TEACHER MADE MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
By: Carmen Willings teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
The following is a list of specialized materials that I have used over the years when working with students with visual impairments who have multiple disabilities, many of which I have picked up from fellow TVI's or Occupational Therapists. My favorite by far is the PVC pipe toy bar as it is so versatile and easily customized to meet the students unique needs. Also, there are a number of skills that can be incorporated into it.
PVC Pipe Toy Bar
A PVC pipe toy bar can be easily made and can be modified to accommodate a student’s changing visual, auditory and tactile interest. The following is a list of possible materials to hang:
The “little box” is made out of a Clear-View plastic container (approx. 66qt.). Drill holes on the top and attach plastic ties that baby rings can be hung from. Space the holes evenly and in such a way as to promote parallel and non-parallel shift of gaze. You can also encourage student to come to mid-line when materials are suspended in the middle of the box. Attach a large sheet of black Velcro material to the back and bottom. Attach a strap or bungee cord to allow the box to be fastened to the student’s tray. Qualities of materials to use:
Toys the student enjoys
Are heavy and light
Make interesting noises
Have moving parts
Are almost the same as another thing but just a little bit different
Fit together
Pull apart
Turn off an on
Light up
Are visually interesting
Are rough or smooth
Feel cold, wet or warm
Have moving parts
Vibrate
Are made with a variety of materials (such as wood, leather, metal, fabric, etc.)
Are graspable
Take into account the senses of smell and taste
Are changeable in shape
Place or suspend interesting toys/materials. Toys can be suspended using infant links or can be firmly secured with elastic. Both allow toys/materials to return to their position in space when they are not being handled. You could also attach toys with Velcro. Non-suspending toys/materials can be placed in the box including the portable APH lightbox and other items that may be switch activated.
Magnetic Board
Spray paint a cookie tray black. Attach magnetic tape to the back of objects that you would like to encourage the student to sort/obtain/make designs.
Tube Slide
Cut1” clear vinyl tubing into desired lengths. Place cork or cap on one end and attach with contact cement. Allow to dry. Fill Tube. Seal other end and allow to dry 24 hours before using.
Water/Oil Tube
Fill the tube with food colored distilled water and oil OR fill the tube with distilled water and use glitter and/or beads.
Dry Visually Stimulating Tube
Fill the tube with small objects that are visually interesting (colored rice, beads, bells, bright colored marbles, colored sand)
Pat Mat
Fill a gallon size bag that seals with glitter, reflective materials, sponges, theme related materials, etc. Add water and food coloring if desired (Variation: fill the bag with hair gel and food coloring). Zip close the bag and seal it with sturdy strapping tape. Place into a second bag and seal again. Place the mat on the student’s tray or on the floor and encourage the student to attend to the mat. Demonstrate how to push on the mat to make the objects move. Encourage the student to touch/squish the bag.
Sound Shakers
These can be made using a variety of objects that can be filled (film containers, small jars, plastic eggs, etc.) Fill with sound making objects (marbles, rice, corn, coin, paper clips, beads, sand, etc.)
Wrist & Ankle Bracelets
The idea is to give the student something to look at on his wrists and ankles to encourage him to notice his extremities. Use a patterned and/or bright ponytail holder and attach a bell or other noisemaker if desired.
Tactile Board
It is useful in encouraging students to open their clenched hand, to help them achieve mid line organization of hands, to facilitate their learning to utilize their tactile receptors in their fingertips, to perform tactile orientation, and to begin to compare materials.
Object Book
The purpose is to help a student with poor motor development who is a tactile learner, a book like aid with pages that are easy to turn and with something on each page that may encourage the student to be more actively engaged. Materials can be added to correlate with a student’s book and/or theme.
Vests
The vests are for a student who is sitting in a wheelchair or car, so that the student can get stimulation and play. The vest motivates the individual to perform mid line organization of hands. Make it out of a Velcro foam material (material that a Velcro hook material can be attached to). Pieces of the Velcro hook material can be attached to objects such as a ping-pong ball so that it will adhere to the vest. Two rings can be attached to the front of the vest so that objects can be tied to it.
Fidget Boards
Purpose is to encourage the student to reach out and explore materials. Spray a board black. Drill holes evenly spaced throughout the board. Attach tactually interesting materials that student would be interested in exploring tactually and visually.
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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
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
