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Visually
Impaired Students in Secondary School Phil
Hatlen, Superintendent This is a timely, important
topic, and I congratulate DVI and Derrick Smith for devoting an entire issue of
DVIQ to the education of blind and visually impaired students at the secondary
level. We have two serious
responsibilities when planning instructional programs for high school students.
1.
Recent emphasis in IDEA on the “general curriculum” has caused
programs for visually impaired to reconsider the extent to which students are
truly participating in their school’s general curriculum.
We must make certain that each student has access to the general
curriculum, to the extent that it is appropriate.
Because of the wide diversity among the students we teach, there will be
some who can avail themselves of every aspect of the general curriculum, and
others for whom we must carefully plan so that courses taken are appropriate to
the cognitive level and capability of the student. There are several factors
that must be addressed if a student is to be successful in the general
curriculum. First, classroom
teachers must be aware of the visually impaired student, and adaptations that
may be necessary. If the student has
been well prepared, she should have the skills to describe any special needs to
the classroom teacher. The Teacher
of the Visually Impaired (TVI) must also become thoroughly aware of each
classroom teacher’s curriculum and teaching style, so that there is no
disadvantage to being a visually impaired student in a regular classroom. Another basic factor is
that the student must have textbooks and other learning materials at the
appropriate time. If the student
does not receive his braille algebra text until the semester is half over, then
the student might as well have not been in the class.
Being certain that every student has appropriate learning materials when
they are needed falls to the TVI, and sometimes requires extensive preplanning. The TVI must have a
schedule that allows her to be on the campus of a student for the time necessary
to meet the student’s needs. This
could mean time with as many as seven or eight teachers, perhaps the school
counselor, other related service personnel, and the student himself.
It has been the author’s experience that braille-reading students at
the secondary level have the most difficulty with courses involving spatial
presentation: geography, mathematics, and science.
The secondary student must have an extensive background in reading and
interpreting tactile graphics if inclusion in these courses is going to work.
If that experience is lacking, then the TVI is likely to find herself
very much involved in the teaching of these subjects. Also, as reading
assignments lengthen, the braille-reading student may need to utilize recorded
materials or use live readers. The
responsibility of teaching a student how to access and use these materials will
likely fall to the TVI. 2.
Our second responsibility is to make certain that the expanded core
curriculum (EEC) is addressed. This
means assessing every student in all areas of the EEC, determining where the
student is most in need of instruction, and making certain that IEP goals are
written that specify the time and duration of instruction for EEC subjects.
As has been stressed before, it may not ultimately be the responsibility
of the TVI to deliver instruction in some of the areas of the EEC, but it is
that professional’s responsibility to be certain that the instruction is
provided. Often the TVI will be the
facilitator and organizer of instruction in some of the subjects of the EEC. It is a myth that the older
a visually impaired student becomes, the less dependent she is on the services
of a TVI. As Curry and Hatlen
(1988)* demonstrated, the special needs of a visually impaired student do not
decrease over time, but they do change. In
the child’s early years, emphasis might be on sensory/motor skills, early
academic skills, and social/emotional needs.
These will diminish over time, to be replaced by skills needed in
orientation and mobility, in career education, and in independent living skills.
Indeed, the 12th grader will need his TVI and Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) as much as he did in the first
grade. The need for the TVI and the
COMS should remain constant throughout the student’s school life. Finally, it is common
knowledge that we continue to struggle with issues of social isolation of blind
and visually impaired students in inclusive settings.
TVIs with students at the secondary level need to be constantly alert for
signs of isolation, and assist the student in actively exploring clubs and
organizations that might add to the social life of a visually impaired student.
It is difficult for any student to find a social group in a high school
with 2,000 or more students. Small
clubs and organizations may be the solution for some of your students. I know the content of this
issue will stimulate you, perhaps inspire you, and challenge you. *
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