A large percentage of students with visual impairments learn in the general education classroom. General education teachers do not have to work alone; they can collaborate with TVIs and other experts trained to work with students who have visual impairments. Teachers can also use accommodations and modifications to alter their lessons to meet the needs of these students. General education teachers are presented with the unique opportunity to provide state required education while teaching daily living skills to these students that will help them transition into adulthood.
The Visually Impaired Student
Approximately 1.1 million Americans are legally blind (Pallarito, 2004). Legal blindness is defined as a measurement used primarily for eligibility for government or private assistance programs (Turnbull 2019, p 430). In order for a child to qualify for special education and related services, his visual impairment must affect his learning. It is estimated that two students out of every 1000 have a visual impairment that interferes with learning (Turnbull 2010, p 430).
According to Turnbull, there are three types of visual impairments: Low Vision, Functionally Blind and Totally Blind (Turnbull 2010 p 431). People with Low Vision can read print and may depend on optical aids; those who are Functionally Blind use Braille for reading and writing but use their vision for other tasks; while individuals who are Totally Blind use tactile and auditory means to learn and they use Braille (Turnbull 2010 p 431).
There are two main causes of visual impairments: congenital and adventitious (Turnbull, 2010 p 435). Congenital impairments occur at birth or before visual memories have been established and adventitious impairments are defined as...
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...that these students learn about dressing themselves, making their own snacks and doing household chores (Turnbull 2010, p 449.) In elementary and middle school years the student should be learning basic skills and becoming comfortable with the usage modifications and accommodations (Turnbull 2010, p 451). They need to develop O and M skills as well. As students moves through high school they should be learning independent living skills in addition to working on graduation requirements (Turnbull 2010, pp 451-452).
Since most students with visual impairments learn in the general education classrooms it is important for teachers to take time to help these students develop an independent spirit while working towards general education goals. In return, the freedom and confidence they gain from learning to do everyday tasks will only aid them in their future endeavors.
There are all different types of medical and disable human beings out in this world. There are also different types of disabilities such as a physical or mental condition that limits a person 's movements, senses, or activities. I choose a sensory impairment, Diabetic Retinopathy which is one of the types of visual impairments that people may happen to get. You also have four other types of visual impairments, cataracts, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and retrolental fibroplasia that you can also get. Diabetic Retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affect the eyes.
During the 1920's, separate schools were established for the blind, deaf, and more severely retarded (Reddy, p5). However, students that were considered mildly disabled were educated in regular schools, just thought to be 'slow learners'. Soon educators started to develop separate classes for disabled students. The reasoning for taking them out of the normal classroom (exclusion) has not changed in the last eighty years. People today, who are still in favor of exclusion, have the same justification for their belief. It was thought that students...
...ere is a correlation between blindness and a delay to the development ToM. Whether it’s Xena or children with congenital profound visual impairment it’s obvious that visual cues are significant when trying to interpret the actions of others. Xena, like the children in the study, was forced to rely on other senses to compensate for the lack of visual cues, which is important because without them children are at a disadvantage to understanding the greater world around them.
Providing appropriate public education to qualified students has been federally mandated since 1975, but is still a challenging and often controversial matter in which the public has voiced concern. One reason for which the public’s concern has been provoked is that it is reported in low-incidence categories such as deafness or blindness, which is usually diagnosed by medical professionals, there is no indications of disproportion (Donovan and Cross, 1). Instances in which there are higher proportions of minority students occurs more so in the high-incidence categories of mental retardation (MMR), emotional disturbance (ED), and...
Stainback, Susan & William. (1985). Integration of Students with Severe Handicaps into Regular Schools. Virginia: The Council for Exceptional Children.
Students with disabilities are not the only students who can benefit from creative tasks, projects, and assessments. A positive and caring approach to dealing with all student regardless of culture, disability or any other thing that make then different from the norm is key to the success of all concerned.
More than a century ago, being diagnosed or being born with visual impairment meant one was condemned to a life of disability, confinement and a feeling of being alone. The visually impaired people have had minimal chances of living an ordinary life and achieving their goals over the past few decades. The visually impaired people face many challenges in their attempts to receive the much-needed education or to even get employment in order to survive in this world. In the last one hundred years, numerous changes have been implemented to improve the way the visually impaired community live their lives and to also increase the number of opportunities made available to them. These changes include new legislations, change in perception of the visually
E. H. L. Leung and M. Hollins, Understanding Blindness: An Integrative Approach, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
In the video presentation of How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop, Richard Lavoie is able to simulate several of the difficulties that a student with a learning disability has to face at school. Some of the difficulties experienced by the students are intrinsic to the disability itself, but many other difficulties are directly related with the emotions that the student experiences when attending a class, and as a result of his or her interactions with teachers and classmates. Both the United States law and the education system, have the opportunity to make a huge difference in the learning experience of every student with disability. Students with disabilities need to be guided to a path to education that is both feasible and accessible for them; with achievable goals, and by being provided what they need in order to succeed, and to be able to overcome any obstacles.
Reiff, H. B.; Ginsberg, R.; Gerber, P. J. New Perspectives on Teaching from Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education 16, no. 2. 1 (January 1995): 29-37. EJ 497 555 - "E.P. Riviere, A. Assistive Technology: Meeting the Needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities.
The Individuals with Disabilities Act, 2004 (IDEA), has 14 different categories of disabilities (IDEA Partnership, 2012). Students with disabilities can be placed into two more distinct groups which are high incidence disabilities or HID and low incidence disabilities or LID. IDEA defines low incidence disabilities as those students with visual, hearing or significant cognitive impairment (Outcome Data, 2006). These students need personal that are highly trained in specialized skill and knowledge to provide early interventions and education. Those with LID account for less than one percent of the school population (Outcome Data, 2006). Students that fall into this category are usually educated outside of the general education classroom for part of the school day.
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
Introduction The use of visual supports in special education has long been a practice in developing individualized educational support systems. Visual supports are tools that are used to increase the understanding of language, environmental expectations, and provide structure and support for individuals with disabilities. Visual supports are flexible enough that they can be provided in a variety of ways, and across multiple settings. Since the rise of inclusive classrooms, students with disabilities have been included in the general education classroom for a portion, if not a majority, of their school day.
During the late 1980’s and 1990’s the number of children with learning disabilities receiving special education services grew rapidly, but during 1998 and 2007 the number of children classified as having a LD has declined by 7% (Cortiella, 2009). “In 2007, 59% of students with LD spent 80% or more of their in-school time in general education classrooms. In 2000, that figure was just 40%” (Cortiella, 2009). In addition, students with disabilities are spending more time with students in traditional classroom settings. According to the Department of Education, “approximately 6 million children (roughly 10 percent of all school-aged children) receive special education services” (Pardini, 2011).
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.