerant field as a TVI for over 4 years and prior to that, I was a TVI in an approved private school for students with visual impairments for 15 years. In between these two jobs, I took 3 years off to stay home and raise my babies. When I returned to the field, two weeks prior to COVID, many new buzz words/phrases including, Vision Therapy emerged. Since I graduated undergraduate in 2005, we were not educated intensely on Vision Therapy. I was requested to complete Functional Vision Assessments on students with 20/20 vision and with a visual diagnosis of Convergence Insufficiency. It was all completely overwhelming with limited training and resources. Luckily, I am a member of a very wonderful team of colleagues that support one another and we rallied for additional training in the area of Vision Therapy. Even with the additional training, I still felt depleted as I would read vision therapy reports that were carbon copies of one another except the name of the student. In speaking with the parents, they typically shared that vision therapy was not covered by insurance, their children found it tedious, and were told the prognosis with vision therapy for is excellent, with the goal being the complete elimination of symptoms and restoration of normal visual efficiency (if their child participated in 1 visit per week and purchased a computer based program for home, for an additional fee).
Also, many IEP team members assume that if the child is eligible for Vision Therapy, then they must also receive Vision Services from a TVI. I have needed to attend numerous meetings explaining this and felt unprepared with limited support from administration. Many parents also are curious whether we can provide the computer based services at school which I am not comfortable with since Iām not trained in this area, nor a medical doctor.
It was enlightening to view Mrs. Rifeās story. I appreciated her transparency and how it shaped her into a more empathic teacher given her own struggles with visionā¦ I agree with her statement that ā itās important to think about vision as being more than just the eyes; itās all interconnected.ā
I have found over the years that the school districts and the IEP team need to be educated on the difference between the roles of a vision therapist and a TVI. It is also vital to have a team approach when working with our students. One school in particular, the therapists and I (OT, PT, and speech) work collaboratively and co-treat/co-teach our students as much as possible. I have learned an immense amount of information from them which I can apply to my sessions as well.
Thank you for sharing your insight. I love that your district reached out to the local vision therapist to work collaboratively.After reading your post, I am inspired to do the same!
Essentially, we all want whatās best for our students, but canāt truly relate to another scope of practice until we experience it ourselves.
I completely agree as I also use the Building on Patterns curriculum. There is a great deal of overlap with vocabulary, phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills. My students find it engaging and sometimes forget that they are learning Braille 
I can relate to the two personal barriers you stated. As a TVI we are responsible for so much (ECC) with such limited time with our students. Iām not sure that adding the responsibility of teaching reading is realistic. Taking into consideration the controversial state that reading instruction has experienced over the last few years, Iām not sure how a TVI (+COMS) could fully fulfill another role.
I have also found that some teachers feel overwhelmed when they have a student with a visual impairment. Some throw in the towel at the start of the year and others will work collaboratively with me to meet the student where they are. Student success and progress is more often positive when the classroom teacher is willing to work in collaboration. This approach feels like a more comprehensive approach to reading instruction for our Braille studentsā¦ in a perfect world. 
- Which authorās (Blankenship, Swenson, Farrenkopf, or Holbrook) response is most influential to you? Why?
After much debate, I found Holbrookās argument the most compelling of all the four authors, in that he reiterates the old adage that it does indeed take the proverbial village to ensure healthy literacy practices. For within an accessibility model, itās not logistically feasible to designate a single entity to teach reading and writing. Because in a braille echo system, it requires a multilateral effort to get certain things like this done effectively. But whether it be a consultancy model that parcels out a TVIās lesson plan to another for its implementation or the misguidance/over reliance of the expanded core curriculum ā also highlights the pitfalls of having a village that is way too big. Holbrook critiques the riotous nature of system that is ideologically segregated. Resulting in things being too fragmented; overly specialized. The original plot (of teaching comprehensive literacy) is simply lost. And this proverbial village suffers in silence from too-muchness. Things are heavily monetized and all have their own programmatic agendas. Everything becomes unnecessarily knotty. So much so that the infrastructure is unable to do basic things like knowing how to integrate braille and reading instructions and not treating them as separate communication modes, for example. Holbrook problematizes such issues by casting a glaring light on the things that work and donāt work as good in this ad hock village gone rogue.
These personal āhorrorā stories of not having sufficient time are quite fascinating. Who would have thought that the inner machinations of the classroom could be so gut wrenchingāso emotionally taxing. Time, time the TVIs persistent nemesis.
Hallie, I agree that allowing a braille student to have personal time to master a particular skill before being introduced or forced to work alongside their sighted peers will definitely boost their overall self-confidence. But in reality, this is not always the case, because so many of our students are way below grade reading/writing levels. Itās both sad and perplexing because you donāt want them to feel too different from larger educational community but itās not helpful either to ignore the obviousāthat they require self-mastery before integrating in the general public. Is this an elitist thinking? Not too sure.
I transitioned from teaching math to becoming a teacher of students with visual impairments. So teaching reading was not anything I considered before going in the field. Reading has been a struggle for me and I completely agree school districts to need to involve us in professional development for the reading curriculum. I agree with you that we need to use the curriculum that is being used in the classroom. I also feel it is a balancing act giving the student what hey need, but not veering out of my lane when it comes to the classroom teacher. A good relationship is imperative!
Reading Instruction for Students with Visual Impairments: Whose Job is it? (JVIB, 2008, p. 197-209)
- What has your involvement with literacy instruction looked like in your role? What factors have limited your involvement in literacy instruction? Are those factors things that can and should be changed? Why or why not?
My involvement with literacy instruction in my role as a TVI has been collaborative and consultative based on the needs of the student and the team of teachers. A factor that limits my involvement include teams not valuing the input of all team memebers or lack of involvement from the instructional team. When teachers providing the reading instruction become hands off and leave instruction to others a disconnect is created. They are not involved in instruction and cannot meet the students needs in other areas of instruction (math, science, etc) because of the students reading skills. As a TVI when voicing concerns about a students ability to read it is often blamed on the Braille code itself. I often times try to ask the team if they believe the reading difficulties would still exist in the absence of the visual impairment. Does the student have an understanding of phonological awareness, vocabulary, etc. My experience has been that the more a team is able to purposefully work in collaboration the greater the student outcome. I think this can be achieved when the culture of a school encourages and values collaboration.
- Which authorās (Blankenship, Swenson, Farrenkopf, or Holbrook) response is most influential to you? Why?
Initially, I thought I related to Holbrook the most. She indicated that teaching reading was the job of everyone not just one. The list of characteristics of the individual who should provide instruction was also strong. However, Holbrook stated that she hoped that the TVI would be the one to have all of those characteristics. As a TVI we are charged with an exhaustive list of areas of instruction. Assistive Technology alone can feel overwhelming with changes, updates, and rapid growth. To add another area of expertise to a role that is in short supply and burning out (like so many educators) feels counterproductive. I feel that I can best support my students by bringing my unique perspective to a discussion with another professional that can also share their unique perspective on a subject.
What has your involvement with literacy instruction looked like in your role? What factors have limited your involvement in literacy instruction? Are those factors things that can and should be changed? Why or why not?
As an Inclusion Teacher, I was involved with working on building the foundational literacy the students were lacking and the comprehension skills they needed to access the curriculum. By co-teaching and working in small groups, my co-teacher and I worked together to help our students build their reading skills. Now that I have shifted into a role as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, I have found myself doing my best to build the foundational skills with my students who are learning braille, but not having enough time to spend on the actual reading skills. However, while some have had success with these skills, others have not and I have struggled on how to best help them. I also have had a hard time building into my instruction the skills the students need to help them build their own reading fluency skills. I believe I can work on this issue through continuing to build my toolbox of literacy skills and working on incorporating the literary skills into my braille instruction. In order to better help my students, I need to be more reflective of my practices in braille instruction. I can incorporate more literacy instruction with my braille instruction.
Which authorās (Blankenship, Swenson, Farrenkopf, or Holbrook) response is most influential to you? Why?
I would say Swenson was one whose response resonated with me the most. While all of the authorsā responses had good points, I felt that Swenson spoke similarly to what I had believed for a while: individualized curriculums and lessons for students over a separate curriculum. Reading is hard in general and many students do not fit the model of the average student. Many of these curriculums may be good for the average child, but many of our VI students are behind in reading and/or have gaps in their reading skills. By using multiple sets of materials and not relying on one way of teaching, we can reach and motivate our students and be able to help them learn the skills they need to read.
Eligibility Determinations for Children Suspected of Having a Visual Impairment Including Blindness Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (OSERS, 2017)
How did The Eyeās Role in Learning to Read shape or alter your opinion of serving students with Convergence Insufficiency?
Reading in general is a rather fascinating field of study. Even more so is the eyeās role in learning to read. Students who have convergence insufficiency will result in a lot more challenges that I had imagined such as double vision, losing their place, and skipping lines. It is important to support these students even though this type of eye condition is not always an example of a visual impairment, but it is. By including this information into our modules has helped me fully understand what āimpacts accessā means.
How does the OSERS 2017 memorandum contribute to your understanding of eligibility for students with visual impairments, including blindness? Evaluate the implications of removing modifiers from state level definitions of visual impairment, including blindness.
When I read the memorandum, it definitely cleared up a couple of questions I had in terms of experiences I had. I feel that by removing modifiers from state level definitions and clearing up with reasonings, it allowed the country to have a more consistent definition of a visual impairment and what would constitute as a visual impairment. It also ensured that the state cannot exclude a group because it doesnāt āfitā with their opinions on what visual impairment including blindness is.
I agree Ann with your statement about Swenson. As someone who has seen the EC inclusion aspect and the TVI pull out aspect, we have to incorporate strategies and work together in incorporating reading across the board. We are not always fortunate to do 100% inclusion to do services, but we can ensure they get exposure and access to reading instruction even if we are teaching braille.
I also work with students who are general ed who are learning braille. I always worry about how I am incorporating reading instruction into their braille instruction daily. I worry that I am not providing enough instruction on reading skills and am focusing too much on the braille acquisition. However, even though I have a background as both having an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a masters in special education-mild to moderate disabilities before I went on to get a masters in teaching visual impairment, I do not feel like I know as much about reading as I think I do.
Reading Instruction for Students with Visual Impairments: Whose Job is it? (JVIB, 2008, p. 197-209)
What has your involvement with literacy instruction looked like in your role? I have just graduated and only worked with students in teaching braille and performing FVS/LMAās on students. At home I have worked with my child in reading books and have often wondered as an educator where I stop and the general education teacher begins. This is why I signed up for this cohort as I have had many questions, one being, how do you teach braille without teaching students to sound out what they are reading. I feel like the common answer was we donāt teach these things as it is the job of the general education teacher. It did not make sense, but it also did not make sense that we were taught assessment, but not how we fit into the reading role. I appreciate this was highlighted as I feel like it is a miss in our initial education.
What factors have limited your involvement in literacy instruction? At this point it is the rubric for assignments, I am curious how I can work with other educators to collaborate and teach together.
Are those factors things that can and should be changed? Why or why not? While my factors have been limited by being in student teaching, I do think that there are misses at the university level in teaching how TVIās are to be involved in teaching reading especially when we are teaching the braille code. I have not been able to see how we are supposed to just teach braille and not include how it is supposed to be read. I have also wondered depending on when students are pulled out what they are missing in class that may have to do with reading and this could be more push in, but it seems there is more pull out than push in. I have also seen in my experience that general education teachers expect that students will be pulled out instead of a collaboration with the teacher of the visually impaired pushing in.
Which authorās (Blankenship, Swenson, Farrenkopf, or Holbrook) response is most influential to you? Why? It is really hard to decide as it is a lot of information that I have wondered about at the college level. All of them have made me want to go back and ask a lot of questions. I would truly say Swenson really spoke to me. She spoke briefly about residential schools and this has been my experience to this point with my child. While I love the more one on one instruction with only 5 students in his class he is not learning to work with his sighted peers. While this setting may give students more one on one I have not seen in my experience that he is on grade level. I love the statement that she makes that braille readers should be on grade level. I have felt this way and there has been some push back about this. I have also heard in class that our students are not always on grade level learning braille. This was a very upsetting statement and I did not understand why.
I also agree that teaching braille and literacy are inseparable but we are not taught this. We were told that we do not teach as this is the general education teachers job. There is a big push to focus on ECC and definitely not core curriculum. This just brings me to ask many questions. How do we change this view? How do we get general education teachers on board with collaboration and other professionals? In my experience general education teachers do not know what we do. I have heard on many occasions that no one knows what we do and it seems true. Maybe this is different in other areas? One last thought is what does it look like to teach literacy is it intertwining a braille curriculum with a reading/writing curriculum or would there be a curriculum that combines the two?
I really appreciate your honesty in this regard to teaching reading to students who are learning braille. I am concerned also as a professional as I only have and undergrad in teaching students with who are VI/B.
Also, as a parent I have had a lot of push back from TVI that they are teaching the reading portion when they are TVI. I have found that we need to be more open and honest about how there is a lack of this focus in our education. I still question what does this look like for collaboration with teacher who do have the background like you do for the reading instruction. I have found that my child will sound out large print words, but when it comes to braille he can name what he is reading, but has a hard time sounding it out. I feel like I he has been with some very seasoned and great educators, but there is this missing piece and I feel it as I am going into the field to be able to be effective.