September 2025 BVIPsych Webinar Series: Giftedness Panel Discussion Follow-Up Resources
Webinar Recording
BVIPsych Webinar Series: Giftedness Panel Discussion Recording
Folder for all handouts
Giftedness panel discussion handouts shared folder
Panelists’ Bios
September 2025 BVIPsych Giftedness Panelists’ Bios
Questions submitted to the panel
Handout: Questions for the Giftedness Panel Discussion
Resources from panelists
- Why is identifying gifted traits in students with visual impairments important?
- What are common barriers to identifying students with visual impairments as gifted?
- What are some general gifted traits and how does giftedness manifest itself in students with visual impairments compared to sighted students? What are some trait comparisons and examples of each?
- What are some potential gifted traits in students with visual impairments that may be misinterpreted as compensatory skills?
- What are some classroom strategies for teachers to provide enrichment opportunities for students with visual impairments?
- What is important for assistive technology consultants to know about gifted students with visual impairments?
- Why verbal assessments have lower reliability for students with visual impairments?
- What assessments are available to assess giftedness in students with visual impairments?
- What are some dynamic assessments that can be utilized to assess giftedness in students with visual impairments?
- What characteristics would suggest that my child is gifted and/or talented?
- How does blindness or low vision affect the ability of a student to demonstrate these characteristics?
- Is there an exact definition of “gifted and talented?”
- Does each school have a special program for all students who are eligible?
- What are the federal guidelines?
- Are there general types of assessments that are recommended to determine the presence of these abilities?
- Are these assessments appropriate for the student with blindness or low vision?
Other resources shared in the chat or mentioned during the panel discussion
- Comprehensive Evaluations of Individuals with Visual Impairments is an excellent resource for guidance on testing blind and low vision students. Information from this document may assist you in considering factors related to interpreting and reporting your results.
- Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students: A week long camp that takes place at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The camp is coordinated by teachers of the visually impaired and is accessible (e.g., computers used by students in the Space Camp Programs have been adapted for speech and large print output, and materials and equipment used during missions are available in braille and large print).
- Federal Register: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities: Department of Justice issued its final rule regarding title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which applies to state and local government entities including public schools and is proactive (i.e., implies digital accessiblity accommodations for all students should be in place for websites and mobile apps). Refer to the presentation slides from Dr. Richard Ladner for more information.
- State of the States Report - National Association for Gifted Children (2022-23 - most recent year published)
- Good starting point for advocacy efforts may be State Affiliates - National Association for Gifted Children
- Social Thinking and Empowering Education Curriculum | 30 SEL Lesson Plans are not created specifically for blind or low vision student but are being used at TSBVI.
- Getting to Know You: A Social Skills and Ability Awareness Curriculum (Crow & Herlich, 2012) from the American Printing House for the Blind is for children with and without visual impairments that promotes understanding of how individuals with blindness or low vision develop social skills. The curriculum includes lessons for kindergarten through second grade and third through fifth grade.
- Empowered - Activity-Based Self-Determination Curriculum (Cleveland et al., 2007) from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has 23 units that cover topics, such as self-awareness, identification of strengths and challenges, stress management, self-acceptance, coping and compensatory strategies, self-assessment process, personal control, communication basics, communication types (passive, aggressive, passive/aggressive, and assertive), self-advocacy, decision making, values, future planning, goal setting, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and rights and responsibilities.
- Sarcasm Detectives (APH Hive course, not a curriculum): Check out this course to observe a lesson and learn how to guide students to understand sarcasm through focused social language activities.
- The PEERS Curriculum for School-Based Professionals Social Skills Training for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Laugeson, 2013) was not created for students with visual impairments; however, the structured, explicit lessons are helpful for students with social challenges. Staff at CSB have adapted some lessons with tactile and large print materials. Topics covered include starting, joining, and exiting conversations, communicating electronically, choosing appropriate friends, using humor, having sportsmanship, and handling arguments, teasing, embarrassing feedback, physical bullying, and cyber bullying.
- Not a case study of a student, per se, but one parent’s journey to have their BVI child appropriately assessed for a GT program in Georgia (from 2009): Blind And Gifted? Blind And Gifted! by Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway
- Schools and agencies for the blind in each state from the Council of Schools & Services for the Blind (COSB)
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Resource: The UDL Guidelines
- Ingraham, C. L., Daugherty, K. M., & Gorrafa, S. (1995). The Success of Three Gifted Deaf-Blind Students in Inclusive Educational Programs. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X9508900311
- Farley, R. L. (1933). An Experiment with Gifted Blind Children. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X3300500301
- 2022 OSEP 2nd November National TA Call
- OSEP 17-05 Policy Letter - Eligibility Determinations for Children Suspected of Having a Visual Impairment Including Blindness under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- Musicnotes and Sheet Music Plus offer digital music downloads that can be enlarged or converted using screen readers and OCR software (for students with low vision using mainstream technology).
- Academy of Music for the Blind (AMB): Located in Southern California, AMB is the only year‑round music and performing arts school exclusively for blind youth, ages 4–18 serving students locally in Whittier/Monrovia and remotely across the U.S.
- Music: Getting Blind and Low Vision Students Involved (YouTube video, 1 hour and 10 mins): recording from the California School for the Blind Tuesday Tea session from March 2021.
- Accommodating Students with Visual Impairment in Music Education - Lighthouse Guild
- Music Technology for the Visually Impaired - Perkins School for the Blind
- BVIPsych Google Group sign up BVIPsych: School Psychologists Serving Blind, Low Vision, and Deafblind Students Google Group Registration Form
- Listserv group for SLPs, SLPAs, and AAC specialists: SLP-BVI Google Group Registration Form
Upcoming BVIPsych Webinars
If you are passionate about supporting blind, low vision, and deafblind individuals and have valuable knowledge and experience to share with fellow school psychologists and educators, we invite you to submit a presentation proposal. Please note that there are no honoraria for presenters or panelists.