Special Education

Vision Services

Student Disability: Vision Impaired, Blind

Student Age: 5 to 21

The Nassau BOCES Program for Vision Services  is designed and organized to meet the educational needs of students who have blindness or visual impairments. Our program's specialists will support each student's Individualized Educational Program, 504 Accommodation Plan or standard school curriculum with comprehensive models for delivery of vision services. Nassau BOCES Program for Vision Services provides specialized, vision-related services to visually impaired learners 5-21 years of age. The students we serve are defined through P.L. 94-142 as having "a visual impairment which even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance," or for children who have additional disabilities, as having "concomitant impairments [including a visual impairment], the combination of which causes such severe educational problems that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments." The following service models are provided for students with in the 56 school districts of Nassau County and for programs outside of local districts.

Consultants Services and Workshops support district personnel by providing assessment and evaluation, educational and instructional strategies, materials and resources and administrative liaisons to meet the needs of visually impaired learners within their educational settings. Although Consultants are teachers of the visually impaired, they do not provide direct instruction to the visually impaired student. Consultants will confer regularly with staff and the student for information purposes.

The Itinerant Program for Vision Impaired provides teachers of the visually impaired [TVI's] for visually impaired learners in their appropriate educational settings. Services primarily address the expanded core curriculum: monitoring the student's progress in academic subjects and providing instruction in compensatory skills as needed in the areas the students may have difficulty with as a result of the visual impairment; Braille or Large Print literacy skills; Low vision devices; Abacus/computation devices; Typing/keyboarding; Adaptive devices (e.g., computers, software, note takers, tape recorders); Listening skills; visual efficiency; concept development; Daily living/self-help skills; Career readiness; Leisure and recreation skills; Social skills; Organizational and study skills, Self-advocacy; Technological access to information. TVI's create and utilize specialized materials and resources, assistive technologies and instructional strategies. TVI's also provide Consultant services to the district.

The District Based Classroom Program for Vision Impaired provides a support-intensive classroom setting for visually impaired learners, where the expanded core curriculum is taught or supported by a TVI: Teaching/Monitoring the student in academic subjects, and providing instruction in compensatory skills as needed in the areas the students may have difficulty with as a result of the visual impairment; Braille or Large Print literacy skills; Low vision devices; Abacus/computation devices; Typing/keyboarding; Adaptive devices (e.g., computers, software, note takers, tape recorders); Listening skills; Visual efficiency; Concept development; Daily living/self-help skills; Self-advocacy; Technological access to information. TVI's create and utilize  specialized materials and resources, assistive technologies and instructional strategies. Service is within a mainstream environment, where there are unlimited opportunities for our students to be mainstreamed for academics, "specials" [such as lunch, physical education and art], and school of community activities. Related services such as Orientation and Mobility, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language Services and Counseling are provided by certified specialists as per a student's IEP requirements.

Vision Services for District Students

In addition to the vision service models, Nassau BOCES provides vision-related Evaluations and Assessments to the 56 school districts of Nassau County. The services described below are provided at no additional cost to districts for students receiving vision services through BOCES and are available for a fee to districts for students not receiving BOCES vision services:

Functional Vision Screenings. Students that have a visual impairment, or are suspected of having a visual impairment, supported by an ophthalmological or optometric report, are eligible for a Functional Vision Screening administered by a certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired. The process will evaluate whether a visual impairment adversely affects a child's educational performance, and a report will be generated that offers recommendations to the district CSE, including possible models of services and IEP goals/objectives.

Orientation and Mobility Evaluations. Visually impaired students can be evaluated for potential need for Orientation and Mobility Service in support of their expanded core curriculum. The process will evaluate a student's current developmental level and environmental demands, and a report will be generated that offers recommendations to the district CSE, including possible models of "O&M" services and IEP goals/objectives.

Assistive Technology Evaluations. Visually impaired students can be evaluated for potential need for assistive technology in support of their expanded core curriculum. The process will evaluate whether assistive technology can facilitate educational performance. The process will include a review of IEP goals/objectives or educational functioning, needs perceptions of student, parents and staff, and performance-based data, and a report will be generated that offers recommendations to the district CSE, including possible technology and specific equipment.

Learning Modality Assessments. Classified visually impaired students can be evaluated for their most efficient literacy modality, print or Braille, or combination of modalities, in compliance with NY State law, and in support of their expanded core curriculum. The process will evaluate current and future text-based needs, and a report will be generated that offers recommendations to the district CSE, including possible models of services or appropriate learning modalities.

To request the evaluations or services described above, please complete an Evaluation.Consultation Request Form (for students not attending a BOCES Program) or a Request for Placement Form (for students receiving vision services through BOCES) and return it to: Dr. Carmine Scerra, Nassau BOCES Administrative Center, Department of Special Education, P.O. Box 9195, 71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530.

Contact:
Judy Gastwirth-Masone, Principal
Sandra Tedesco, Assistant Principal
Leslie David, Assistant Principal

Program for Hearing and Vision Services
W. Tresper Clarke Middle and High Schools
740 Edgewood Drive
Westbury, New York 11590
Phone: (516) 931-8507