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Educational Evaluation

Name: KBDOB: XXXX2003Date of Evaluation: February 2014Location: XXXXX

I. Background

KB is an exceptionally bright and sociable 10 year, 10 month-old girl who is diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and is currently attending a mainstream 5th grade class at XXXXX. KB excels academically and has a vibrant personality and strongly developed interests, in particular reading and music. KB’s mother, Mrs. B, reports that KB has perfect pitch, and is a gifted piano player and singer who also presents with chromesthesia, a category of the rare neurological phenomena of synesthesia, in which specific sounds have direct, sensory links with specific colors. KB is an enthusiastic and efficient Braille reader and writer, and last year she won second place in the 3rd-4th grade division of the Braille Institute’s highly competitive national Braille Challenge. KB has an older brother who is diagnosed with Leber’s, and has additional learning disabilities; he is also a Braille reader and has a strong interest in technology.

KB was referred for this educational evaluation in conjunction with a triennial review. She will be transitioning into middle school next year and attending a new school program, and the team and family mutually expressed a need for recommendations supporting a successful transition. As KB continues to excel academically and receive high test scores and grades, particular weight is given in this evaluation to the assessment of extra-academic skills and other compensatory and interpersonal skills areas that will have an impact on KB’s future successes.

KB is intellectually and academically gifted, as corroborated both in formal cognitive testing (reported in recent Psychological Evaluation) and through school observation, as described below. Socially, she is well adjusted and appears comfortable conversing with peers and adults alike. In supporting KB’s transition into middle school and her long-term educational goals across content areas, special attention must be given to define specifically her current and target (future) support needs, the roles of additional professionals working with her, and to put into effect measures to promote self-determination skills, effective self-advocacy, and her own increased role in her educational planning.

A complete description of KB’s visual impairment and educational implications is discussed below in results of the Functional Vision Assessment and Learning Media Assessment.

II. Process: This evaluation is based on information obtained through:

(1) An observation conducted on February 20th, 2014, of KB in her school and classroom environment and in a variety of activities including academic lessons in Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics, independent work, interactive work with peers, and independent living skills (lunchtime routine, school departure routine).

2) A collaborative team meeting at the school with LM (Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant for the school, and IEP Case Manager for KB), TD (General Education Teacher), MR (KB’s 1:1 Aide), and ES (Teacher of the Visually Impaired), including discussion and interview to conduct formal assessments.

(3) Use of selected assessment tools: School Function Assessment, Functional Vision Assessment Learning Media Assessment

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(4) Phone interview with Mrs. B, KB’s mother, and with KB

(5) Review of records, including: Psychological Evaluations (T, 2013-14, and 2011), Individualized Education Plan (2013-14), Education Services Report (NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2012-13), Functional Vision Assessment (NJ CBVI, 2012-13)

This evaluation emphasizes the Expanded Core Curriculum approach, a nationally and internationally recognized best practice in the field of visual impairment, addressing unique skills in additional areas beyond the core academic curriculum that are essential for students with visual impairments to achieve academic and personal success. These areas are: Compensatory Skills, Orientation and Mobility, Social Interaction, Independent Living Skills, Recreation and Leisure, Sensory/Visual Efficiency, Assistive Technology, Career Education, and Self-Determination. By assessing KB’s current and target levels of performance in these areas, as well as the current and target levels of supports used and needed by KB in the school (accommodations and adaptations), it will be possible to create strong, functional goals to support future educational and personal success on a holistic scale.

III. Evaluation Results: Observation and Educational Team Meeting/Interview

Note: This evaluation does not focus extensively on KB’s cognitive-academic skills, as her school reports and the School Psychological Evaluation both demonstrate high academic skill proficiency and very high cognitive intelligence. She received a WISC-III Verbal I.Q. score of 132 and a Slosson Intelligence Test I.Q. score of 148, and presented with excellent memory skills in the Learning Efficiency Test [“...it appears as if this student just ‘soaks up’ new information”]. She received “very superior intelligence” scores in the Woodcock-McGrew-Wender Achievement Mini Battery of Achievement, which assesses reading and arithmetic achievement.

Rather, the following results emphasize current levels of support (accommodations and adaptations), and KB’s performance levels in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) areas within the framework of her Core Content academic areas. In addition, specific information on the environmental conditions in which KB is working allow for a greater understanding of the impact of natural and incidental sensory stimuli upon her ability to focus with minimal fatigue, to advocate for herself effectively, to interact and work with peers, and to keep up with the fast pace of classroom work and quick transitions from subject to subject.

1) Observation in Classroom.

Environmental Observations:

In the classroom, KB’s desk was clustered in a group with three classmates, with an additional desk to her right side, inside and underneath which she stored extra materials, including two large file crates full of Brailled text books and binders. KB’s desk was in the cluster closest to the door, and furthest from the window, facing the teacher’s desk to her left, the class board (projector screen) to her front right, and the window/rug area across the room to her right side.

Social Studies/Writing Activity:

KB was observed in Social Studies, while the class was working on finishing a compare/contrast essay on Native American regions. The teacher reminded KB to take out her Braille copy of what was being projected on the board, which she found easily in a binder in the materials’ storage desk to her right. During a recap on the assignment, which was delivered from across the room by the window, KB turned her whole body to the right toward the teacher, and was also in effect looking at the bright light from the window. When her teacher asked who was doing their project on Eastern Woodlands tribes, she raised her hand. She did not turn her head toward other classmates when they spoke, but kept focused on the teacher. When independent writing began, she was reminded by her aide to get her netbook, which she easily retrieved from where it was plugged in across the room, navigating between desks using her hands, and looking directly ahead of her.

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KB set up her netbook and plugged in her headphones, and was then reminded by her aide that she needed to ask for her Focus40 (refreshable Braille display), to which she replied, “Oh, yeah.” KB was observed using her netbook with JAWS (screen reading software), using keyboard commands very efficiently and effectively to open and save documents, and in Microsoft Word to read back and focus the cursor on text in full lines, full paragraphs, and individual words. While the font size was set at 28 for typing, she did not visually regard the font, and a piece of paper was taped over the mousepad. For the most part, she did not use her Focus40 to edit or read over her paragraph, but at one point she did refer to it to read over a sentence in her text. KB demonstrated excellent typing skills, counted at around 35-40 wpm, a speed that is regarded as above average for her age.

At one point, she checked the Braille hardcopy of the assignment to clarify something, but she was not observed using text resources (looking back into the source documents/text book), as other students in the room were doing. However, she was also writing her conclusion paragraph, ahead of most of the class, which would not require as much use of text resources. KB wrote her ideas fluently and articulately, recounting details in her summary from memory, and requiring only a few edits when she went back to check over her paragraph.

While KB was listening to JAWS read edits that she had made to her final paragraph, the teacher asked who was on their conclusion paragraph. KB paused JAWS, but too late to hear the question. Shortly after she finished typing, the teacher checked on her progress, and KB asked if she should convert her final version to 12pt or 14pt font. She quickly used JAWS commands to change the font size, and then proceeded to review the full essay by selecting and listening to it read aloud in JAWS.

When finished, KB saved and closed down her computer, put away the netbook independently without bumping into chairs and tables, and returned to her desk, using one hand in front of her to avoid furniture, and looking further ahead of her to a target area of the class (about 10 feet away).

According to her educational team, KB demonstrates proficiency in additional skills associated with Social Studies and Science access for individuals with visual impairment: spatial information (compass directions, columns and rows), interpreting oral descriptions of illustrations and three-dimensional representations, using a glossary and talking dictionary. She is reported to need further instruction in interpreting graphs and tables (pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, tables).

Science:

Following Social Studies, students were asked to go to the rug area to begin Science. KB finished putting her materials away and got to the rug at the same time as her classmates. She sat directly in front of the teacher, looking up at her. The teacher introduced a new unit on the Solar System, to which KB remarked, “Yes!” Her mother had mentioned in the phone interview that she is particularly interested in astronomy at the moment. During this opening guided instruction, KB was engaged and quick to answer questions by raising her hand and waiting to be called. When the teacher wrote on a stand-up whiteboard about three feet from her, KB did not shift her gaze toward the board.

Following the introduction, the teacher asked the class to go back to their desks and draw a picture of the solar system. She asked if anyone had any questions, and KB asked, “Should we put our names on a certain spot on the drawing, like on the bottom or the top?” While her classmates went back to their desks to work, the teacher paused with KB and asked if she wanted to do a picture, or have another choice for the assignment. KB answered that she wanted to do the picture, and proceeded to collect the large beige construction paper, went back to her desk, and took out a 20/20 pen (thick black felt pen).

Seated at her desk, KB wrote her name at the bottom right of the page, and then began to draw her picture of the Solar System. Her handwriting was legible but lacking smooth letter formation, at about font size 48, and she held her pen at an almost parallel angle to the page, with all four fingers on one side of the pen, and her thumb holding the other. KB drew the first four planets from the sun from left to right as circles, adding some detail for Earth’s continents, and then making a large square to the right of Earth,

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which she labeled “asteroid belt.” Continuing, she labeled Pluto “a dwarf planet.” In her drawing, KB clearly demonstrated advanced prior knowledge of the Solar System, as well as a visual sense of the organization, as typically depicted in pictures and diagrams.

Once KB completed the outline of her drawing, she went on to add color to it, retrieving a set of thick colored felt pens from her desk. She took a red pen out to color in a planet, looked at it from about 6 inches away, and then paused before touching it to the paper. She then reached out over the boy to her right, whom she did not visually regard, holding the pen out toward a girl across the table and asking, “Is this orange?” The girl was turned slightly in the other direction and did not notice, and after a few seconds KB resigned and went back to her paper. Again, she paused before touching the page, turned to the girl sitting directly to her left, and asked again. When the girl said, “No, that’s red, but do you want me to help you find orange?” KB responded, “No, it’s ok,” and put the pen back in its packet. She then kept visually searching, pulled out orange, and asked the girl to her left again. This happened a second time a few minutes later when she took out the green pen, looking for blue. In these interactions, KB demonstrated a strong determination to do the same activity as her peers, and with minimal help, while also showing the ability, if slightly reluctant and stubborn, to ask for assistance when necessary.

KB was not quite finished when the teacher asked the class to clean up and come back to the rug. Quickly putting her materials away and organizing her desk space for the next activity, she dropped a colored pen on the ground, briefly shifted to look down, not finding the pen, and rushed to the rug with her drawing. She eagerly participated in the discussion about what to include in the solar system, remarking, “Technically, I drew eight planets, but I included Pluto, which is a dwarf planet.” The teacher drew an idea diagram of the student’s responses on the white board, which KB did not regard visually. She appeared to be paying attention to the discussion for the most part, but was losing interest as it went on, and raised her hand to ask about black holes, about which another classmate had already asked.

Mathematics:

Transitioning into math, the class was given a word problem involving long division of whole numbers by decimals, presented on the class interactive white board, connected via wireless to the teacher’s iPad. KB received the same word problem, pre-Brailled by her aide, M. Following the initial problem on the board, students were given several more equations to solve; M had a print copy of the problems that would appear on the board.

KB uses the Math Window to set up and solve spatially oriented math problems. This tool allows for her to learn and practice spatial concepts and strategies for solving more complex operations, using magnets with Nemeth Braille and large print which can be manipulated easily on the board. Although KB would be content to use her exceptional mental math skills, the team agrees that is important that she have experience with and competence in applying the same strategies that her peers learn in approaching new math problems. KB uses the Math Window tactually for the most part, not appearing to look down at or scan visually for individual numbers or symbols, but occasionally looking down at the board to arrange the equation spatially above and below the horizontal line.

Although KB did not seem to have any issues in cognitively solving operations, and was quick in finding the correct numbers and operation symbols on the board, the Math Window required extra time to set up a new problem and clear the board for the next problem (placing each magnet back in its place). Even with M arranging the Math Window before and after each problem, KB still took roughly a minute longer than her classmates to finish each operation, and on several occasions, she fell slightly behind and was not able to participate with the class in offering her solutions. KB appeared stressed and exerted significantly more effort in keeping up during math, notwithstanding that she seemed to understand the concepts and strategies being taught, and to apply them to successive problems. This was the only activity in which M was in direct proximity to KB, and took a hands-on approach to assisting her, which was necessary within the context of the approach and materials being used.

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During one problem, after falling behind and hearing the answer offered by one of her classmates, KB remarked, “I could have done that one in my head.” M reminded her that it is important to learn how to solve equations spatially on the Math Window.

KB’s mother reported that she uses the Math Window at home to solve problems for homework, then uses her Perkins Braille Writer to braille the answers in Nemeth code.

KB left math to go home a little early on the day of the observation, while her classmates were still working as she went to her locker area. She independently managed to locate her bag and coat, even though the locker area was dark and messy, with bags and coats in the way of hers. When she brought her things back to her desk to pack up, she tossed her jacket on the desk to focus on packing her books, and did not notice that it had landed on top of her classmate while he was still working on math. She also did not notice a short interaction between this classmate and another at her desk cluster in response. KB packed efficiently and independently, put on her coat, and navigated to the door holding her cane off the ground vertically, and using her left hand in front of her to feel along the teacher’s desk toward the door.

2) Observation in Lunchroom:

KB was observed in the lunch room, which provides some insight into her use of independent living skills, social skills, and visual efficiency within her natural routine environments at school.

KB’s use of vision in the lunchroom was consistent with observations in the classroom; she used her residual vision to locate general areas and larger objects, and did not scan for, track the movement of, or shift gaze toward smaller items. She used eccentric viewing, tilting her head slightly to the right, or even shifting her full body to the right, to observe visual targets with her left eye. Items in the lunchroom, such as the table with utensils, trash bin, chairs and tables, were predictably placed. The lunchroom was well lit by sunlight from large windows, and there were no visual adaptations to furniture or lighting.

KB lined up with her classmates, and retrieved her lunch from the cafeteria independently. After getting her tray and food, she visually located the table with utensils and picked up a plastic fork and spoon by reaching for each container without visually focusing on either. She then took her tray to a nearby table, again visually locating, and perhaps listening for, the table where a group of her female classmates were seated. KB’s aide, M, reported that this is the group with whom she usually sits. Moving toward the table holding her tray and cane tucked under her arm, she did not have a free hand to employ a self-protective technique, as she was observed using in class.

When KB sat down, she placed her cane under the table on the ground, without folding it up. She manipulated utensils and ate independently, with the exception of requesting help to open a cup of ice cream. In this instance, reflecting the event in the classroom described above, when she needed help, KB reached with the cup of ice cream, across the classmate seated to her right, attempting to obtain help from a friend seated across the table and asking, “Can you help me open this?” Without access to visual cues, she did not realize that the friend across the table was turned in the other direction. After a moment, KB shifted to the left and held the ice cream out to another student, who then helped her to open it. This is a second example of a moment in which KB’s self-advocacy skills were tested.

KB engaged in some mild self-stimulatory behaviors during lunch time, fidgeting with her hands, with bread on her tray, and with her napkin, occasionally visually regarding each. These were not beyond the range of typical sensory-seeking behaviors. As her team has noted, these behaviors have decreased significantly in the past few years, and KB is aware of social implications that public display of these behaviors can have if practiced excessively. KB tended to engage in these fidgeting behaviors only when she was left alone, and not included in the very socially active lunchroom environment. While her classmates and peers at her table moved around the room, stood up from their chairs and looked around at other groups, KB tended to remain seated, intermittently entering into conversation with her directly proximal peers. It took KB slightly longer to finish her lunch, and as a result she was still eating, more or less by herself, while her peers began moving around and socializing.

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KB cleared her own tray and placed garbage in the trash bin independently, again using her vision to focus on larger areas, but not shifting gaze toward smaller targets. She then used her cane and one hand in front of her to navigate through the isle, avoiding furniture, and lined up alongside her classmates. On the way back to class, KB demonstrated appropriate cane technique, but using primarily her vision to navigate turns in the hallway, both right and left. 3) Accommodations and Adaptations

Mandated Services (IEP):

1) 1:1 Aide: KB has a 1:1 aide throughout the school day, M , who has been working with her since she was in pre-school. M undertook an independent field of study in contracted Braille and Nemeth code through the Hadley School for the Blind, and is a proficient transcriber of both. M personally prepares the extensive amount of class materials that need to be Brailled, and KB’s work which needs to be transcribed (especially Math work). Throughout the day, M maintains physical distance from KB to support her independent functioning, and was only observed to have been working directly with her in a class activity as described above in Math class.

2) Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI): KB receives educational services from a TVI, Elizabeth Sheehy, who reports that she has been pushing into the class since KB was in 3rd grade. Her current mandate allots three sessions of 80 minute duration per week, and one session of 60 minute duration.

3) Orientation and Mobility: KB receives services from an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist, twice weekly for 60 minute duration. The O&M instructor schedules sessions to take place during English (ELA) or Social Studies class work, and in particular not during Math class.

4) Occupational Therapist: KB sees an OT once a week, for 25 minutes, on a 6-day cycle.

5) Extended School Year: KB participates in an extended school year, in which the team reports that she mainly focuses on learning new programs and practicing technology (see Compensatory Skills and Assistive Technology in Expanded Core Curriculum).

4) Test Accommodations: KB currently receives the following testing accommodations as specified on her IEP: She takes tests independently in a separate room, with versions in Braille, added time as needed (currently reported at 1.5x), with frequent breaks allowed, reading directions aloud, reading test questions aloud, repeating, clarifying, or rewording directions, providing manipulatives for math items, using a Braille ruler and talking calculator, dictating oral responses to a scribe, using a Braille Writer to record responses, and recording responses on a word processor. She is also permitted special lighting conditions during tests, not specifically described on her IEP.

Inventory of Adaptations and Devices:

In class: · Personal netbook computer with JAWS, headphones, paper taped over mousepad, USB· Focus40 refreshable Braille display with wireless connection, USB · A second desk to the right of her desk, with crates beneath for storing class materials· Perkins Braille Writer· Math Window

In separate “Resource Room” in the school:· Braille Embosser· Library of Braille Textbooks· APH Materials including tactile materials for Science curriculum units· Closed Circuit Television (CCTV); KB’s aide M reports that KB rarely uses it anymore

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· Additional materials and adaptive devices not observed

KB has an iPad, which she uses proficiently with VoiceOver and Siri, as reported by her mother and the educational team. She was not observed using it in the course of this evaluation. She also has a Victor Stream Reader, a handheld media player that works in conjunction with NIMAS/DAISY files, audio books embedded with Braille formats that can be easily transferred to a refreshable display.

4) Description of Performance in Expanded Core Curriculum Areas:

A) Compensatory/functional academic skills

Braille: KB has significant strengths in Braille reading and writing, as well as in typing skills. As mentioned, her aide M personally creates Braille worksheets using a Perkins Braille Writer, or converting text files to print longer Brailled texts using the school’s Braille embosser. She transcribes KB’s work as necessary. M has voiced some concern about how KB will be able to access Braille versions as the workload increases in middle school.

Organizational Skills/Study Skills: KB was observed struggling to take out materials and clean up within the time frame allotted in the fast-moving pace of the general education classroom. She has binders organized for each of her subjects, and she is encouraged to manage these with minimal assistance. She has a “work in progress” folder which she keeps organized for the most part, as well as a slant board and a “take home” folder in which she puts current work. In the phone interview, KB remarked that sometimes she has trouble finding her homework if her slant board gets piled up with work. Asked what she would do if she had an assignment that she couldn’t access or find, KB answered that she would email or text one of her friends in the class, or email her teacher if necessary.

KB’s educational team reports that she does not always make the best choices about what materials to use, and needs to work on her independent time management skills. KB prefers to use mental math strategies, which have served her very well so far in accomplishing tasks and math problems efficiently and keeping up with the class. Her team recounted an example in which the students were asked to write abbreviations for what strategies they employed to solve a particular problem, for example “WB” for “white board.” KB wrote “MB,” and when asked, explained that it stood for “my brain.”

Regarding additional academic compensatory skills, also note comments above in Social Studies for present levels of performance in map skills, and reading charts and diagrams.

B) Orientation and Mobility:

There are no current Orientation and Mobility evaluations available to provide a comprehensive description of KB’s skill levels and target goal areas. Her O&M instructor reported on her current IEP that she “is becoming more independent with her problem solving skills and is beginning to use landmarks and cues for orientation and route travel with less prompting. She has learned to use a Braille compass to identify cardinal directions. She is learning … intersection analysis.”

KB’s team reports that she is accustomed to a very simple, contained and controlled arrival routine. This will change in middle school, when many buses are coming at the same time, with many more students and activity. Her team reports that she needs help with using her cane skills in new routines.

KB occasionally bumps into objects, furniture, and other students while retrieving materials in the classroom. She responds very appropriately, quietly apologizing if she has bumped into someone. As noted above, she does miss some social cues, and may not realize if she has bumped into someone with her coat or bag, for example. KB uses her cane effectively, demonstrating proper technique, in the context of familiar routines (walking from lunch to class). She uses a self-protective hand technique, holding one hand in front of her in order to navigate through narrow spaces and avoid collision with objects and furniture. She shows determination in getting around without asking for assistance, during

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familiar routines. She uses visual information to navigate from area to area, but does not shift gaze or track visually to focus on details during movement activities.

KB’s TVI reports that she has made some effort to promote O&M and independent living skills at home through assignments involving following routes and locating items, for example at the grocery store.

C) Social interaction skills:

KB presents as being very socially comfortable in conversation, and socially appropriate with both peers and adults. When I introduced myself to her, she remarked, “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” (I spoke to her mother on the phone before the evaluation, and her mother and team told her that I would be visiting her school.) KB makes eye contact/turns her head toward a conversation partner, and is attentive and polite.

As a result of her visual impairment, KB experiences a lack of incidental information regarding social cues, as well as an increased lack of social experience during many fast-paced movement-based activities in which her peers may participate, as observed during recess after lunch. Her team reported that she recently started actively seeking out conversations and entering social interactions with groups of girls during lunch and recess, whereas in the past she would gravitate toward the swings during recess.

KB gravitates toward peers that help her without threatening her feeling of independence or success. The educational team reports that she may not necessarily share personal interests with her peers, and may have younger personal interests than her peers at times. As a counter point, KB also has very developed and mature interests in literature and music, and she was eager to discuss the books she has been reading (Percy Jackson series, Greek mythology).

KB’s team reports that she can be academically competitive, may not always wait her turn to give answers, and may gloat slightly when she gets the correct answer over her classmates. As mentioned above, KB does exhibit some fidgeting and sensory-seeking behaviors, which have decreased in the past few years. She was observed fidgeting, but also notably containing her hand movements inside the part of her desk where her peers could not see, demonstrating that she has social awareness and a desire not to stigmatize her behaviors for her peers. There are no significant concerns in these areas; however, they are relevant to note in relation to KB’s social skills.

In the middle school KB will attend, students come from two different elementary schools, so KB will have a new group of peers in addition to many of her current classmates. Asked if she was nervous about middle school, KB replied that she was only a little nervous about “being the baby in the school again,” and that she was enjoying being in the oldest grade at elementary school (a typical response for any student going into middle school). She was explicitly not nervous about meeting new peers.

D) Independent Living Skills:

This is an area requiring much focus, and a particularly difficult one to address in the context of a general education program.

KB is for the most part independent throughout her daily routines in the school environment: dressing and undressing for arrival and departure, cleaning up after herself, and most areas of mealtime routine (note above mention of asking for help to open an ice cream cup during lunch). Next year in middle school, KB will have less time for lunch, recess, and transitions in general.

KB’s aide reports that she is able to put on her headband, but otherwise does not style her own hair. The team reports that she does not go to the bathroom at all during school hours, and she does not yet require skills related to women’s hygiene.

E) Recreation and Leisure Skills

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KB has strongly developed personal hobbies and interests. She is gifted and passionate about music, and plays piano and sings with perfect pitch. She participates in a local choir. KB is also passionate about reading, and enjoys age-appropriate and even above age-level literature; she is currently excited about the new book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and is very interested in Greek mythology, adventure/fantasy books, and astronomy. She also loves to write, and is creative and articulate. KB also enjoys swimming. As mentioned, KB has increasingly been seeking out social opportunities during recess, rather than going to the swings by herself.

Asked what she was most excited about in going on to middle school, KB replied that she couldn’t wait to join the debate team and the drama club.

F) Assistive Technology

KB’s use of assistive technology (AT) has been discussed above in the context of the observation and interview. There are no current AT evaluations to provide comprehensive information on this area.

KB appears to learn technology very quickly; her mother reported that she learned to use the Victor Stream Reader and her iPad independently to read texts and complete assignments, within a few days of practicing. She currently uses her netbook efficiently with JAWS, quickly using keyboard commands to find, open, and save documents, and to perform a full range of tasks in Microsoft Word. She uses the Focus40 refreshable Braille display functionally to read over lines in her writing, observed in the context of the Social Studies lesson. In conjunction with the netbook with JAWS, she tends to use JAWS commands to review her writing by listening to it read back to her, rather than reading it out in Braille on the Focus40. This is time efficient for the fast pace of the classroom. KB is not currently allowed to carry her Focus40 in school, as her aide reported that she dropped and broke it previously.

KB is able to use a thumb drive with her netbook, and easily transfers documents between home and school in this way. She does currently not print her own documents or use the embosser independently.

The educational team expressed concerns in making sure that KB receives sufficient training in assistive technology skills specific to accessing programs that will be used in the middle school curriculum, in particular Expert21 and Science21, Core Curricular holistic unit programs that make use of videos, internet sites, and other selected multimedia. KB has been exposed to using Expert21, which works with the Focus40 with some effort, but she is not entirely comfortable with using this program, and requires text-to-speech to access some materials.

G) Self-determination

KB presents with a positive self-concept, observed here and confirmed in her most recent Psychological Evaluation. She has an understanding of her visual impairment, and approaches activities and social interactions with optimism and determination to succeed. She has a strong personality and a competitive academic approach, and she clearly shows a strong will to perform the same tasks as her sighted peers, as in the Science lesson described above. She makes a concerted effort to do tasks independently, but is willing to ask for help when she decides that she needs it.

KB typically looks for a particular friend when asking for help, and in the event that the friend she seeks is not present, she may take longer to ask someone else. KB is still developing strategies to request for help from less preferred people. Asked what she would do if one of her classmates was talking about or showing something printed or visual without explaining it properly, KB responded that usually she would look to someone close to her and ask to explain what was being presented.

KB does not readily complain in school when she is visually or physically fatigued, and may need verbal prompting from her aide or someone else to advocate for herself in seeking out adaptations. KB is aware of the resources and technologies that are available to her. She is still developing skills to independently select the most appropriate tools to complete a task.

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H) Career Education:

At KB’s age, it would not be expected that she have much experience in this area; however, this is an important area for development in the future (see recommendations below).

I) Visual Efficiency (See Functional Vision Assessment summary below)

IV. Evaluation Tools and Results:

1) The School Function Assessment

The School Function Assessment is a standardized, criterion-referenced assessment tool used “to measure a student’s performance of functional tasks that support his or her participation in the academic and social aspects of an elementary school program.” This instrument can be used to confirm and identify areas in which the student receives, or requires, assistance and support throughout the school day. It is a judgment-based questionnaire (questions regarding student performance are answered according to the best judgment of the team of evaluators, who must be very familiar with the child). The tool is organized into three main sections: Participation, Task Supports, and Activity Performance. This is not an assessment of academic skill or achievement, but rather an evaluation of the level of supports used and needed in order to promote holistic success in a school setting. Information from this assessment may be used to drive collaborative team goal development for the student, as well as to support eligibility for specialized educational programming, including justification for specific adaptations and accommodations. This assessment is not made specifically for students with visual impairments.

The School Function Assessment (SFA) was determined to be an appropriate assessment tool to support KB’s educational planning, as concerns voiced by the team and family prior to the observation were centered on her transition to middle school in the context of adaptations, accommodations, access to materials, and interpersonal areas that affect her academic educational environment. This assessment was carried out during a collaborative team meeting, in which the evaluator led members of the educational team through the assessment, allowing for discussion and elaboration.

Results: Results of the SFA present KB as participating close to or at grade level in Activity Performance areas of “Maintaining and Changing Positions,” “Setup and Cleanup,” “Compliance with Adult Directives,” and “Safety” in Cognitive/Behavioral Tasks. In the general category of Participation, KB was assessed as performing in the 60th percentile, a score which was affected significantly in the areas of Playground/Recess and Bathroom/Toileting (she scored much higher in Transportation, Transitions, and Mealtime). In all areas of Task Supports, KB presents as requiring a higher level of adaptations and assistance than is typical of her grade level. This is particularly evident in the level of assistance and adaptations needed in completing physical tasks. In Activity Performance, KB scored slightly below grade level average (grades 4-6) in “Using Materials,” “Memory and Understanding,” “Following Social Conventions,” and “Task Behavior/Completion.” KB performed significantly below grade level in the areas of “Recreational Movement” and “Manipulation with Movement.”

Discussion and Implications: Due to the nature of her visual impairment, it is not surprising that KB presents as requiring a higher level of adaptations and assistance in many areas of the “functional” school day as compared with her sighted peers. The purpose of this assessment tool is to formally reflect levels of assistance and adaptation needed in a range of skill areas occurring in the school day. Although KB presents with above average, and even superior intelligence in memory and verbal/mathematical reasoning, in the area of “Memory and Understanding” in school activity tasks, she scored slightly below grade level. Looking at the specific tasks assessed in this section, she scored slightly lower in “Demonstrating memory for where materials belong,” and other organizational skills-related events. In addition, her slightly lower score on “Following Social Conventions” is the result of a severe limitation in accessing nonverbal social cues, as observed and corroborated by her visual diagnosis. Her significant low scores in movement-based activities also result from her severe visual impairment, and assessment of these discrepancies is intended to support accommodations and adaptation.

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A Record Form and Summary Score Form are provided at the end of this evaluation. Please refer to these forms for clarification of specific skill performance beyond the above summary.

2) Functional Vision Assessment

Visual Diagnosis: KB is diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), right constant esotropia (inward turn of the right eye), hyperopia (farsightedness), and nystagmus. Her most recent (2012) reported best corrected distance visual acuity is reported as OS (left eye): 20/200; and OD (right eye): 2/200 or 20/2000. No clinical information is currently available regarding her acuity at near. She is reported to have a severe visual field restriction in her right eye.

Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis is a degenerative retinal condition resulting in severe loss of vision, typically characterized by sluggish or no pupillary responses, progressive central and peripheral visual field loss from birth (usually stable throughout young adult life), loss of color vision and detail, reduced depth perception and night vision, and nystagmus. The presence of nystagmus is a sign that residual vision is being used, as nystagmus is not itself a concrete visual impairment, but rather an involuntary movement of the eyes in attempt to focus on a target. The presence of sluggish or no pupillary responses results in photosensitivity/photophobia, and can also cause visual fatigue.

KB is reported to have a severe field restriction in her right eye. Her diagnosis of right esotropia and the significant discrepancy between distance visual acuity from left to right eyes would suggest that her entire right side of vision is profoundly affected. The severity of hyperopia in the right eye would suggest that she uses her right eye for only basic perception of larger targets in a highly contrasting setting.

KB wears glasses with the following prescription: OD: +8.25, -2.50 X 180; OS: +8.0, -2.25 X 180. In addition to severe hyperopia, this prescription also suggests astigmatism, a refractive error usually caused by irregular curvature of the cornea, resulting in blurred vision and difficulty achieving focus on a point (e.g. the intersection of lines in the letter “T”). Her mother reported that her ophthalmologist recommended having reading glasses prescribed as well, but KB and her family agree that it would create more difficulty to switch between the two.

Hearing:

KB’s hearing is reported as within normal limits. Some association has been identified between Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and progressive hearing loss, so it is recommended that KB have annual auditory evaluations (usually done in conjunction with required school physical examinations). Summary of Observations:

KB used her distance vision functionally throughout the school day to navigate environments and locate larger visual targets. She was not able to use distance vision to read large print on the class white board from ten feet away, and did not visually regard or look for large print on a standing white board 3 feet away at the rug area of the classroom. When moving about the classroom or school, KB did not visually regard furniture directly in her path, but rather looked straight ahead to the area where she was going while using her hand to prevent collision with chairs and tables. This is an example of KB’s significant issues with depth perception, also typical of individuals with Leber’s. She occasionally bumped into objects and other students, less so in familiar routes and predictable environments.

KB is able to use her near vision to focus on writing and drawing, given high contrast tools (20/20 pen, white/beige construction paper), as seen in her participation in the Science activity. She writes at approximately 48pt font, demonstrating basic letter formation, and while writing with a pen she looks directly at the page, at a distance of about 18”. She demonstrated difficulty with color vision typical of individuals with Leber’s, confusing colors that are close on the spectrum (orange/red, blue/green). She was able to color in between the lines of her drawing of planets, and able to produce some detail (little

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continents for Earth on her drawing). KB demonstrates spatial-visual memory skills, as demonstrated in her drawing of the planets in sequence from left to right, and the inclusion of other items spatially on the page, such as writing her name on the bottom right corner. She represented all planets as the same in size, which may or may not reflect some limitation in her visual-spatial recall, depending on the examples from which she derived her understanding.

KB used her Math Window and netbook employing vision minimally. She searched for the small (.5”x.5”) Nemeth magnets on the Math Window tactually, without looking at them. She typed comfortably without looking at the keyboard or computer screen.

When KB dropped a pen on the ground, she shifted gaze to look down for it briefly, but without time to bend down and search for it tactilely, she was not able to find it. In the locker area/closet while preparing to go home, she searched through a pile of clothes and bags tactually, finding her belongings quickly in the dark room without using vision.

When engaging in conversation or listening to a speaker, KB moved her head to maintain eye contact. When KB was observed in class, the teacher was presenting from across the room in front of the window, about fifteen feet away from KB, and to her right side. KB turned her whole body to look in the direction of the teacher. When another student spoke to answer a question, KB did not shift her gaze to focus on her classmate, but rather remained turned toward the teacher.

KB is not able to easily access nonverbal social cues such as facial expressions, hand gestures, and whether a person is making eye contact with her, or looking in another direction. In the lunchroom and in her classroom, this was apparent when she attempted to ask a friend for help, and did not realize that the friend was looking in a different direction. This occurred at 3-5 feet distance on both occasions. KB’s visual acuity diagnosis of severe hyperopia would suggest that this would not be better at a closer range, particularly in the natural, non-adapted contexts in which nonverbal social cues typically occur.

As is typical with individuals who have Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, KB becomes visually fatigued when she strains herself to use her vision for prolonged periods of time, and when she is exposed to bright lighting and low contrast targets. She exhibits some eccentric viewing, mostly by turning her head to the right or tilting to center her left eye to a target, compensating for the more severe visual impairments in her right eye. Given an object to inspect closely, or a large print letter to read closely, she is able to do so using her left eye only.

See recommendations below for supporting visual efficiency.

3) Learning Media Assessment Summary:

A Learning Media Assessment is an observation- and interview-based examination of a student’s most efficient sensory means of accessing routines and obtaining information across a variety of settings. The purpose of this tool, in conjunction with a Functional Vision Assessment and clinical information on sensory functioning, is to determine most efficient reading and writing media, and to determine what sensory channels (visual/tactile/auditory/olfactory-gustatory/kinesthetic) and adaptations are most effective for the student to obtain information and access materials in a variety of functional and daily activities, routines, and environments.

Primary learning/literacy modality: Learning Media Assessment confirms that KB is primarily a tactual-auditory learner, and accesses literacy best through Braille. However, she uses her residual vision functionally in a variety of routines.

Movement routines: KB uses her residual vision for orientation in gross motor/movement tasks, in a range of environmental settings (with regard to lighting, contrast, visual clutter). It is important to note that she moves around much more comfortably, and with fewer collisions, in very familiar routes. She demonstrates use of self-protective safety skills and awareness of her visual limitations, and acceptance of her need to use a tactual approach. She uses auditory and visual information to locate peers.

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Posture: KB maintains good posture while sitting and reading/writing at her desk, and walks comfortably and without slouching, both with and without her cane.

Effects of lighting: KB experiences photophobia/photosensitivity as a result of Leber’s, and brightly lit environments (both indoor and outdoor) result in visual fatigue. In addition, she has trouble adjusting to sudden changes in lighting, such as entering a dark room from a bright outdoor area. KB is reported to have very poor night vision, which results from degeneration to photoreceptors and visual field issues.

Peripheral Vision: KB’s severe right peripheral field loss and significantly worse visual acuity in her right eye makes her left side far superior for accessing visual information. She also has a restricted peripheral field in her left eye, but her severe hyperopia and issues with depth perception make it difficult to assess her left peripheral field accurately. A comprehensive visual field test (perimetry) may shed further light on the specific range of loss.

Object movement: KB does not readily track moving objects in the context of functional routines. Her ability to track objects in an adapted environment (increased contrast background, backlit objects without glare) and with verbal prompting to do so may vary. KB scans for objects on a table tactually. She is able to track the movement of people and larger objects, particularly in the context of familiar settings with increased contrast.

Color Vision: KB has trouble with color discrimination for similar colors (as described in the Science activity), but does demonstrate ability to distinguish parts of the color spectrum. She has a strong mental sense of color, and also presents with chromesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which she experiences specific sounds as colors.

Contrast Sensitivity: KB is able to focus on highly contrasting detail at approximately 48 pt font size, or a line thickness of approximately 2-3mm. She performs close visual tasks best with contrasting materials and direct, adjustable lighting to focus on a target, in a dimly lit background environment/room.

Depth Perception: KB has significant issues with depth perception, resulting from the significant discrepancy between visual acuity in her right and left eyes (also known as anisometropia), and decreased contrast sensitivity.

Binocular Status: The severity of KB’s visual impairment in her right eye, including severe hyperopia and right constant esotropia, result in very poor binocular status. As observed, and certainly corroborated by clinical information, KB relies upon her left eye almost exclusively for functional vision.

Visual Fatigue: KB experiences visual fatigue as a result of straining her eyes to focus on a target for a prolonged period of time, and exposure to brightly lit targets and environments. Her mother reports that by the end of the school day she is typically physically and visually tired.

Low Vision Devices:KB currently has access to a CCTV (in a “resource room”), which she does not reportedly use often. She wears glasses, and also has access to magnifiers as needed. KB’s right esotropia and the prevalence of nystagmus are reported as reduced when she wears her glasses. KB reports that her glasses allow her to focus more on a smaller target, and that she needs them in order to, for example, draw a picture (such as observed in Science class).

V. Recommendations The following recommendations are made with the goal of supporting KB’s transition into middle school next year, with a holistic approach to her educational and personal success emphasizing areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum.  These recommendations are drawn from observation, interview, and formal

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assessment, with the understanding that the observations presented above represent only a single day of KB’s current school routines and her performance in school.

1) Academics and Core Content Access:

KB’s current educational team, and her family, is doing an exemplary job of supporting her success in school. KB’s academic abilities will continue to be supported by participation in the general education core curriculum and with the same materials as classmates to the highest degree possible as appropriate to her visual impairment and preferred modalities.

· Continue to provide opportunities to excel in the general education classroom, and to participate in the ECG (Enrichment Cluster Group) model for areas in which she is performing above grade level.

· Provide training in using new curricular materials and programs o Provide training in navigating and using curricular programs such as Expert21 and Science21

· Continue to require testing accommodations as currently specified in her IEP· Provide experience with live readers in testing, to prepare her for high school and higher

education. · It will also benefit her to talk to older individuals who are blind/visually impaired, and have been

through the general education system with marked success.

Math and Science: These subject areas present additional difficulties for KB due to the visual content presented in order to learn new concepts and practice skills, and the reduced efficiency of adapted materials that KB uses to access this content (e.g., the Math Window). These issues will arise with increased frequency in specific subjects as KB advances in grade level, for example in chemistry experiments. Special attention must be given to these areas, and the team must work together to determine appropriate levels of accommodation.

· Continue to encourage participation at the same time and pace as the class, as much as possible· KB’s aide should continue to support her in math class, working with the general education

teacher and the TVI to assess specifically which concepts and strategies require use of the Math Window

· Provide additional adaptations to access math and science conceptso Produce tactile graphics or tactile-visual adaptations for images when relevant to teaching the

concept (e.g. especially in geometry/shapes, angles, graphs and charts). It may not be necessary to provide tactile adaptations of pictures in word problems, which can be described instead.

o One example of a tool that would be effective in producing on-the-spot tactile adaptations of material presented in class is the Swell-form Graphics Machine (www.americanthermoform.com); with this technology, a photocopy of a visual representation is made onto a special paper, which, when fed through the machine, comes out as a raised form. This is a quick and efficient way to produce raised tactile versions of any class material, and the raised lines also still have the visual content of the original photocopy. More examples of tactile adaptations and guidelines for creating tactile graphics can be found at: http://www.tsbvi.edu/component/content/article/107-graphics/3189-tactile-graphics-resources.

o Encourage exploration of new adaptations/products in the field of visual impairment and blindness, via the American Printing House for the Blind

· Encourage exploration of additional online training opportunities in Science and Math curricular access, via Perkins School for the Blind (www.perkins.edu) and TSBVI (www.tsbvi.org).

· Provide a reduced number of problems in math when necessary, to the extent that KB needs to learn concepts and apply strategies.

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· Continue to allow KB to determine the materials she will use (with facilitation, and the goal to become more independent in making appropriate choices), and offer her a choice when classroom activities are visual in nature (making a drawing or visual presentation).

· In science activities that are difficult for KB to access or potentially unsafe (e.g. experiments), encourage work with a peer buddy, and/or an appropriate role in a collaborative group. Provide verbal/written descriptions when information is presented visually, and encourage KB to ask for clarification independently.

· Provide the option (depending on KB’s own preferences) of training in using the abacus for calculations, including long division, multiplication of large numbers, fractions, decimals, etc.; this is an effective manual calculation tool which takes less time to use than the Math Window. There are courses available on advanced use of the abacus through the Hadley School for the Blind.

2) Defined roles and collaborative approaches: Going forward, particularly in the context of a new school and higher grade levels, it will be important to establish clear definitions of the roles of the professionals supporting KB in her educational environment, and to make sure that these roles are communicated clearly to the entire team.  KB’s current team appears to communicate very well and to collaborate effectively. This effort can be carried over into middle school best by also recognizing that expectations will naturally change for KB in middle school, as will social experiences and workload. In order to assure an effective transition and establish a solid plan for the future, these roles must be defined again, and must also be open to change as necessary.

A collaborative team approach is essential for creating a successful balance between support and independence, and a successful transition into middle school with a plan to carry her into high school. A meeting during the summer, or at the very beginning of the school year, should have as its agenda the clear outlining of roles and responsibilities, short- and long-term goals, and levels of support needed at present, as well as target levels of support in the future.

Roles can be considered in terms of levels of direct support (proximity) in the classroom, extent of responsibility for adapting materials and environments, and extent of direct tutoring or support outside of the classroom. 

A) Direct Support (Proximity) in the Classroom:  The ultimate goal of classroom support is minimal proximity, and research has shown that for children with visual impairments in inclusive settings, success in school (academically, socially, and in other areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum) is contingent upon reduced support (and, simultaneously, increased independent functioning) over time. KB’s aide M appears to have found a balance that works very well for KB at this particular time and setting.  This should naturally change in the future, especially if clear goals are set for KB in improving her organizational skills, and more independently accessing and advocating for her own adaptations.  

· Provide direct support in the classroom only when absolutely necessary to access content and/or use materials.

o Establish a shared understanding between team members, and KB, regarding the specific activities and contexts in which she requires direct support

o Establish a shared goal of increasing independence in these activities, and implementing strategies to do so

B) Responsibility for Adapting Materials and Environments: At present, the responsibility for adapting materials appears to fall mostly on KB’s aide, M. M is doing an exemplary job of adapting Braille materials and transcribing KB’s work, supporting her use of assistive technology, and maintaining the resource room with the support of the TVI, Elizabeth. M has expressed concern about keeping up with Braille adaptations and accessibility of the general education curriculum given the increase in workload, and new academic materials that will come in middle school.

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· Provide meetings with KB’s aide, TVI, and teacher to discuss expected workload and levels of adaptation necessary and determine specific responsibilities in adapting materials (before school year starts, and on a monthly basis as possible).

· In the coming year(s), provide instruction to KB in using the Braille embosser (if she has Duxbury or another conversion program on her netbook, she should be able to do this using JAWS)

C) Tutoring and Support Outside of the Classroom:

· Increase the amount of tutoring and additional support outside of the classroom while decreasing direct support in the classroom.

· Focus tutoring on teaching organizational skills, efficient and independent access to materials, assistive technology skills, and self-advocacy skills (including social role-play) based on material and situations that come up naturally.

· KB’s team mentioned that in middle school there will be a scheduled “study period.” This would be a great opportunity for providing direct instruction in the related skills areas outlined above.

· If possible, schedule at least one of the weekly TVI sessions during a study period. During other study periods, when possible, KB’s aide could work with her on targeted goals.

3) Goals in Study Skills/Organizational Skills (part of Compensatory Skills in ECC): KB’s academic strengths are potentially offset by the challenges she faces in organizing and keeping track of an increasing workload. Her teachers report that she does not always make the best choices about what materials to use, and she was observed in class requiring some additional prompting to obtain the appropriate materials for activities. In phone interview, KB mentioned that she sometimes has difficulty finding her homework papers, as the amount of work on her slant board or in her folders piles up.

· As mentioned above, a study period would be a good time to catch up on these goals, and this time would be best utilized by guided practice in organizing materials and planning work, and problem-solving around these goals in conversation with her aide and/or TVI.

· Increase KB’s ability to efficiently organize and plan her increasing workload, with a decreased amount of verbal prompting needed to do so.

o Provide KB with facilitated instruction in maintaining a weekly planner to record and check off assignments.

o Provide instruction in time management skills (outside of class time, with minimal disruption during class) and encourage use of a clock, watch, or timer. Provide verbal reminders and phase out reminders over time. Discuss how long it will take to complete an activity, and how much time to allot to different parts of the activity.

· Provide instruction in locating and accessing materials in the classroom, integrating goals set by the TVI and O&M instructor. For example, an O&M goal could be to independently locate a particular resource in the classroom when it would be appropriate for her to use this resource, without verbal prompting, using natural cues in the classroom and without bumping into furniture.

· Continue to provide an easily accessible space in the classroom for KB’s materialso A second desk, or a nearby closet or drawer

· Provide binders and filing containers for storing materials, and guided instruction during study time in organizing these materials.

4) Goals in Assistive Technology: KB currently demonstrates proficiency at grade level in using assistive technology in the classroom and at home. The technology she currently uses appears to be effective and appropriate, and supports her ability to access materials and efficiently produce class work. As she goes on, she will need to begin learning skills to acquire her own materials.

· Provide instruction in using the embosser at the school to access Braille versions of longer texts, and using a printer to print her typed assignments in class.

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· Provide opportunities to learn skills in caring for assistive technology, such as the Focus40.· Provide KB with additional training in using the Focus40 and her netbook with JAWS to access

the curricular programs she will be using in the coming year(s), such as Expert21 and Science21. This training must be provided by a proficient user of the technology, but must also be done in communication with KB’s teachers in the general education setting who can discuss the target usage of the curricular programs. If it is not possible to set up training/practice sessions that include both the AT trainer and the general education teacher(s), then an outline should be provided by the teacher as to how these programs will be used, and what technological prerequisite skills are necessary to fully access them.

· Continue to use a notebook with JAWS and the Focus40 at school· Provide exposure to and instruction in using gesture commands on her iPad, in addition to using

VoiceOver and Siri. These commands will make her a more fluent and efficient user, and will likely support her future use of technology. A list of gesture commands can be found here: http://www.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/_1131.html.

· In the next year, provide a formal Assistive Technology evaluation, to determine any specific skills gaps, and any other media that would support her.

· Provide opportunities to access a larger Assistive Technology community, and to establish natural supports from direct users of new technologies for individuals with visual impairments and blindness, who are after all the best teachers and resources for troubleshooting. The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired maintains a blog which may provide some direction here: http://www.tsbvi.edu/blog/otrvi/category/assistive-technology/.

· Provide staff working with KB to receive further training in Assistive Technology use. To start with, her aide would benefit from further facilitated training in using JAWS and Focus40.

5) Social Skills: Due to lack of incidental information incurred by her visual impairment, KB will need to continue to develop social strategies to compensate and seek out information from her peers. At the same time, her perseverance and lack of frustration is a character strength and sign of self-determination, as is her willingness to seek assistance only when she really needs it. The tendency to seek out more familiar friends for help reflects a typical social dynamic for KB’s age.

· Support opportunities to socialize with peers and make new friends in the context of KB’s own interests.

o Encourage participation in drama and debate, as well as clubs (technology, reading/book clubs, etc.) that are available as she gets older.

· Meet as an educational team regularly to discuss observations and specific development in targeted goals related to social skills. Include KB’s family in these discussions.

· (TVI, aide, family) Provide KB with opportunities to discuss and develop strategies to get a peer’s attention, to ask for help or clarification, and to determine which peer to turn to in each case (that is, how to determine if someone is facing you, or listening).

· (TVI, aide, family) Provide opportunities to discuss and develop strategies to communicate effectively with peers and teachers about her visual impairment, whether for the purpose of providing information to support her access to materials, or in response to an interaction in which she is made to feel uncomfortable.

· (TVI, aide, family) Provide role-play situations to practice strategies in a comfortable way.

6) Goals in Self-Determination/Self-Advocacy: Concurrent with social skills development, it will benefit KB to develop specific goals in self-advocacy, and provide structured experiences and opportunities to further develop her self-determination and feeling of self-efficacy.

· Continue to support KB’s strengths and interests as discussed· Provide discussion outside of class time, and not in the presence of peers, regarding strategies

for effectively letting people around her know when she needs help.

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· Encourage KB to speak comfortably about her visual impairment in a variety of situations · Provide connections with and opportunities to learn more about role models who have visual

impairmentso Maintain a Braille pen pal, encourage reading about role models with visual impairment today

and throughout history, provide opportunities to learn about and participate in a national and state community (the National Federation of the Blind’s website has an excellent section on resources)

7) Supporting Visual Efficiency: KB compensates and adjusts well to her classroom routines apparently without much environmental adaptation. She will need to work with her team to find a balance in promoting her best visual functioning through minimal adaptations to materials and to the class/school environment, while promoting continued independence and her excellent use of compensatory skills in non-adapted environments.

· Positioning and Seating: KB requires seating placement in the front of the class and to the right of where the teacher most often presents (due to significantly worse visual acuity in her right eye). If possible, avoid seating that would require her to look directly toward a window to attend to the teacher (due to photophobia).

· Provide a space in the classroom where she can take visual representations to look at with best visual efficiency (e.g. a tabletop space with an adjusting intensity lamp, away from the window).

· Provide KB with opportunities to discuss her best visual efficiency in various classroom routines. Provide discussion regarding the introduction of new adaptations to the classroom environment, such as black tape on the edges of furniture, adjustable lamps, high contrast folders and areas for her work, Braille labels on classroom organizational areas/trays, and information posted on the wall.

o Allow KB to accept or reject an adaptation after discussing it, even if only on the account that it socially draws attention to her visual impairment.

8) Orientation and Mobility:

· Provide a comprehensive, current Orientation and Mobility evaluation. · Provide additional focus and develop goals around navigating unfamiliar environments and

practicing new routes.· Integrate O&M goals into classroom routines· Continue to schedule O&M sessions so that KB does not miss math class. O&M could also be

scheduled into study periods occasionally, focusing on orientation in the context of organizational skills in accessing materials in the classroom with greater independence.

Attached to this report are two resources which may be helpful in establishing further O&M goals and school adaptations, under the supervision of the instructor: the Skills Education for Life Functioning (SELF) Orientation and Mobility Assessment, and Checklist for Outdoor and Indoor Orientation and Mobility Adaptations.

9) Independent Living Skills:

· Further discussion between the team and family is necessary to identify personal hygiene skills and target goals for increasing KB’s independence and comfort in these areas. In particular, discuss plans to make KB more comfortable in using the toilet in school as she approaches teen age.

10) Continued Assessment:

· Vision Assessment: Due to KB’s visual condition, she requires annual vision assessments to provide information on changes in her visual acuity, visual fields, and contrast sensitivity levels. This

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information should be communicated to the TVI and O&M instructor, who would then communicate implications to the team.

· Expanded Core Curriculum Areas: Continued assessment and tracking of progress in areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum will be helpful to support future goal development for KB. Attached to this report is a resource which may be helpful in this process: Expanded Core Curriculum Screening Record. In addition, this link to an IEP goal bank for all areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum may be helpful to the team in selecting specific goals and sequencing progressive goals for KB in the areas mentioned above: http://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources/2783-vi-goals-and-objectives

11) Staff Training:

· Provide training to all new teaching and professional staff before the beginning of the school year to discuss and learn specific information about KB’s visual impairment and support needs, as outlined in this evaluation and understood extensively by her teachers.

13) Peer Sensitivity Training:

· Provide training to KB’s peers at the beginning of the school year to develop an understanding of KB’s visual impairment and appropriate levels of support. Providing her peers with this knowledge base and clear behavioral expectations will support KB’s ability to succeed socially and interpersonally. It would be helpful if this training could occur with natural supports, such as encouraging KB’s friends from elementary school to lead facilitated sessions with new peers.

Summary:

KB is an exceptionally bright and sociable 10 year, 10-month old girl with a visual impairment who is currently attending a mainstream 5th grade class. She excels academically and has a vibrant personality and strongly developed interests, in particular reading and music. KB is an enthusiastic and gifted Braille reader and writer, and last year she won second place in the competitive National Braille Challenge. She is an eager and dedicated student with a positive self-image.

KB is diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, a degenerative retinal condition resulting in a severe loss of vision from birth, progressive central and peripheral visual field loss, loss of color vision and detail, sluggish pupillary responses, reduced depth perception, and nystagmus (involuntary eye movements as the eye attempts to focus on a target). KB presents with severe hyperopia (farsightedness) in both eyes, right esotropia (her right eye is turned in toward her nose), and little to no functional vision in her right eye. KB is primarily a tactual and auditory learner, although she uses residual vision in her left eye functionally throughout the school day to visually locate larger objects and areas. She is able to use the vision in her left eye to attend to enlarged images and text (approximately font size 48), and benefits from materials presented at high contrast levels. KB also presents with photophobia (high sensitivity to light) and experiences visual fatigue from prolonged exposure to bright lighting. She benefits from preferential seating to the right side of teacher instruction, which enhances her view toward her left visual field. Seating her in a position in which she does not have to look directly at a light source (e.g. window) to attend will help to reduce her visual fatigue.

KB will continue to benefit from opportunities to succeed in the mainstream setting and in the Enrichment Cluster Group (ECG) model for content subjects in which she excels. While KB is academically and cognitively gifted, she requires significant adaptations to materials and additional supports in the school in order to fully access the curriculum and daily routines. Results from the School Function Assessment corroborate this observation, highlighting specific areas in which KB currently requires supports and adaptations. A strong reader and writer, KB is able to independently access the ELA and Social Studies curriculum with Brailled materials and assistive technology (a netbook with JAWS screen reading software and a Focus40 refreshable Braille display).

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The types of additional supports that are fundamental to KB’s success include:

1. Mathematics: In Math, she uses an adapted board (Math Window) with Braille magnets (in Nemeth Math Braille Code) to spatially arrange operations and solve problems. Although she learns and applies new math concepts at the same rate as her classmates, KB requires direct support in Math class, as these materials take extra time to use. She will require additional tactile adaptations to access math and science content in the future.

2. Organizational Skills: This area of the Expanded Core Curriculum will continue to develop as KB moves through her school years and is challenged with an increasing workload. She will benefit from facilitated instruction in maintaining and organizing her work and materials with increased independence, and making choices about the most efficient materials to use for specific assignments.

3. Social Skills Development: Although KB is very sociable and comfortable in conversation, and presents with a very positive self-image, she experiences limitations in accessing social experiences and information due to her severe visual impairment. She will benefit from continued support in developing social skills through structured conversation and strategies to increase her ability to advocate for herself, as well as opportunities to communicate with role models and peers who also have visual impairments.

4. Assistive Technology: KB is an efficient user of Assistive Technology (AT) who will benefit from increased opportunities to expand her repertoire and skills. This is best achieved through direct training, and exposure to a community of users of AT who are blind/visually impaired (who are, after all, the best teachers of new technologies, and resources for troubleshooting).

It was an absolute pleasure meeting KB, her educational team, and her mother, and getting a chance to see what an amazing job everyone is doing in supporting this exceptionally bright and personable girl. I am certain that she will succeed in her future education and endeavors, and I hope that this evaluation will be helpful in supporting her success. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments that arise upon reading this evaluation.

Christopher Russell, M.S. Ed., TVI

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