Low Vision | Teach Special Education

Student Needs	IPRC Exceptionalities	Diagnosed Conditions
Aggression Management Anger/Frustration Management Anxiety Management Articulation Skills Attendance Strategies Attention Skills Assistive Technology Skills Blind/Vision Impaired Bullying Management Skills Central Auditory Processing Deafness Depression/Sadness Management Disengagement/Motivation Strategies Eating Disorder Strategies Emotional Regulation English Language Skills Executive Function Fine Motor Skills Gambling Disorder Grief Management Gross Motor Skills Hearing Intellectual Ability – High Intellectual Ability – Low Listening Comprehension Skills Low Vision Memory Skills Mental Health Strategies Metacognitive Skills Mobility Skills Non-Verbal Reasoning Organizational Skills Personal Care Personal Safety Phonological Processing Processing Speed Self-Advocacy Skills Self-Esteem Self-Harm/Suicide Management Self-Regulatory Skills Sensory Integration Skills Sequencing Skills Social Skills Substance Abuse Strategies Task Initiation Time Management Skills Transition Skills Verbal Ability Visual-Motor Skills Visual-Spatial Processing	Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Behaviour Blind and Low Vision Deaf and Hard of Hearing Developmental Disability (DD) Giftedness Language Impairment Learning Disabilities (LD) Mild Intellectual Disabilities Multiple Exceptionalities Physical Disability Speech Impairment	Acquired Brain Injury Alcohol-Related Neuro-developmental Disorder (ARND) Angelman Syndrome Anxiety Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Auditory Processing Disorder (Central) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Bipolar Disorder Blind/Vision Impaired Brain Injury Cerebral Palsy (CP) Conduct Disorder (CD) Concussions Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Deafness Depression Disorders Down Syndrome Eating Disorders Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Fragile X Syndrome Gambling Disorder Intellectual Disabilities Klinefelter's Syndrome Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Disorders Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Neurological Disabilities Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS) Prader-Willi Syndrome Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Seizure Disorders Selective Mutism Spina Bifida Tourette Syndrome Turner Syndrome (TS) Usher Syndrome William's Syndrome

Key Special Education Practices
Accommodations Alternative Programming Assistive Technology Board Special Education Plans Community Resources Differentiated Instruction Create an Inclusive & Positive Class Climate Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Individual Education Plan (IEP) Ministry of Education Resources Modified Programming Non-teacher Professional Assessments Teacher Assessments Safety/Emergency/Crisis Response Plan Professional Development Reporting on IEP Progress Tracking/Documenting Transition Plans

What it is

An area of student need, involving reduced vision, even when corrected with glasses.

Teaching Strategies

Instructional

• Implement strategies suggested by a teacher of the blind.

• Provide copies of notes.

• Use white chalk on a blackboard or black marker on a whiteboard.

• Provide oral instructions with visual ones.

• Use an auditory cue to get the attention of the class.

More...

Environmental

• Use preferential seating near the front of the class and near assistive technology.
• Use a slant board to reduce glare.
• Dim or brighten the lighting according to the needs of the student; a desk lamp may be needed with access to an outlet (consider window lighting too).
• Develop a plan for safely moving through the school and for evacuation.

Assessment

• Use assistive technology/computers for enlargement.
• Provide enlarged copies of tests.
• Allow extra time.
• Allow oral tests and/or scribing.
• allow breaks to refocus/rest eyes.

Characteristics notebook pencil

Students with low vision needs may be sensitive to light and glare. They may squint, turn their head in an attempt to see better and/or rub their eyes frequently. They may have difficulty with colour differentiation and have headaches. They may bump into things in dim light.

Resources

More Assistive Technology for Students with Vision Needs

Special Education in Ontario K-12 Policy and Resource Guide, Section F

Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Scroll down for assistive technology and printables

Tips for Teaching Students with Low Vision