Collaborative Workshop on Revising The Guidelines for programs Serving Students with Visual Impairments

Saturday, December 7, 2024: 9:15-10:45 a.m.

Adrian Amandi

Director of the Education Resource Center and Statewide Outreach Services

1. Revise the O&M Section of the Guidelines.
2. Begin writing new sections under the umbrella of O&M including:
1. the roles and responsibilities of an O&M Specialist
2. ​

The Goals of this Session are Simple

Three Key Notes About the Guidelines:

1. The goal of the Guidelines is to ensure blind and low vision students receive the tools and skills needed for a happy, healthy, safe, and independent life.
2. They are designed for three key audiences: parents/guardians, administrators and vision teachers, and professionals working with or within the blind and low vision community.
3. The content should be developed to be clear and accessible, offering a practical starting point that strikes the right balance—providing enough detail to be useful without overwhelming readers or sacrificing clarity.

Review & Revise

Page 1-2: O&M Introduction

• What is O&M?
• Why is O&M important for students who are blind and low vision?
• Any any major pieces of information missing?

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Page 3-5: Orientation Specific

• Are there any orientation skills missing from the list? If so, what are key components for that skill?
• Are there any strategies to help a student achieve orientation skills missing? If so, what are they?

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Page 6-11: Mobility Specific

• Are there any mobility skills missing from the list? If so, what are key components for that skill?
• Are there any strategies to help a student achieve mobility skills missing? If so, what are they?

Revising Time

You are welcome to use your own device and document too or pen an paper. If you use pen and paper, please share with Adrian to take a picture when you are done. If you complete your own document, please email it to aamandi@csb-cde.ca.gov AND m.mitchell@g.csb-cde.ca.gov

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O&M Section of the ProgramGuidelines Revision

You are the experts in O&M! Now we need your help to write the:

Roles and Responsibilities of an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist

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Writing Prompts:

Think about writing the perfect job description for this role.

• What would you want to know about this role?
• What was missing in your job description when you first began (lol)? What are those hidden responsibilities?
• What does an O&M do? What does an O&M not do?
• Who often works with an O&M?
• Who does an O&M consult or work closely with?
• What are other important details about an O&M?

Time to Write

You are the experts in O&M! Now we need your help to write the:

Assessment Resources - Orientation and Mobility (O&M)

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Writing Prompts:

Remember the three key audiences: parents/guardians, administrators and vision teachers, and professionals working with or within the blind and low vision community.

• What tools, resources, and strategies do you use to assess a student’s O&M skills?
• How do you assess sensory skills (auditory, tactile, visual) in a variety of settings?
• What role do observations, functional checklists, and interviews play in your assessments?
• How do you determine which environments (e.g., indoor, outdoor, residential, urban) to include in an assessment?
• What materials or assistive technologies (e.g., tactile maps, GPS tools) support O&M assessments?

Time to Write

You are the experts in O&M! Now we need your help to write the:

Progression of Skills and Goals - Orientation and Mobility (O&M)

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Writing Prompts:

Remember the three key audiences: parents/guardians, administrators and vision teachers, and professionals working with or within the blind and low vision community.

• How do you design O&M goals to match a student’s age, environment, and level of independence?
• What skills do you consider foundational for orientation and mobility?
• How do you introduce and build on skills, from basic (e.g., body awareness) to advanced (e.g., public transportation)?
• How do you measure and support progress when teaching complex skills, like crossing intersections or navigating unfamiliar environments?
• What strategies ensure that O&M skills continue to progress as students grow and environments become more challenging?

Time to Write

You are the experts in O&M! Now we need your help to write the:

Collaborative Practices between the O&M, TVI, and Other Specialists

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Writing Prompts:

• What are overlaps between the O&M and TVI? How can they collaboratively work together?
• What about other specialists?
• How do you collaborate to align O&M instruction with vision-specific goals or Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) areas?
• What strategies do you use to work with physical therapists, occupational therapists, or speech-language pathologists to support O&M goals?
• How do you involve families and classroom staff in reinforcing O&M skills?
• What communication tools (e.g., meetings, shared reports, progress updates) help ensure consistency and collaboration?

Time to Write

QR Codes

You are welcome to use your own device and document too or pen an paper. If you use pen and paper, please share with Adrian to take a picture when you are done. If you complete your own document, please email it to aamandi@csb-cde.ca.gov AND m.mitchell@g.csb-cde.ca.gov

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Roles and Responsibilties

Assessment Resources

Progression and Goals

Collaborative Practices

• Thank you for contributing to the revision of the Program Guidelines. We look forward to a future publication of these guidelines and acknowledging your contribution.
• O&M Guideline Contributors
• The Guidelines will eventually be shared from the CSB website.
• Until then, you can continue to access this O&M section from the link provided today and the other sections from the links within the Guidelines Committees Google folder

Contributors

• If you are looking to get further involved in the Program Guidelines revision please reach out to Morgan Mitchell at m.mitchell@g.csb-cde.ca.gov

Further involvment