The teacher of students with visual impairment (TVI) and the orientation and mobility (O & M) specialist play integral roles in educating students who have visual impairments with other disabilities. Often, they are called upon to coordinate and organize services for these students. The educator who serves students who have visual impairments with other disabilities has a diverse and complex role. Not only must the TVI and the O & M specialist understand the complexities of students’ visual disabilities and learning styles, but they also must be able to communicate this information in a meaningful manner to others who are a part of the educational team. Also, the educator must articulate how vision and learning differences have an impact on instruction. The TVI must be prepared to provide alternative instructional methods and adaptations that fit with the philosophical structure of the programs in which students are being served. The O & M specialist must work closely with occupational and physical therapists to coordinate movement, handling, and positioning programs. It also is important for the TVI and the O & M specialist to communicate to the team that students with visual impairments, especially those with additional needs, require an expanded core curriculum. According to Hatlen, the core curriculum is defined as “the knowledge and skills, generally those related to academic subjects, a student should have learned by high school graduation” (1996, p. 26). The expanded core curriculum for students with visual impairments including those with additional disabilities asserts that the nature of visual impairment requires additional areas of learning. Hatlen stated, “Experiences and concepts casually and incidentally learned by sighted students must be systematically and sequentially taught to the visually impaired student” (1996, p. 27). The expanded core curriculum includes the following components:

• Compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes
  
  
• Orientation and mobility instruction
  
  
• Social interaction skills
  
  
• Independent living skills
  
  
• Recreation and leisure skills
  
  
• Career education
  
  
• Technology
  
  
• Visual efficiency skills

Although many programs that serve students who have visual impairments with other disabilities emphasize a functional or community-based approach, the techniques and strategies employed by these professionals must be shared and acknowledged by all members of the educational team. Collaboration among professionals is crucial so that students receive consistent instruction across environments.

The roles and functions of the TVI and the O & M specialist may vary, depending on the unique educational needs of the students. TVIs should provide direct instruction within the context of activities that occur in the student’s general or special education classroom. For example, the TVI can teach visual tracking skills to a student who is deafblind during lunchtime or snacktime. Not only is the specialist working on a disability-specific skill, but he or she also is able to assist the general or special education teacher in teaching the student to eat with utensils.

The O & M specialist may choose to work with the student directly as he or she travels from his or her classroom to the cafeteria for lunch. While the primary classroom teacher is directing other students to the cafeteria and moving them through the food line, the O & M specialist may work on sighted guide technique or trailing a wall. The O & M specialist also may assume responsibility for teaching the student to handle a tray in the food line or to find a place to eat lunch. Often, specialists who work with students who have visual impairments with other disabilities assume a consultant role. They do not always work directly with students but may instead provide information or instruction to others who do work directly with students. For example, the TVI may teach the general or special education teacher how to create a schedule board or a calendar box that maximizes visual and/or tactile responses. An O & M specialist may teach trailing techniques to a classroom teacher, occupational therapist, or physical therapist for a student with a severe visual impairment who uses a wheelchair.

Often, professionals struggle with determining who should serve students who have visual impairments with other disabilities. It is not always easy to make that determination because students who have visual impairments with other disabilities have complex educational needs. Decisions regarding educational placement and instructional support cannot be based on the visual impairment alone but rather on the nature and severity of the concomitant disabilities. When determining the amount or type of services to be provided, it is important to consider the following questions:

• Does the student exhibit an identifiable visual impairment?
  
  
• Does an eye report explain the student’s visual impairment and provide information about the student’s visual abilities?
  
  
• Is the student’s visual impairment his or her primary disability?
  
  
• Does the student’s visual impairment have an impact on learning?
  
  
• Does the student’s visual impairment have an impact on independent functioning at home, in school, and in the community?
  
  
• Would the student function differently if he or she received vision-related services?

Through appropriate assessment and continual discussion, professionals and families can work together to determine the most appropriate educational plan for the student. Sometimes, however, professional allegiance to one particular discipline or training perspective may influence how a student is served. Also, when a student exhibits several complex and difficult-to-diagnose disabilities, professionals may view their discipline or service as the most valuable. It is imperative that the educational team be able to share perspectives and expertise in order to meet the unique educational needs of the student.

Although the visual impairment plays a significant role in the student’s ability to learn and to be successful in school and in the community, it is critical for the TVI to establish his or her role as the expert in understanding the effects of vision loss on learning and development. It is the TVI who understands how a specific visual impairment has an impact on functioning in daily routines and academic tasks. The student and his or her educational needs always should be the primary focus when determining roles and responsibilities. When professionals and families are able to engage in planning and curriculum design in which the student is the primary focus, the outcomes will generate positive results in present and future environments.


References

Hatlen, P.H. (1996). The core curriculum for blind and visually impaired students, including those with additional disabilities. Re:View, 28(1), 25–32.