Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 52, December 27, 2024
By October 1, 2025, all candidates for an endorsement in Blind
and Visually Impaired will be required to complete a program aligned to the
Initial Specialty Set for Blind and Visually Impaired (2018), published by the
Council for Exceptional Children, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington VA
22202-3557, and available at
https://exceptionalchildren.org/standards/specialty-sets-specific-practice-areas.
(No later amendments to or editions of these guidelines are incorporated.) The
standards effective until September 30, 2025 are as follows:
a) Foundations - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired understands the philosophical,
historical, and legal foundations of special education and is able to
incorporate this knowledge within the context of the educational system.
1) Knowledge - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired understands:
A) federal entitlements (e.g., American
Printing House for the Blind quota funds) that relate to the provision of
specialized equipment and materials for learners with visual
impairments;
B) historical
foundations for education of children with visual impairments, including the
array of service options; and
C)
current educational definitions, identification criteria, labeling issues, and
current incidence and prevalence figures for students with visual impairments,
including those with multiple disabilities.
2) Performance - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired articulates the pros and cons of
current issues and trends in special education for students who are visually
impaired;
b)
Characteristics of Learners - The competent teacher of students who are blind
or visually impaired understands the impact that disabilities have on the
cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and communication development of an
individual and creates opportunities that support the intellectual, social, and
personal development of all students.
1)
Knowledge - The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually
impaired understands:
A) the normal
development of the human visual system;
B) basic terminology related to the structure
and function of the human visual system;
C) basic terminology related to diseases and
disorders of the human visual system;
D) the development of secondary senses
(hearing, touch, taste, and smell) when the primary sense is
impaired;
E) the effects of a
visual impairment on early development (motor system, cognition,
social/emotional interactions, self-help, and language);
F) the effects of a visual impairment on
social behaviors and independence;
G) the effects of a visual impairment on
language and communication;
H) the
effects of a visual impairment on the individual's family and the reciprocal
impact on the individual's self-esteem;
I) the psychosocial aspects of a visual
impairment;
J) the effects of
medication on the visual system; and
K) the impact of additional exceptionalities
on students with visual impairments.
2) Performance - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired develops individual programs based
on general development and academic, social, career and functional
characteristics of students with visual impairments, including those with
multiple disabilities.
c) Assessment, Diagnosis, and Evaluation -
The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
understands the educational assessment process and utilizes various assessment
strategies to support the continuous development of all students.
1) Knowledge - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired understands:
A) the impact of visual disorders and
additional disabilities on learning and experience;
B) specialized terminology used in assessing
students with visual impairments, both as it relates to the visual system and
in areas of importance;
C) the
ethical considerations and legal provisions, regulations, and guidelines
(federal, State, and local) related to assessment of students with visual
impairments (including the legal versus functional definitions of blindness and
low vision);
D) specialized
policies regarding referral and placement procedures for students with visual
impairments;
E) procedures used for
screening, pre-referral, referral, and classifications, including vision
screening methods, functional vision evaluation, and learning media assessment
of students with visual impairments, including those with multiple
disabilities;
F) alternative
assessment techniques for students with visual impairments, including those
with multiple disabilities;
G)
appropriate interpretation and application and other evaluative information of
scores obtained as a result of assessing students with visual impairments,
including those with multiple disabilities; and
H) relationships among assessment, IEP
development, and placement as they affect vision-related services.
2) Performance - The competent
teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired:
A) interprets eye reports and other
vision-related diagnostic information;
B) uses disability-specific assessment
instruments appropriately;
C)
adapts and uses a variety of assessment procedures appropriately when
evaluating students with visual impairments, including those with multiple
disabilities;
D) creates and
maintains disability-related records for students with visual impairments,
including those with multiple disabilities;
E) gathers background information about
academic, medical, and family history as it relates to the student's visual
status for students with visual impairments, including those with multiple
disabilities; and
F) uses
assessment data to develop individualized instructional strategies to enhance
instruction, including modifications of the environment, adaptations of
materials, and disability-specific methodologies for students with visual
impairments, including those with multiple disabilities.
d) Instructional Content and
Practice - The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates
instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. The teacher
understands instructional planning and designs instruction based on knowledge
of the discipline, students, community, and curriculum goals.
1) Knowledge - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired understands:
A) Grade 2 Braille and Nemeth code;
B) Braille codes and resources for foreign
language and music;
C) methods of
developing modified communication skills for students with visual impairments,
including:
i) low-vision modifications for
print reading and writing;
ii)
listening skills and compensatory auditory skills;
iii) written communication skills including
handwriting;
iv) use of a broad
range of assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments;
and
v) awareness of augmentative
communication used by students with multiple disabilities;
D) methods for developing visual efficiency,
including:
ii) use of optical and other adaptive
devices;
iii) modification of the
environment; and
iv) functional
application of these skills;
E) methods for developing modified academic
skills, including:
ii) use of a talking
calculator;
iii) interpretation of
tactile graphics (maps, charts, tables, etc.); and
iv) use of adapted science and math
equipment;
F) methods
for developing alternative reasoning and decision-making skills in students
with visual impairments;
G) methods
for developing alternative organization and study skills for students with
visual impairments;
H) methods for
preparing students with visual impairments, including those with multiple
disabilities, for structured pre-cane orientation and mobility assessment and
instruction;
I) methods for
developing tactual perceptual skills for students who are or will be primarily
tactual learners;
J) methods of
teaching human sexuality to students with visual impairments, using tactual
models that are anatomically accurate;
K) methods for developing adapted physical
and recreation skills for students with visual impairments;
L) methods for developing social and daily
living skills that are normally learned or reinforced by visual
means;
M) preschool-specific
concepts and methods of teaching those concepts to young children with visual
impairments;
N) strategies for
developing career awareness in and providing vocational counseling for students
with visual impairments;
O)
strategies for promoting self-advocacy in students with visual
impairments;
P) functional life
skills instruction relevant to independent, community, and personal living and
employment for individuals with visual impairments, including:
i) methods for accessing printed public
information;
ii) methods for
accessing public transportation;
iii) methods for accessing community
resources; and
iv) methods for
acquiring practical skills (e.g., keeping personal records, time management,
personal banking, emergency procedures);
Q) sources of specialized materials for
students with visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities;
and
R) techniques for modifying
instructional methods and materials for students with visual impairments,
including those with multiple disabilities, and assisting classroom teachers in
implementing these modifications.
2) Performance - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired:
A) interprets and uses unique assessment
data, including learning media assessment, for instructional planning with
students with visual impairments, including those with multiple
disabilities;
B) develops
individualized instructional strategies to enhance instruction, including
modifications of the environment, adaptations of materials, and
disability-specific methodologies for students with visual impairments,
including those with multiple disabilities;
C) chooses and uses appropriate technologies
to accomplish instructional objectives for students with visual impairments and
integrates the technologies appropriately into the instructional
process;
D) sequences, implements,
and evaluates individual disability-related learning objectives for students
with visual impairments;
E) uses
strategies for facilitating the maintenance and generalization of
disability-related skills across learning environments for students with visual
impairments; and
F) teaches
students with visual impairments to use thinking, problem-solving, and other
cognitive strategies to meet individual learning and vision needs.
e) Planning and
Managing the Teaching and Learning Environment - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired uses an understanding of individual
and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that
encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and
self-motivation.
1) Knowledge - The competent
teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired understands:
A) a variety of input and output enhancements
to computer technology that address the specific access needs of students with
visual impairments in a variety of environments; and
B) model programs, including
career-vocational and transition that have been effective for students with
visual impairments.
2)
Performance - The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually
impaired:
A) prepares modified special
materials (e.g., in Braille, enlarged, outlined, and highlighted) for students
with visual impairments;
B) obtains
and organizes special materials to implement instructional goals for students
with visual impairments;
C) designs
learning environments that are multi-sensory and encourage active participation
by students with visual impairments in a variety of group and individual
learning activities;
D) creates a
learning environment that encourages self-advocacy and independence for
students with visual impairments;
E) formats, transcribes, proofreads, and
interlines materials in Grade 2 Braille and Nemeth code; and
F) uses the Braille writer, slate and stylus,
and computer technology to produce Braille materials.
f) Managing Student Behavior and
Social Interaction Skills - The competent teacher of students who are blind or
visually impaired understands that attitudes and behaviors can affect student
behavior and prepares students to deal with a variety of attitudes and
behaviors in social situations.
1) Knowledge -
The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
understands that teachers' attitudes and behaviors affect the behaviors of
students with visual impairments.
2) Performance - The competent teacher of
students who are blind or visually impaired:
A) prepares students with progressive eye
conditions to achieve a positive transition to alternative skills;
B) prepares students with visual impairments
to access information and services from the community at large; and
C) prepares students with visual impairments
to respond to societal attitudes and actions with positive behavior,
self-advocacy, and a sense of humor.
g) Communication and Collaborative
Partnerships - The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually
impaired uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual
communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and
supportive interaction among professionals, parents, paraprofessionals, and
students.
1) Knowledge - The competent teacher
of students who are blind or visually impaired knows:
A) strategies for assisting parents and other
professionals in planning appropriate transitions for students with visual
impairments;
B) sources of unique
services, networks, and organizations for students with visual
impairments;
C) the roles of
paraprofessional educators who work directly with students with visual
impairments (e.g., sighted readers, transcribers, aides) or who provide special
materials to them; and
D) the need
for role models who have visual impairments and are successful.
2) Performance - The competent
teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired:
A) helps parents and other professionals
understand the impact of a visual impairment on learning and
experience;
B) reports
disability-related results of evaluations to students with visual impairments,
their parents, administrators, and other professionals in clear, concise, and
understandable terms;
C) manages
and directs the activities of paraprofessional educators or peer tutors who
work with students with visual impairments; and
D) uses communication styles that are
appropriate for students with visual impairments.
h) Professionalism and Ethical
Practices - The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually
impaired understands teaching as a profession, maintains standards of
professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve student learning and
well-being.
1) Knowledge - The competent
teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired understands consumer and
professional organizations, publications, and journals relevant to the field of
visual impairment.
2) Performance -
The competent teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
participates in the activities of professional organizations relevant to the
education of students who are blind or visually impaired.