ECC FOR THE CONGENITALLY BLIND CHILD

1. ECC FOR THE CONGENITALLY BLIND CHILD By: Kandice Burke Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. - Helen Keller

2. Food for Thought for a Teacher and their Students As I began to do my research on the Expanded Core Curriculum I wanted to find a way to make my points clear and concise. I wanted to step outside the box a little but still make a connection with my audience. The further I looked into the ECC the more I noticed how the options for educational implications, goals/objectives, activities, materials, etc. seemed endless. After the “endless” thought I immediately thought of a circle. It obviously keeps going around and around. Then I began to think of something that focuses on the “finish line.” I will admit that Doc and her love for horses popped in my head. When horses have their blinders on they are able to focus on the finish line. So my food for thought for a teacher and their students is simply this… our jobs and relationships with our students are a lot like the life of a jockey with their horse. We can each teach each other something valuable in life or about ourselves. One day we may be the jockey or the next day we may be the horse and vice versa for our students, but regardless without one neither can reach the finish line.

3. ALL RIGHT FOLKS…GET YOUR TRAIL MIX OUT, PUT YOUR BLINDERS ON, AND LETS GET READY TO FOCUS ON THE EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM (ECC). No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.  ~Winston Churchill

4. 3b Activities for the related ECC Area Materials Available for the ECC Area 3a Goal/s in the related ECC Area 3c Finish Line- Goals Mastered 5 Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip 3d Define the areas of the ECC 3 How is the ECC evaluated? Resources Available for the ECC 2 4 Starting Line- What is the ECC? What is congenitally blind? How is the ECC used? 1

5. WHAT IS THE EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM? Starting Line… • The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is an expansion of a student’s core curriculum, and it helps focus on skills and content a student’s with visual impairments may need. • It helps to bridge the gap between the lack of vision, academics, and life outside of school. In other words the ECC helps put the child with a visual impairment on a nearby or same “playing” field as their sighted peers. • It is composed of 9 areas: Assistive Technology, Compensatory or Functional Academic Skills, Career Education, Recreation and Leisure Skills, Orientation and Mobility, Self-Determination, Social Interaction Skills, Visual/Sensory Efficiency Skills, and Independent Living Skills. • Many of the areas seem to overlap and can be interpreted in many ways.

6. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION BREAKDOWN OF A CONGENITALLY BLIND CHILD? • Congenital- existing at or before birth, or during the first month of life • Blind- being unable to see • Sometimes if a child is born with a visual impairment they are considered congenitally blind. • Children who are congenitally blind typically have more difficulty in various development areas such as cognition, psychomotor, and affective areas. • Cognitive delays arise from learning with a lack of visual input; therefore, learning usually is learned through the sense of touch and hearing. Using the sense of touch is not always appropriate or feasibly possible. Hearing is a more effective approach to learning but it too has its limitations. • The Psychomotor domain involves developing motor skills. A child who is congenitally blind more often than not reaches milestones later than a child with sight. Why are milestones typically reached later? Without vision there is not as much motivation to move, reach, explore, etc.

7. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION BREAKDOWN OF A CONGENITALLY BLIND CHILD? (CONTINUED) • The Affective domain involves behaviors such as social, personality, and emotional behaviors. A child born with a visual impairment may not be able to make connections visually with their parents. If you think about it when a child is born you look into their eyes, they attempt to look at you despite how blurry you may appear, you engage in conversation with them, so ultimately you are forming a relationship with them. You are showing them that when you talk to people you should make eye contact. You are teaching them how to take turns in conversation. You are actually teaching them a lot without even realizing it because your actions are naturally instilled in you to be a parent. As the child grows older sometimes they develop low self-esteem for not being able to do things like their peers, feel like their accepted, or feel like they can be successful in life. • Ponchilla, Paul E. and Ponchilla, Susan V. “Foundations of Rehabilitation Teaching with Persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired.” New York: AFB Press, 2010. The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. - Helen Keller

8. WHY IS THE ECC IMPORTANT FOR A CONGENITALLY BLIND CHILD? • “About 80% of what people learn is through their eyes.”~ http://www.livestrong.com/article/273647-visual-learning-in-children/ • Without visual input, a child born blind is not able to fully gain the knowledge and experiences that a child with sight does. • Children with congenital blindness often need a better breakdown or step by step approach to learning even the most basic of skills or concepts. The ECC provides a more structured and targeted approach to teaching necessary lifelong skills.

9. REPERCUSSIONS WITHOUT THE ECC • The Expanded Core Curriculum helps a child with a visual impairment is so many different ways. Again, without the ECC a child may become behind in areas that include but are not limited to: speech and language development, gross and fine motor development, social skills, general concepts, brain stimulation, etc.

10. HOW IS THE ECC EVALUATED?

11. EVALS • One of the most highly recommended evaluation tool for the ECC is the “Evals” kit. The official title reads, “Evaluating Visually Impaired Students Using Alternate Learning Standards Emphasizing the Expanded Core Curriculum. There are other evaluation options out their for the ECC but this is my personal favorite. • The first 2 sections have evaluations for the ECC. The objectives are also aligned with the student’s grade level and TEKS. The 3rd section has evaluations for Alternate and Modified Core Curriculum. • The set-up of the pre-test and post-test remind me of the Oregon Project that is used for infants or students with multiple disabilities. • The ECC areas are broken down into a series of questions for a pre-test and post-test. Following these tests are appropriate goals for the ECC area that is also aligned with the student’s grade level and TEKS. • All of your goals should be tied into the assessments.

12. AREAS OF THE EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM • Assistive Technology • Compensatory or Functional Academic Skills • Career Education • Recreation and Leisure Skills • Orientation and Mobility Skills • Self-Determination • Social Interaction Skills • Visual/Sensory Efficiency Skills • Independent Living Skills A horse doesn't care how much you know, until he knows how much you care.  ~Pat Parelli

13. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY • Assistive technology has assisted many in gaining knowledge not only in education but also at work. “assistive, adaptive, or rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities” ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology • Sample Goal/s- • Student will keyboard 30 wpm with accuracy 5 times during a class period. • Possible Activities- • Student will compete with his scores from lesson-to-lesson using Talking Typer. • Student will search the internet for voice output typing programs and games for the blind.

14. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • Older children- APH’s Talking Typer, Laptop • Younger children- (examples) light box, light box materials • Helpful Tip- • Students will enjoy and look forward to keyboarding when programs are competitive. (Do not place Braille letters on keyboard as this may promote a slower typist.) • Assistive technology includes a variety of technology for children from birth to adulthood. Even the smallest of vision toys can serve as a pertinent assistive technology item if it helps the child receive more independence or the stimulation they need from it. • I currently do not have any academic Braille students, but the congenitally blind children I do have on my caseload (depending on the age) use a variety of technology from computer enlargement software, light boxes, adaptive computer switches, and audio equipment.

15. COMPENSATORY OR FUNCTIONAL ACADEMIC SKILLS • Let’s establish the difference first… • Compensatory skills are skills needed by a student with a visual impairment in order to access their core curriculum. (organizational skills, Braille, handwriting, abacus, Nemeth, study skills, listening-auditory skills, etc.) • Functional skills are skills for children with multiple disabilities. These skills help them with personal needs, socialization skills, and work possibilities. • Sample Goal/s- • Compensatory- Student will use addition and subtraction to solve problems involving whole numbers and decimals. • Functional- Student will recognize coins and their value. • Possible Activities- • Compensatory- Student achieving compensatory skills will shop and interact with sales people and exchange money appropriately after making a purchase. Record students and allow them to listen to their voice inflections when speaking to others. • Functional- The student will demonstrate in obtaining and using money. Set-up a store with can goods, clothes, etc. Do not worry about correct money exchange at this point. The student should be aware that money has a value for certain items.

16. COMPENSATORY OR FUNCTIONAL ACADEMIC SKILLS CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • Compensatory- money, purse or wallet, recorder • Functional- can goods, clothes, shoes, hair products • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • Have high expectations, but allow the student to experience success before you move on to higher money concepts and shopping experiences. • A student I have continually never ceases to amaze me. I am still not sure if this child will be a true Braille reader because of his age and cognitive level currently, but I will never give up hope that both of these areas will assist him further down the road. What I have decided to do right now is to keep Braille materials within his environment and daily routine; however, tactual symbols are currently his primary mode of learning.

17. CAREER EDUCATION • Career education for a student with visual impairments allows them up close and personal experiences with the actual job they may be seeking. They are able to better evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in their job interests. • Sample Goal/s- • Student will identify the work tasks. • Possible Activities- • Expose the child to various job opportunities related to their interests by taking them out in the community and letting them try different aspects related to the job. Let them take a recorder so they can describe what they have learned about the job.

18. CAREER EDUCATION CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • recorder • Inspiring Story/Helpful Tip- • I have had the honor of meeting a 15 year old congenitally blind student whose one desire in life is to be a preacher. Through the help of his wonderful TVI, COM, family, friends, and church community he now has the opportunity to preach from a room in his own house. • Never tell a child their dream is unattainable because they just might surprise you one day. Allow them to experience a variety of things in life and soon they will know where their passion lies. A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.  ~Pam Brown

19. RECREATION AND LEISURE • Recreation and leisure skills are taught to children with visual impairments so that they may have a better idea of what an activity is like. Helping the child understand the skills involved with recreation and leisure allows them to gain experiences and knowledge for their future. • Sample Goal/s- • The student will demonstrate interests in recreational activities and during leisure time. • Possible Activities- • Children will enjoy trying out different sport activities such as goal ball and tennis • Teachers and students may combine lists of fun and social activities that the student enjoys. • Students will read from a variety of books and decide which genre they prefer. • Teacher and students will play various card games using cards with Braille.

20. RECREATION AND LEISURE CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • APH tennis rackets, goal balls from Independent Living Aids, Braille cards, Braille monopoly, game kit from APH • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • I absolutely love the sound balls or balls with bells inside of them for my younger students who are totally blind. They thrive so well with that auditory stimulation, and it makes the task at hand a lot easier to accomplish. For example, one of my students is to kick a ball 5 out of 7 times. He knows the ball is round and knows the ball will be rolled on the ground towards him; however, he is not able to anticipate the ball coming if he cannot hear it. The balls with sound allow him to better judge when the ball is coming his way.

21. ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY • Orientation and mobility involves teaching a child with a visual impairment how to get from place to place in their environment safely and as accurately as possible. It also teaches a child basic body images concepts such as learning their body parts or positional concepts such as right, left, up, and down. • Sample Goal/s- • Student will demonstrate refusal or acceptance skills. • Possible Activities- • Set up a situation where the student might prefer not to have assistance. Have them practice appropriate ways of refusing help (i.e. Hines break).

22. ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • possibly their cane, depending on the situation you set up various materials may be needed • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • I laugh this year because one of my student’s goals last year was to say “yes” or “no” in appropriate contexts. Boy oh boy has he got that down this year! A colleague of mine recently made a valid point that I would like to share. If a child says “no” or “finished” then let them stop. By letting them stop, then you are showing them that you are listening to them, and in turn it will eventually show them that they need to listen to what you ask of them as well.

23. SELF-DETERMINATION • Self-determination involves a student learning their strengths and weaknesses, how to reach goals set for themselves, believing in themselves, and having control in their lives. • Sample Goal/s- • Children will solve problems with assistance from a partner and compete with others in the group. • Possible Activities- • Have clothes in a hamper. Set a times and ask one partner to help the other one put on a hat, gloves, and a coat. The first group to finish wins. Adaptations: setting a table, folding socks or shirts, making a simple recipe, or planning a grocery list. The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

24. SELF-DETERMINATION CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • Recipe cards from APH, plastic ware and utensil holder, Braille paper and a Perkins brailler or computer, and a timer • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • A particular student of mine who is congenitally blind and has no residual vision would blow your mind with his musical skills. He was given a keyboard last year at school and within a week he knew where every key was, how to change the volume, how to change the tempo, and pretty much everything there was to know about that keyboard. I recently decided to see how in tune his auditory skills were so I played a little tune on the keyboard and asked him to repeat me. He didn’t miss a beat! Even the key I messed up on, he did exactly what I did. To me he shows true self-determination because learning a keyboard is not an easy task even for a person with sight, and he has mastered the concept and enjoys having some control over his environment.

25. SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS BEELLCCCHH! “Excuse Me!” • Social interaction skills are more easily taught to a child with sight; however, for a child with a visual impairment, social skills must be broken down and taught in sequential order. Social skills involve knowing how to act appropriately in different environments. The students become aware of the needs of others while learning socially appropriate behaviors when associating with others during extra curricular activities. • Sample Goal/s- • Students will begin conversations in a group setting. Children will take turns listening to others and giving each other support and advice. • Possible Activities- • Students will role-play social situations with each other such as ways to handle a bully appropriately and learn how to engage others in appropriate ways. • Telling appropriate jokes to each other. • Discuss popular television, clothes, music, and current topics that other teens enjoy. • You can have them record then listen to their conversations to see if there was appropriate turn taking, etc.

26. SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • recorder • Inspirational Story /Helpful Tip- • Help the students to relax during role-playing by being the first example. Teach children to truly listen to others and recall details from their conversations. • Show them the difference between a not appropriate way to act vs. an appropriate way

27. VISUAL/SENSORY EFFICIENCY • Visual and sensory efficiency skills incorporate using one’s senses such as gustatory, tactual, olfactory, auditory, and even any residual vision the child may have to learn about the environment, possessions, people, etc. around them. • Sample Goal/s- • Students will tolerate different textures in a variety of environments. • Possible Activities- • Younger children may enjoy learning smells that relate to colors, real objects that relate to shapes, and tastes of various foods with different types of textures. • Do a red week. The child will taste all foods that are red, touch red items, listen to stories about the color red. • Have a parade from room-to-room while encouraging movement around different types of floor textures. (perhaps involve the O&M instructor as well)

29. VISUAL/SENSORY EFFICIENCY CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • foods, instruments, books with textures, and songs that involve touching • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • The very 1st student I had with blindness melted my heart. A sweet 3 year old boy who I knew would overcome odds and show people things they least expected. We worked on identifying colors using his other senses for a year. When school started this year I sat back and watched him during circle time. They teacher pushed the CD player to Frog Street’s color songs. When the color “red” starting playing, my sweet little student said, “I wanna smell red.” My eyes filled up with tears, and I realized the hard work is all worth it. Also he mainly identifies the world around him using auditory cues, touching everything, and even licking things. I know this can be highly unsanitary and it is monitored to the best of the staff’s abilities, but he uses his tongue to tactually discriminate between things more so than his hands. • Another student I have is totally blind and wants absolutely nothing to do with tasting, smelling, or touching things in his environment. He is almost exclusively an auditory learner and will only use his other senses to meet his daily needs such as picking up a spoon to eat. There comes a point in every rider's life when he wonders if it's all worth it. Then one look at the horse, and he realizes - it is. - Kelly Stewart

30. INDEPENDENT LIVING • Independent living skills are also known as daily living skills. The skills taught in this area are related to helping the child function more independently or as independent as they possibly can. • Sample Goal/s- • Student will follow a recipe. • Possible Activities- • Choose a simple recipe for the student. Have them assemble the ingredients, use measuring spoons/cups, follow the steps for the recipe, return unused foods to appropriate places, and throw away left over materials. • Depending on the age of the child you can always involve song and dance in with the recipe. For example, the “Peanut Butter and Jelly” song.

31. INDEPENDENT LIVING CONTINUED • Sample Materials- • APH’s recipe cards, cooking utensils, food preparation • Inspirational Story/Helpful Tip- • Patience is a great thing to have for a teacher of the visually impaired. Make sure to give the student some time to listen, take it all in, and then respond. If you continually ask them the same question over and over again without significant pauses, they may eventually tune you out because of the over stimulation.

32. HOW DOES THE ECC RELATE TO A TVI OR COM? • I know you’re thinking there is no ECC for the teacher, but let’s be honest it relates to us as well. In reality while I’m teaching my students the ECC, they are also teaching me about the ECC in relation to them or myself. • They help me push past limits I never thought I could, they show me a different view of the world, they give me hope, and well… I could go on and on for what they do for me. My hope is to ultimately do the same for them. • Our main goal is to help our students achieve their goals. • We can’t be afraid to try new things or go the extra mile. • We must COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE, and yes that’s right COLLABORATE! We don’t have all the answers. If we work as a team with all of those who work with the child then the child will be more likely to succeed. Like the old saying goes, there is no “I” in TEAM. Horses lend us the wings we lack. ~Author Unknown

33. RESOURCES • http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=44&TopicID=189&SubTopicID=4&DocumentID=2117 • http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/winter01/core.htm • http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/winter01/core.htm • http://www.aph.org/ • Free items on APH Quota Funds for the ECC http://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category_412A4B_10001_11051_20764_-1_20701

34. FINISH LINE Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls- they give us hope! ~ Toni Robinson

35. “If you can’t bring the child to the world through vision, you bring the world to the child.” ~ Dr. Virginia Bishop