Effective Instruction

Effective instruction of students with disabilities draws upon effective methods or instructional techniques that educators use to facilitate learning.The difference lies in how, when, and why the strategies are implemented. Strategies such as visual schedules, highly structured materials and directions, teaching sequence for simple facts, and sensory-specific activities are some examples of strategies that assisting effective educational design. The document Ten Effective Teaching Principles provides some basic effective instruction guidelines.

The team needs to strive for the student to be a productive and independent learner. The team, including the student and parents, needs to have the same curriculum achievement expectations as the student's same age peers. Providing immediate feedback and letting the student take responsibility for his learning is essential. Having specialized materials available in the appropriate format when they are needed, and knowing when to intervene with those materials are all key elements to effective instruction.

As noted above, instruction of students with visual impairments usually means teaching both the general core curriculum and expanded core curriculum. The latter will include various technology devices (such as braille, enlarged print, abacus, optical devices, tactile symbols, calendar systems, sign language, and recorded materials) and/or compensatory/access skills (such as concept development, listening, social interaction, orientation andmobility, independent living, career education, recreation and leisure, spatial understanding, and study and organization as well as self-determination).

Achieving effective instruction for students with visual impairments means being aware of the following:

• Reading to the student is essential. It is particularly important to actively engage the student in the story, as the images and experiences of the student may not be the same as the student with visual access. Younger students may find it harder to relate what they hear or see on the page to physical reality. Acting out the story with the student, asking questions, having the actual object described in the book, having the student locate and identify pictures on the page, or allowing the child to feel the braille bumps are all ways to engage the student.
• Students with visual impairment may understand facts and concepts, but may have difficulty applying them correctly in some situations. Teachers need to understand that this difficulty stems from their inability to properly see and interpret the situation, and not from lack of knowledge.
• Certain social skills training may be particularly important, such as learning:

• the voice of the teacher in various situations

• about the concepts of personal space and appropriate distance

• to face the speaker when interacting as a sign they are listening

• to raise a hand in class and not to speak out self-advocacy while being polite yet firm

• To the extent possible, teachers need to place the same classroom expectations on students with visual impairments, such as independently retrieving materials, turning the book to the appropriate page quickly,and answering the same number of questions. Be aware of the potential for the fairy godmother syndrome, whereby the teacher makes materials appear and disappear and the student loses situational awareness and classroom perspective.
• Orientation and mobilityinstructors will instruct students in walking around the block, mapping out the school, reversing routes, crossing intersections, and negotiating a familiar environment and then apply the same concepts to an unfamiliar environment. The goal is to teach students to negotiate their environment in a safe, independent, and efficient manner.
• Many students with visual impairment need to be taught daily living skills utilizing scaffolded instruction in everyday situations. Examples include: opening a box of milk, cutting meat into bite size pieces,safely slicing an apple, eating an apple without eating the core, getting a snack and pouring a drink, tying shoes, putting the shirt on with the tag in the back and right side out, engaging the zipper on the jacket, appropriate bathroom cleanliness, using the stove and microwave, when to wear the jacket versus the sweater, setting the table, cleaning a room, and running a household.