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Visual Impairment Service

Find information specific to referrals for VI services, components of vision exams, how to interpret the information in the medical eye report, conducting the FVELMA and other vision specific evaluations. Find guidance on putting the information into the student’s IEP and writing SMART goals.

Educational Programming

Vision Professionals face complex issues and must work with a variety of students with a range of unique needs. As a TVI, you don't get to choose the student's you serve. Instead, you must continually seek to learn strategies and skills to provide the best support and instruction to all students on your caseload. Professional practice should include standards for high-quality instruction as well as ongoing professional development to remain current on best practice. The resources here cover the foundations of the field including the National Agenda, legislation, and access to resources.

Free Matter for the Blind. If the student is legally blind, remember that he is entitled to send and receive certain materials through the US Postal Service for free. Materials such as textbooks, educational materials, Braille letters, and books on tape from The Library for the Blind may be mailed without postage. The package/envelope must have the words "free matter for the blind" stamped or handwritten on them.

Individual Learning Differences

Referrals

When a parent, caregiver, teacher, or member of the students educational team has concerns about a student's vision, they may wonder how to obtain vision services from the school. Services for students who are blind or visually impaired are based on a combination of the student's eligibility and the individual needs that particular student has for adaptations to materials and the need for individualized instruction. Although each state and district may have a slightly different referral process, this is the typical referral process, but always check with your state's Early Intervention Program (birth - 2) or school system (ages 3 - 21). The following pages will guide you through this process.

Medical Vision Exams

The first step in determining if a student is in need or is eligible for school based vision services is to obtain a current eye report (within one year). If the child has not yet received an eye exam from an ophthalmologist or optometrist, this will need to be scheduled and conducted prior to proceeding with the referral. Having a current report is important as children's vision can change as the child grows and cooperativeness during the exam can change. Students in the Vision Program will need to provide copies of updated reports annually or at a minimum every three years to determine ongoing eligibility. Although the medical exam alone does not determine eligibility, the information contained within the medical report will assist the vision professional in understanding the student's vision and the possible implications. Additionally, evaluation and interpretation of the eye report has a direct bearing on how a Teacher of the Visually Impaired conducts assessments to determine areas of need and necessary accommodations. This report also helps the TVI be aware of any changes in acuity, diagnosis or prognosis.

Functional Vision Learning Media Assessment

In order to determine what services a student needs, a Functional Vision Evaluation and Learning Media Assessment must be conducted. Unlike the medical exam, the FVLMA evaluates how the student uses his or her vision to access information throughout their familiar environment and interact with people and objects in those spaces. This section provides information on the Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment (FVLMA), including information on what it is, how it is conducted, implications and recommendations as well as guidelines for report writing and examples of how to write the report. The results will indicate what enhancements and adaptations may be helpful to maximize the visual potential for each student.

Additional Evaluations

There are additional vision specific assessments and educational assessments the student may require. These pages provide information on them:

Service Planning

The planning of services, whether for an IFSP, Individualized Education Program (IEP), or Rehabilitation plan includes present level of performance, behavior, need for Assistive Technology, accommodations, and specific goals will be written that address deficits as well as projected needs in some or all areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum for students with visual impairments. Each student with a disability will have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or in some cases, a 504 Plan. An IEP is a written statement, based on the student's needs. Although the actual document will look different in each state, and even districts within each state, the components of the IEP will be the same. In assisting the educational team in developing IEP for a student who is blind or has a visual impairment, it is important to embed the areas of the expanded core curriculum into the IEP as well as into educational programming. This will look different for students that are following the Standard Core Curriculum as opposed to the Adapted Curriculum. The following links will direct you to pages that will provide you with information on preparing the IEP as well as service delivery.

Writing Goals

The following pages contain goals and objectives that will provide a starting point of possible goals and objectives for the student who is blind or visually impaired. Remember these are just a starting point. It is important to make them "SMART" by individualizing them to each student's unique needs. The pages are accessible as part of the free member pages. Simply click on Log In|Register in the navigation bar at the top of the page and follow the directions to register and create your password. Once you log in, you can click on the Account tab in the navigation bar to see all the free member pages and any paid member pages you have purchased access to.