Visual Impairments

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Visual Impairments

• Chapter 16

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Definitions

• IDEA.impairment in vision that, even with
  correction adversely affects a childs
  educational performance. Includes both partial
  sight and blindness.
• Legal Blindness - refers to individuals whose
  central visual acuity, when measured in both eyes
  and when wearing corrective lenses, is 20/200.

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• Tunnel vision sees less than 20 degrees field of
  vision, even if acuity is normal (160 is normal)
• Low vision describes individuals who can
  generally read print, many need optical
  aidsFunctionally blind. Describes individuals
  who typically use Braille for efficient reading
  and writing
• Totally blind describes individuals who do not
  receive meaningful input through visual sense.

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Characteristics

• The population of students with visual
  impairments is heterogeneous
• They different from each other in how they learn
  in their visual functioning
• Also, socioeconomic status
• Parenting style
• Cultural background
• Age of onset of visual impairments

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• Presence of other disabilities
• Some are gifted or have special talents
• Large number have severe and multiple
  disabilities
• Common characteristic that is more important in
  that they have limited ability to learn
  incidentally from the environment

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Limitations in range variety of experiences

• Limitations in experiencing the world
  meaningfully and safely from a distance
• Experience different social interactions b/c of
  difficulty sharing common experiences with
  sighted friends
• Potential for inadequate development of social
  skills and related negative impact on self esteem

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• Career development can be limited
• Limitations in the ability to get around
• Spontaneous ability to move around safely in
  environment (motor development, knowledge base,
  social development)
• Movement through space, limited opportunities for
  experiences. (may become more passive)

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Limitations in interacting w/ the environment

• Limited visual reduces their level of readily
  acquired information about their environment and
  their ability to act on that information.
• They may not adequately inform themselves about
  the effect of their actions on people and things
  around them

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• With young children, reduced vision correlates
  with poor motivation, to move through the
  environment, manipulate toys and initiate
  interactions. Can have long-lasting consequences
• Visual impairments can result in experiential and
  environmental deprivation.

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Causes of Visual Impairments

• Damage to the structures involved in the visual
  process can be the result of an event that
  happens during development of embryo, immediately
  after an infants birth, can result from an
  injury or disease.
• Congenital visual impairment occurs before birth
  or in the case of blindness, before visual
  memories have been established
• Students who acquire a visual loss after having
  normal vision have an adventitious visual
  impairment

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Prevalence

• 1 to 2 students in 1000 have a visual disorder
  that interferes with learning.

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Determining the Presence

• A students with Visual Impairment (VI) receives a
  nondiscriminatory evaluation
• Medical specialist usually determines the
  presence of the disorder
• Educators need to know the cause of a students
  VI b/c there are typical characteristics
  associated with particular eye conditions.

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Functional Vision Assessment (FVA)

• When educators work with the student and family
  to determine the effects of the disorder on the
  students visual functioning.
• FVA describes how a student uses his vision in a
  variety of natural environments such as
  fluorescent lights, or dimly lit corridors.

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• Important for educators to design relevant
  instructional strategies
• Most students with VI have some usable vision
• Learning Media Assessment (LMA) teachers
  determine appropriate reading media fro students
  (Braille, audiotapes, computer screen readers
  etc.)

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Disorders of the Eye

• 1. Myopia
• 2. Hyperopia
• 3. Astigmatism

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Educational Considerations

• Classroom physical structure
• Provide alternative information for concept
  development
• Braille materials

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• gt 10 of all school children have a visual
  impairment
• gt Approximately 50 of those have multiple
  disabilities
• gt 55 of those with multiple handicaps are male
• gt 45 of those with multiple handicaps are female

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• http//www.esc13.net/dyslexia/index.html

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