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:

• Patterned cut-out shapes (die cuts)    
• Reflective materials (DVDs, CDs, reflective ribbon, etc.)
• Mylar pom-poms and balloons
• Cups with handles   
• Small, brightly colored stuffed animals
• Mason jar rings
• Bunches of colored ribbons
• Garlands   
• Balls
• Theme related materials
• Pie tin
• Photographs

The Little Box

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
The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and 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. 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.


In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist


For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.


TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details
·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements
The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. 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 companion 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.  


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement
The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement
The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 


Additional Use:
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


BONUS!
Lotto Cards
The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.


On My Way File Folder Cards
Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

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