STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION AGENCIES

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

A child with a visual impairment is one whose vision, even with correction, adversely impacts a child's educational performance. Although similar, each state has it's own guidelines for what students are eligible to be identified as a student with a visual impairment. The following is a list of State Special Education Agencies within the Department of Education.

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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

$50.00

Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

• Object Characteristic Activities
• Quantity & Number Concepts
• Time Concept Activities
• Environment & Job Awareness Activities
• Listening Skills Activities
• Reading Foundation Activities
• Reading Fluency Activities
• Braille Basics Activities
• Writing Activities
• Tactual Efficiency Activities
• Developing Skillful Hands Activities
• Visual Efficiency Activities
• Optical Device Instruction Activities
• Recipe Activities

In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

• Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)
• Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)
• Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)
• O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)
• Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)
• Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)
• Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)
• Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements

$20.00

This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Alabama

Special Education Services
Alabama State Department of Education
P.O. Box 302101
50 North Ripley Street
Montgomery, AL 36130-2101
Phone: (334) 242-8114
Toll-Free: (800) 392-8020 AL residents only
Fax: (334) 242-9192

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Alaska

Special Education Office
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
801 West 10th Street, Suite 200
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, AK 99811-0500
Phone: (907) 465-8693
Fax: (907) 465-2806

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Arizona

Exceptional Student Services
Arizona State Department of Education
3300 N. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542-4013
Toll-Free: (800) 352-4558 AZ residents only
Fax: (602) 542-5404

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Arkansas

Special Education Services
Arkansas State Department of Education
Victory Building, Suite 450
1401 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201-2936
Phone: (501) 682-4221
Fax: (501) 682-5159

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California

Special Education Division
California State Department of Education
Suite 2401
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
Phone: (916) 445-4613
Fax: (916) 327-3706

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Colorado

Colorado Dept. of Education
Office of Special Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 866-6694
Fax: (303) 866-3808

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Connecticut

Bureau of Special Education
Connecticut State Department of Education
Room 369
P.O. Box 2219
Hartford, CT 06145-2219
Phone: (860) 713-6910
Fax: (860) 713-7014

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Deleware

Exceptional Children and Early Childhood Education
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite Two
Dover, DE 19901-3639
Phone: (302) 735-4210
Fax: (302) 739-2388

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Florida

Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Phone: (850) 245-0475
Fax: (850) 245-0953

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Georgia

Georgia Department of Education
Division for Special Education Services and Supports
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-3963
Fax: (404) 651-6457

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Hawaii

Special Education Office
Hawai'I State Department of Education
1390 Miller Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 305-9806

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Idaho

Idaho State Department of Education
Division of Special Education
PO BOX 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0047
Toll-Free: (800) 432-4601
Fax: (208) 334-2228

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Illinois

Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777-0001
Phone: (217) 782-5589
Fax: (217) 782-9224

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Indiana

Indiana Department of Education
Office of Special Education
South Tower Suite 600
115 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 232-0570
Toll-Free: (877) 851-4106
Fax: (317) 232-0589

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Iowa

Bureau of Learner Strategies and Supports
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
400 East 14th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0146
Phone: (515) 281-5294
Fax: (515) 242-5988

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Kansas

Special Education Services
Kansas State Department of Education
900 SW Jackson St.
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: (785) 296-9462
Toll-Free: (800) 203-9462 KS Residents only

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Kentucky

Office of Teaching and Learning
Division of Learning Services
300 Sower Blvd., 5th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40602
Phone: (502) 564-4970
Fax: (502) 564-6721

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Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Education
Office of Student Programs
Division of NCLB and IDEA Support
PO BOX 94064
Baton Rouge, LA 7804
Phone: (225) 219-0364
Toll-Free: (877) 453-2721
Fax: (225) 219-7370

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Maine

Office of Special Services
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Phone: (207) 624-6676
Fax: (207) 624-6651
TTY: 1-888-577-6690

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Maryland

Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 767-0238
Toll-Free: (800) 535-0182
Fax: (410) 333-8165

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Massachusetts

Special Education Planning and Policy Development Office
State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02148-5023
Phone: (781) 338-3375
Fax: (781) 338-3371

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Michigan

Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
Michigan Department of Education
P.O. Box 30008
608 West Allegan Street
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-3324

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Minnesota

Special Education Division
Minnesota State Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
Phone: (651) 582-8616
Fax: (651) 582-8729

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Missouri

Office of Special Education
Mississippi State Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
359 North West Street, Suite 301
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
Phone: (601) 359-3498
Toll-Free: (877) 544-0408 MS residents only

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Montana

Division of Special Education
Montana State Office of Public Instruction
P.O. Box 202501
Helena, MT 59620-2501
Phone: (406) 444-3095

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Nebraska

Office of Special Education
Nebraska State Department of Education
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 94987
Lincoln, NE 68509-4987
Phone: (402) 471-2471
Fax: (402) 471-5022

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Nevada

Office of Special Education
Nevada State Department of Education
700 East Fifth Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: (775) 687-9200
Fax: (775) 687-9101

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New Hampshire

Bureau of Special Education
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-3494

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New Jersey

Office of Special Education Programs
New Jersey Department of Education
P.O. Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625-0500
Phone: (609) 292-0147
TTY: (609) 984-8422

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New Mexico

New Mexico Public Education Department
Special Education Bureau
120 South Federal Place
Room 206
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 827-1457
Fax: (505) 954-0001

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New York

P-12: Office of Special Education
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, Room 309 EB
One Commerce Plaza
Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 474-3852

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North Carolina

Exceptional Children Division
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
6356 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6356
Phone: (919) 807-3969

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North Dakota

Office of Special Education
North Dakota State Department of Public Instruction
Department 201
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0440
Phone: (701) 328-2277

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Ohio 

Office for Exceptional Children
Ohio Department of Education
25 South Front Street, Mail Stop 409
Columbus, OH 43215-4183
Phone: (614) 466-2650
Toll-Free: (877) 644-6338
Fax: (614) 387-0968

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Oklahoma

Special Education Services
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Oliver Hodge Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
Phone: (405) 521-3351

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Oregon

Office of Special Education
Oregon State Department of Education
255 Capitol Street, NE
Salem, OR 97310-0203
Phone: (503) 947-5600

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Pennsylvania

Office of Special Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: (717) 783-6134

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Rhode Island

Office for Special Education
Rhode Island Department of Education
255 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903-3400
Phone: (401) 222-4600

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South Carolina

Office of Special Education
South Carolina State Department of Education
1006 Rutledge Building
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 734-8224
Fax: (803) 734-5021

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South Dakota

Special Education Programs
South Dakota State Department of Education
Suite 200
306 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-2545
Phone: (605) 773-3455
Fax: (605) 773-5320

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Tennessee 

Tennessee State Department of Education
Special Education Department
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0375
Phone: 615-741-5158

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Texas

Texas Education Agency
Office of Special Education
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701-1494
Phone: (512) 463-9414

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Utah

Special Education Services
Utah State Office of Education
250 East 500 South
P.O. Box 144200
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200
Phone: (801) 538-7500

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Vermont

Office of Special Education
219 North Main Street, Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: (802) 479-1030

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Virginia

Office of Special Education
Virginia State Department of Education
James Monroe Building
101 North 14th Street
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
Phone: (804) 786-8079

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Washington

Special Education Programs
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Old Capitol Building
600 South Washington
P.O. Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
Phone: (360) 725-6075

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West Virginia

Office of Special Education
West Virginia Department of Education
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305-0330
Phone: (304) 558-2698

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Wisconsin

Special Education Team
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street
P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-1781

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Wyoming

Special Programs Unit
Wyoming State Department of Education
Hathaway Building, Second Floor
2300 Capitol Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050
Phone: (307) 777-7675
Fax: (307) 777-6234

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