Chapter 10 Blindness and Low VisionDefinitions of Visual ImpairmentPrevalence and CausesCharacteristics of Students with Visual ImpairmentsEducational ApproachesSpecial Adaptations for Students with Low VisionExpanded Curriculum PrioritiesEducational Placement AlternativesCurrent Issues and Future TrendsChapter 10Blindness and Low VisionWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Definitions of Visual ImpairmentLegal definition of blindness •The legal definition is based on visual acuity and field of vision–A person whose visual acuity is 20/200 or less after the best possible correction with glasses or contact lenses is considered legally blind–A person whose vision is restricted to an area of 20 degrees or less is considered legally blindEducational definitions of visual impairments•The IDEA definition emphasizes the relationship between vision and learning–Totally blind: Receives no useful information through the sense of vision–Functionally blind: Learns primarily through the auditory channel–Low vision: Uses vision as a primary means of learningWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Prevalence and Causes•Fewer than 2 children in 1000 have visual impairments–Almost half of school age children with visual impairments also have another disability•Causes of visual impairments–Refractive errors: Myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness)–Structural impairments: Cataracts, glaucoma, nystagmus, strabismus–Cortical visual impairments: Suspected damage to parts of brain that interpret visual information–Retinitis pigmentosa–Macular degenerationWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Characteristics of Students with Visual Impairments•Cognition and language–Impaired or absent vision makes it difficult to see the connections between experiences•Motor development and mobility–Visual impairment often leads to delays and deficits in motor development•Social adjustment and interaction–Children with visual impairments interact less and are often delayed in social skills–Many persons who have lost their sight report that the biggest difficulty socially is dealing with the attitudes and behavior of those around themWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Educational Approaches•The age of onset has implications for how children with low vision should be taught –Visual impairment can be congenital (present at birth) or adventitious (acquired)Special adaptations for students who are blind•Braille•Tactile aids and manipulatives•Computer technological aids for reading print–Hardware/software that magnifies screen images–Speech recognition software–Software that converts text files to synthesized speechWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Special Adaptations for Students with Low Vision•Functional vision–Teaching a child to use the vision that she has•Optical devices–Glasses–Contacts–Small hand-held telescopes–Magnifiers•Print reading –Approach magnification–Lenses–Large print•Classroom adaptations–Special lamps–Desks with tilting tops–Off-white writing paper–Chairs with wheelsWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Expanded Curriculum Priorities•Orientation and mobility training (O&M) •Cane skills•Guide dogs•Sighted guides•Electronic travel aids•Listening skills•Functional life skills–Cooking–Personal hygiene–Shopping–Financial management–Transportation–Recreational activitiesWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Educational Placement Alternatives86% of children are educated in public schools•Itinerant teacher model–Most students who are included in general education classrooms receive support from itinerant teacher-consultants–The most important factor to the successful inclusion of students with visual impairments is the regular classroom teacher’s flexibility•Other important aspects–Peer acceptance and interaction–Availability of support personnel–Adequate access to special supplies and equipment•Residential schools–About 7.5% of school-age children with visual impairments attend residential schoolsWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.Current Issues and Future Trends •Specialization of services –Children with visual impairments are likely to receive special education services in the future in both regular and residential schools–Greater emphasis will be placed on intervention with infants and young children and on training older students for independence•Emerging technology and research–It is hoped that all people with visual impairments will benefit from new technological and biomedical developments–Artificial sight may be possible in the future•Fighting against discrimination and for self-determination–Career opportunities will likely expand as individuals with visual impairments become more aware of their legal and human rightsWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights