Task sheet # 11

Task sheet

Discuss your realization on significance of outdoor environment for V.I.

Assistive Technology

Any adaptive device or service that increases participation, achievement or independence for a
student with a disability may be considered assistive technology (AT). Assistive technology helps
students who are visually impaired (with and without additional disabilities) increase their access
to the general curriculum and improve their academic performance. It is important to
thoughtfully consider what devices, tools and technologies will be appropriate to meet the
student's individual and unique learning needs. AT devices should not give students an unfair
advantage, but instead, should provide them with the independence to compete effectively with
peers.

Overview of Assistive Technology

A range of assistive technology devices are available for students who are blind or visually
impaired.  This page provides an overview of AT related to visual impairments.

Types of VI AT

There is a wide variety of assistive technology specific to persons who are blind or visually
impaired. This page provides resource lists of low tech and high tech devices that can be used
with persons who are blind or have low vision. 

AT Instruction

Students will need instruction in the use of, features of and proper care of various types of
assistive technology. This page provides information on the instructing students in the use of AT.

Apps for VI

There are a number of great apps to use with students. Apps that you will find here are those
that I have used myself, have been rated well on applevis.com (a community of persons who are
blind or visually impaired that trial and rate apps) or have seen featured in conferences. 

Braillewriter Repair

The Perkins Braillewriter is a GREAT tool, but as with any device, it can break down and need
repair. It can be very difficult to find someone who has experience repairing braillewriters.
Perkins has put together some videos that will walk you through the repair process. This page
provides links to the various videos.

AT Resources
Any adaptive device or service that increases participation, achievement or independence for a
student with a disability may be considered assistive technology (AT). This page a list of AT
resources for students who are blind or visually impaired. 

Vendors

The vendors on this page specialize in materials and equipment specifically for people who are
blind or visually impaired. Some products are available exclusively by the vendor while other
materials are available commercially. 

(https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/assistive-tech.html)

Environmental Adaptations

School and classroom environmental adaptations can help the student who is blind or visually
impaired move safely and efficiently through their environment. A student's need for adaptations
to the environment depends on their visual impairment and any additional disabilities. It is
important to understand each student’s visual diagnosis and the implications with regard to
functional vision to make the appropriate adaptations in order to maximize the student's use of
vision. 

Home Adaptations

Helping your family members stay safe and complete activities independently is important.
There are simple adaptations you can make throughout your home that can help your family
member achieve independence.

School Campus Adaptations

The school will need to ensure that there are special considerations for students who are blind or
visually impaired. These include providing ADA signage, playground and other school campus
adaptations. This page provides suggestions and strategies for adapting the school campus in
order to assist the student with visual impairments.

Classroom Design Tips

It is important to have an organized room particularly when you have a student with a visual
impairment in your class. This page provides suggestions for arranging the classroom to meet
the unique needs of the student.

Labeling System

When labeling materials in the room, it is important to use a labeling system that is accessible to
all students.  This page provides suggestions for labeling learning stations and storage in your
classroom to encourage independence.

Adjust Lighting
Some students with visual impairments will need adjustments to the lighting to minimize the
negative impact of their visual impairment. This page provides suggestions for making lighting
adaptations whether it is to increase or decrease lighting.

Playground Adaptations

This page provides suggestions on incorporating students as well as possible activities and
concepts to incorporate into Recess/Gym.

(https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/environmental-adaptations.html)

Task sheet #14

Write your reflection/re alization In not less than 150 words

Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross and Fine Motor

The term "gross motor" development refers to physical skills that use large body movements,
normally involving the entire body. In the sense used here, gross means "large" rather than
"disgusting."

Between ages 2 and 3 years, young children stop "toddling," or using the awkward, wide-legged
robot-like stance that is the hallmark of new walkers. As they develop a smoother gait, they also
develop the ability to run, jump, and hop. Children of this age can participate in throwing and
catching games with larger balls. They can also push themselves around with their feet while
sitting on a riding toy.

Children who are 3 to 4 years old can climb up stairs using a method of bringing both feet
together on each step before proceeding to the next step (in contrast, adults place one foot on
each step in sequence). However, young children may still need some "back-up" assistance to
prevent falls in case they become unsteady in this new skill. Children of this age will also be
stumped when it's time to go back down the stairs; they tend to turn around and scoot down the
stairs backwards. 3 to 4 year olds can jump and hop higher as their leg muscles grow stronger.
Many can even hop on one foot for short periods of time.

Also at this age (3 to 4 years), children develop better upper body mobility. As a result, their
catching and throwing abilities improve in speed and accuracy. In addition, they can typically hit
a stationary ball from a tee with a bat. As whole body coordination improves, children of this age
can now peddle and steer a tricycle. They can also kick a larger ball placed directly in front of
their bodies.

By ages 4 to 5, children can go up and down the stairs alone in the adult fashion (i.e., taking
one step at a time). Their running continues to smooth out and increase in speed. Children of
this age can also skip and add spin to their throws. They also have more control when riding
their tricycles (or bicycles), and can drive them faster.

During ages 5 to 6, young children continue to refine earlier skills. They're running even faster
and can start to ride bicycles with training wheels for added stability. In addition, they can step
sideways. Children of this age begin mastering new forms of physical play such as the jungle
gym, and begin to use the see-saw, slide, and swing on their own. They often start jumping
rope, skating, hitting balls with bats, and so on. Many children of this age enjoy learning to play
organized sports such as soccer, basketball, t-ball or swimming. In addition, 5 to 6 year olds
often like to participate in physical extracurricular activities such as karate, gymnastics, or
dance. Children continue to refine and improve their gross motor skills through age 7 and
beyond.

Physical Development: Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are necessary to engage in smaller, more precise movements, normally using
the hands and fingers. Fine motor skills are different than gross motor skills which require less
precision to perform.

By ages 2 to 3 years, children can create things with their hands. They can build towers out of
blocks, mold clay into rough shapes, and scribble with a crayon or pen. Children of this age can
also insert objects into matching spaces, such as placing round pegs into round holes. 2 to 3
year-olds often begin showing a preference for using one hand more often than the other, which
is the beginning of becoming left or right-handed.

Around ages 3 to 4 years, children start to manipulate clothing fasteners, like zippers and snaps,
and continue to gain independence in dressing and undressing themselves. Before they enter
school, most children will gain the ability to completely dress and undress themselves (even
though they may take a long time to finish the task). At this age, children can also begin using
scissors to cut paper. Caregivers should be sure to give children blunt, round-edged "kid"
scissors for safety reasons!

3 to 4 year- olds continue to refine their eating skills and can use utensils like forks and spoons.
Young children at this age can also use larger writing instruments, like fat crayons, in a writing
hold rather than just grasping them with their fist. They can also use a twisting motion with their
hands, useful for opening door knobs or twisting lids off containers. Because children can now
open containers with lids, caregivers should make certain that harmful substances such as
cleaners and medications are stored out of reach in a locked area to prevent accidental
poisonings.

During ages 4 to 5 years, children continue to refine fine motor skills and build upon earlier
skills. For instance, they can now button and unbutton their clothes by themselves. Their artistic
skills improve, and they can draw simple stick figures and copy shapes such as circles, squares,
and large letters. Drawing more complex shapes, however, may take longer.

5-7 year-olds begin to show the skills necessary for starting or succeeding in school, such as
printing letters and numbers and creating shapes such as triangles. They are able to use paints,
pencils and crayons with better control. Children can also complete other self-care tasks beyond
dressing and undressing, such as brushing their teeth and combing their hair. Children of this
age can also independently feed themselves without an adult's immediate supervision or help.

Task sheet #15

Research on line about this topic. Make an analysis Write your inputs in not 200
words.

Cognitive Development Theory for Kids With Disabilities

Written by Andy Humphrey
26 September, 2017

Disabilities that don't directly affect brain function might interfere with a child's ability to learn.
This can affect cognitive development, especially if the disability is not diagnosed early. Parents
are in the best position to understand what each child's strengths and needs are. Parents and
schools should work together to create an effective Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that
addresses the child's special needs and gives access to the full education guaranteed by the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Vision Impairment

Without sight, children use hearing to detect objects at a distance. Children don't motivate to
sound as quickly as to sight, however, so skills such as object permanence and the
understanding of cause and effect are delayed. Vision-impaired children have difficulty
organizing objects since they are unable to see the relationships. The sound of a meow, the
softness of fur and the pain of a scratch are three separate concepts rather than a single cat.

Hearing Impairment

A boy puts a cake in the cupboard. Later his father moves the cake to the refrigerator. The boy
comes back to eat the cake. Where does he look? A very young child presented with this
problem will say the boy looks in the refrigerator because that's where the cake is. An older child
will understand that, regardless of the cake's actual location, the boy thinks it's in the cupboard
and will look there. That ability to predict someone's actions based on that person's knowledge
of the situation rather than our own is called the Theory of Mind. An article in "The ASHA
Leader," the newsletter of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, explains that
children with hearing impairments have significant delays in developing the Theory of Mind, due
in part to delayed language skills, which in turn inhibits their ability to understand stories and
develop social interactions 2⭐

⭐This is a verified and trusted source

The ASHA Leader; Theory of Mind - Language and Cognition in Deaf Children; Brenda
Schick et al.

Goto Source
. Children with hearing impairments also tend to develop substantially lower reading abilities
than their hearing peers.

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism and related disorders cover such a wide range of capabilities that it is difficult to classify
their cognitive abilities as a group, but there are some common factors. Many people with
autism struggle with visual and verbal communication, which affects the bulk of learning. They
may also experience difficulties shifting attention and problems with over- or under-stimulation
of senses that will interfere with their ability to absorb new information.

Cerebral Palsy

On its surface cerebral palsy only affects motor skills and not cognition. The damage that caused
CP, though, may also have an effect on executive function, memory and other cognitive abilities.
These children may have concurrent neurological problems that affect cognition and learning. In
addition, the symptoms of CP can interfere with learning. Children with CP often have visual
difficulties caused by muscle imbalances or optic nerve damage that can give them problems
similar to other visually impaired children. Poor muscle control can create speech difficulties,
making it hard for the child to ask questions. They may also have trouble socially interacting
with their peers and learning as part of a group.

Task sheet #16

Sped Curriculum analysis for daily living skills. Download sample of curriculum

Tools for Teaching Life Skills to Children With Special Needs

In the special needs world, the most basic skills are called adaptive living skills, or ADLs. More
advanced skills, such as doing laundry, catching a bus, or following a daily schedule, are
sometimes called "life skills" or "skills of daily living." While these skills aren't critical for survival,
they are extremely important for anyone who plans to work and recreate in a modern
community.1

Everyone needs certain skills to simply get through the day. Skills related to eating, dressing,
and personal hygiene are absolute requirements for anyone wishing to live even a semi-
independent life. In addition to these very basic skills are the many skills we use each day to
navigate life at home and in the community.

Most people learn ADLs and many of the skills of daily living at a young age. They learn through
a combination of instruction, imitation, and trial and error. For example, a child may learn to
bathe himself by remembering the experience of being bathed, by imitating a parent's actions,
and by discovering for herself that if you run very hot water for too long the water will be too
hot for comfort.

Why Life Skills Are Taught Differently to Children With Special Needs

Children with special needs such as autism, learning disabilities, or ADHD, learn differently from
typical children. That's because children with special needs:1

 May not develop imitation skills until much later than average—or not at all
 May not develop the ability to understand and express themselves with spoken language
until much later than average—or not at all
 May not develop the desire to "be just like" or impress someone else with their skills and
abilities
 May find it difficult to follow spoken instruction—particularly when the instruction includes
multiples steps
 May be unaware of what is "expected" or "normal" behavior
 May lack the ability to focus on a task for extended periods of time
 May be easily frustrated
 May have sensory or cognitive challenges that stand in the way of success
If your child has some or all of these challenges, they may not just "get" daily living skills as
their typically developing peers do. But that doesn't mean they can't learn most or even all of
those skills with the right teaching approach.

3 Steps for Teaching Life Skills to Children With Special Needs

Teachers, therapists, and parents have developed a set of techniques that, together or
separately, can be very effective in teaching life skills to children with special needs. And the
good news is that these techniques can be equally effective for teaching just about any skill to
just about anyone—no matter what their abilities or challenges.

1. Task Analysis: Task analysis is a process for breaking down any given task into its
component parts. For example, brushing teeth includes finding a toothbrush, toothpaste,
and cup, putting toothpaste on the brush, brushing the bottom teeth, rinsing, brushing
the top teeth, rinsing again, cleaning the brush, and putting all the equipment away
properly.2
2. Creating a Visual Guide: Many parents create visual guides to help their children with
special needs to make sense of, remember, and get comfortable with the steps involved in
a task.3 The visual guide can include photos or clip-art style images of each step in the
process.
3. Prompting and Fading: At first, a child with special needs may need a lot of help in
remembering and properly completing each step in a task. Prompting may involve
physical, hand-over-hand help. As they learn, parents will start to "fade" the prompts.
First, they'll stop using hand-over-hand help, and instead provide only verbal prompts
("don't forget to rinse the toothbrush"). Then they'll start to fade even the verbal
prompts. When no prompts are required, the child has learned the task.4

Additional Teaching Tools

Depending on how your particular child learns, there are a few additional tools that may be
helpful. These tools are especially useful for more advanced skills that require the child to
interact with people and expectations in the wider community. These include:

 Chaining: Every task involves a series of steps that work like links in a chain.2 For
example, you can't brush your teeth until you put toothpaste on the brush. Some people
prompt their child for each step in the chain, and then start removing links as the child
learns. Finally, the child may be able to complete the task with just a simple reminder.

How Backward Chaining Teaches Life Skills

 Social Stories: Social stories are a step up from the visual guide described above. Rather
than simply listing steps, parents use pictures and words to describe "expected behavior."
Most social stories are customized to the individual. For example: "Every morning after
breakfast, Johnny brushes his teeth. First, Johnny knocks on the bathroom door. If no one
is inside, Johnny can go in" and so forth. Parents can read the social story with Johnny as
often as needed until Johnny knows it by heart and can complete all the steps without
prompting.5
 Video Modeling: Many children with special needs are visual learners, and most learn
well through videos. Video models can be purchased off the shelf, downloaded from the
Internet, or created for an individual child. They can feature actors doing a task, or they
can actually show the child himself as he goes through the process. It can also be helpful
to make a video of your child so that he can watch and identify any mistakes he's made.6
  Apps: Older children, or children with milder issues, may benefit from mobile apps
designed to guide them through specific activities or experiences. They may also benefit
from basic calendar and scheduling apps that help them to organize their time.

A Word From Verywell

All of the tools described above are used by therapists and teachers, but they are all easy to find
or create, and intuitive to use. As a parent, you're more than qualified to help your special needs
child develop the skills she needs for independence.

Task sheet #17

Make a case study

Childhood blindness

Childhood blindness is an important cause contributing to the burden of blindness.[4] Blindness

in children can be defined as a visual acuity of <3/60 in the eye with better vision of a child
under 16 years of age.[5] This generally means that the child cannot see something three feet
(about one meter) away, that another child could see if it was 60 feet (about 20 meters) away. [6]

Causes

There are many causes of blindness in children. Blindness may be due to genetic mutations,
birth defects, premature birth, nutritional deficiencies, infections, injuries, and other causes.
Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), cataracts and refractive error are also causes.[7][8]

The most frequently affected parts of the eyes are:[9][10]

 Whole globe (36%)

 Cornea (36%)
 Lens (11%)
 Retina (6%)
 Optic nerve (5%)
 Uvea (2%)

Mechanism

Childhood blindness has many causes, and each cause has its own method of damaging the
eyes.[11] Leber congenital amaurosis primarily affects the retina, typically severe visual
impairment begins in infancy. Mutations in Aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein like-1
have been linked to Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA).[12]

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of childhood blindness is done via methods to ascertain the degree of visual
impairment in the affected child doing so via dilating eye drops and the proceeding eye exam.
Prevention

Vitamin A supplementation plays an important role,[3] specifically vitamin A deficiency is a top

causes of preventable childhood blindness.[13] For children who have measles, there is insufficient
evidence determine if vitamin A if effective at reducing the risk of vision loss.

Treatment

Whether blindness is treatable depends upon the cause.[15] Surgical intervention can be
performed in PCG which is childhood glaucoma, usually starting early in childhood. Primary
congenital glaucoma is caused by an abnormal drainage of the eye. However, surgical
intervention is yet to prove effective.[16]

Braille

Management
Braille is a universal way to learn how to read and write, for the blind. [17] A refreshable braille
display is an assistive learning device that can help such children in school. [18] Schools for the
blind are a form of management, however the limitations of using studies done in such schools
has been recognized. Children that are enrolled presently, usually, had developed blindness 5 or
more years prior to enrollment, consequently not reflecting current possible causes. [19] About
66% of children with visual impairment also have one other disability (comorbidity), be it,
intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, or hearing loss.[20] Eye care/screening for children within
primary health care is important as catching ocular disease issues can lead to better outcomes.

Epidemiology

Society and culture

VISION 2020 is a program launched by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
(IAPB) and is supported by the WHO in 1999 that has made controlling blindness in children a
high priority.[23]

Overview

The outermost layer of the eye, the cornea, is highly sensitive. It receives nourishment from
tears and the aqueous humor; in order to refract light, the cornea must remain transparent and
cloud-free. Scarring of the cornea caused by a wide variety of infectious and inflammatory
diseases leads to severe vision loss and blindness. Donate today to support our programs that
help those with corneal blindness see again.
Prevalence

According to the World Health Organization, blindness of the cornea is the 4th leading cause of
blindness globally (5.1%), and is one of the major causes of visual deficiency after cataract,
glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

Trachoma is one of the main causes of corneal scarring and is responsible for blindness or visual
impairment in nearly 2.0 million individuals. Ocular trauma and ulcerations are also cause 1.5 to
2.0 million new cases every year. Onchocerciasis and leprosy are still significant causes of
blindness, affecting approximately 250,000 individuals each. Traditional eye medicines have also
been implicated as a major risk factor in the current epidemic of corneal ulceration and thus
corneal blindness in developing countries.

Additionally, each year more than 350,000 children are born with or develop infections at a
young age which cause corneal blindness. Read more on childhood blindness.

Causes

The causes of corneal blindness include:

 Vitamin A deficiency
 The aftereffects of bacterial, fungal, or viral infections
 Eye trauma
 Congenital disease
 Traditional medicine or home remedies, which often harm the eye rather than relieve pain
or improve eyesight

Prevention

Reduce or eliminate exposure to harsh conditions.  Wearing hats, sunglasses, and using eye
drops to prevent dry eyes can also help.

Treatment

The only curative treatment available is a cornea graft or transplant, but both are difficult to
perform because access to eye banks that provide viable eye tissue are not as readily available
in the developing countries. Even in developed nations access to the needed surgery is limited.

SEE International & Corneal Blindness Around the World

As the condition is significantly less common than either cataracts or diabetic retinopathy and
viable donated corneas are difficult to acquire, SEE treats fewer cases of corneal blindness than
other blinding conditions. However, the cases SEE doctors are involved in tend to be more
advanced and require complex surgery which the local doctors may not be trained in.

SEE is working diligently to reduce the number affected by corneal blindness around the world
by:

 Performing corneal grafts and transplants

 Teaching appropriate surgical techniques
 Training local eye care personnel in ophthalmology in rural and urban areas
  Strengthening local health care infrastructure, including encouraging the development of
local eye banks

Task sheet #18

Download pictures of gadgets that are highly useful for CSNs.

The Braillecube an attempt to adjust this timeless toy to the needs of blind persons -
the haptic experience make them “feel“ the colors. The first letters of the color are
written on the cube in braille in the order of the colors on the original cube. The
totally white cube makes it impossible to solve the cube without being able to read
braille. It will be as difficult for pepole who can see as it is to solve the regular cube for
a blind person. This concept of the cube is fun for blind people and strengthen the
awareness how difficult things are, if you are not able to see. The manufacture of the
cube has been a long and carefully thought out process. We are happy to finally offer
a product we are proud to present and meets our strict quality controls. The White
Matt Oracal Foil on the surface of the cube is printed with a special UV ink. This ink is
meticulously applied in layers to create a beautiful touchable surface that best represents braille. The foil is also applied
to the cube individually and by hand in order to maintain pinpoint accuracy.

The Cube will be shipped in a handcrafted black paper box which is labeled with a high-class silk-screen printed label
and logo on it. Beyond that each cube is wrapped in yellow soft wrapping paper.

The Braille system of raised-dots writing has always mystified me. It

seems like so much magic that a person can read words and sentences by
feeling bumps on a page. But it works. It exists and it is widespread.
Braille dots can be found all around the world, in public and private places
in every city. It COULD be more useful than it already is, but one of the
largest problems in the way of this reality is the amount of people who
haven’t learned to decipher the system. Danielle Pecora’s here to rectify
that with a bit of fun.

Design group DESIGN 21 recently had a Game Changers Competition for

global game design. You know who won this contest? Danielle Pecora.
The project Pecora entered and won this contest with was the “be-B:
Braille Education Ball,” a method for both blind and sighted users to learn the Braille system using a
challenging and educational game.

The be-B consists of a ball and 26 magnetically attached pegs. One one side of each peg is a letter from the
modern latin alphabet, on the other is the corresponding Braille character. Each of these pegs has a matching
hole in the ball. The object of the game, as you may have guessed, is to match up each of the letters with its
corresponding hole. Each time a peg is placed in a hole, and that hole is correct, a chime sounds and the name
of the letter is “spoken.” Don’t get em mixed up!

Games, games, everywhere, teaching people knowledge so they take more care.

That’s the rhyme I just made up for this lovely design.

Designer: Danielle Pecora

 B - Touch Mobile Phone concept - imagine how much easier it would be for the visually
impaired to perform everyday tasks like talking on the phone, reading a book, and
recognizing objects if they had an accessible all - in - one device like this.

Is a cell phone that uses a braille board and finger pads that allow
the blind to communicate efficiently and this isn’t any old phone
either – the design includes a book reader, text messaging, email,
and even music capabilities. Phone has two main pieces. The first
is comprised of 35 braille buttons in five rows. The second piece is
similar to the touch screen on many smart phones, but with a
unique raised surface for information input. Design by Shikun Sun

Technology Resources for People with Vision Loss

When you think of technology from the perspective of people with vision loss, you can think of
two broad categories:

 General technology: such as computers, smartphones and cell phones, GPS devices, etc.
 Assistive technology: items designed specifically to help people with vision loss or other
disabilities, including everything from screen readers for blind individuals or screen
magnifiers for low-vision computer users, video magnifiers and other devices for reading
and writing with low vision, to braille watches and braille printers.

AFB's goal is to provide you with the information you need to learn about available technology
and even discover new ways to use technology to enhance your everyday life. We're pleased to
provide you with:
  AccessWorld®, AFB's monthly online technology magazine with reviews of technology
products and online resources for people with vision loss
 A searchable listing of assistive technology and independent living products
 Tips on selecting and using everyday technology, like computers and accessible cell
phones

Highlights of AFB's Work on Accessible Design and Technology Issues

 Advocacy in Washington, DC, on prominent issues like cell phone accessibility

 AFB Consulting, a branch of AFB that works with clients across the retail,
telecommunications, finance, education, and technology industries to advance their
accessibility and inclusion goals