Adaptations to school/home environment
Considerations for adapting the home and school environment for students with Sensory Impairments.
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Multi-Sensory Approach
When planning a lesson always use a multi-sensory approach. This includes visual, tactual and auditory accommodations.
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Lighting
Use of lighting is critical when presenting materials to a young learner with visual impairments. Some children are light sensitive and use of certain light may cause discomfort. Other children may need extra supports and require additional light. Consider the use of natural light, and how certain light sources create a glare. It is important to observe the child in different situations and experiment with different types of lighting. Positioning of the light source is also important.
The distance between the light source and the work surface/type of work surface all play a role in the amount of illumination offered. Use of lighting, type and position are based on individual needs. Contact your student’s vision specialist to collaborate a plan of best lighting source.
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Color and Contrast
This is a term you hear quite often when working with a young learner with visual impairments.
Basically this is another way to make it easier for a child to see an object they are working with in contrast to it’s background. Children with low vision need an exaggerated difference between an object and its background. Again this is based on the individual needs but some of the more frequently used colors in contrast are those that are light/dark, black/white, yellow/red. It is suggested to sample all of the different colors and contrast with your student to determine which combination if preferred.
Modifications can be made to play objects such as toys, blocks, and classroom centers. This can be done easily by the use of construction paper, colored tape, contact paper, felt, stickers and by removing objects that cause visual confusion.
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Size and Distance
Many young learners with visual impairments use modifications to assist them in seeing small objects. Optical devices such as magnifiers, eye glasses, closed circuit televisions (CCTV’s), telescopes, microscopes can be used to enlarge and clarify and object. Students visual acuity is evaluated by an eye doctor and a low vision specialist may make recommendations as to what modifications should be used in the classroom according to the student’s needs.
Home and Classroom Environment
The following suggestions are intended to give examples to help organize home/classroom environment for a young learner with visual impairments. These examples will benefit all learners and can be considered a starting point when setting up each environment.
· Look around the room. Does it appear to have a lot of visual clutter? Can toys/ objects be placed on shelves in an organized manner? Trace the base of the toy or item onto a piece of construction paper. Use a color of paper that will be in contrast to the color of shelf. Adhere the cut out shape to the shelf to allow students to return item to it’s proper home. You may want to use puffy paint to outline the shape to create a more tactile contrast as well.
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Cover up storage shelves with a solid color curtain. This will decrease the visual clutter in the classroom and create a visual boundary.
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Use paint or tape with contrasting color to outline cubbies, table edges, large items in centers, such as play kitchens, climbing toys etc..
·Consider the use of flat paint if available, reduces the amount of glare and reflections.
·Outline doorways by painting them with a contrasting color. This will help the student visually discriminate the bathroom doorway, classroom doorway, kitchen doorway.
Use different color paint on walls and floor. This can also be achieved by using a strong color contrast in molding separating the walls and floor.
·Use signs and symbols to indicate frequent routes the student will use. Make sure these are at the student’s eye level. These symbols should be high contrast in color, can be made out of symbols familiar to the child including tactile symbols, large print, Braille or pictures.
Use a personalized symbol to allow students to identify areas that are their own. This may include seating, position at table or desk, cubbie or locker or individual work area. Create a name symbol out of a texture, print, Braille or symbol and place in all of the student’s individual areas.
· Teach students how to keep their area organized. Create an organization system that allows the student to return items to a given place so that the items will be in the same place each time they return. This can be done by using pencil boxes, trays to define areas, binders, boxes etc..
Organize the classroom by creating distinct areas. These areas may include reading/language arts, science, computer, math, music, snack, circle time etc… Arrange the furniture in a secure and consistent manner. Is the student able to move easily from one area to another?
· Use different types of flooring to define classroom areas. Consider use of brightly colored rugs, or rugs of different textures. Make sure rugs are secure by tapping edges or placing inexpensive rubber shelf lining under them to prevent them from moving. Also ask your local hardware store for free left over remnants of vinyl flooring to place under areas such as art/sand/water table.
· Use bright colored objects for everyday items such as plates, bowls, cups, toothbrush etc.
· Define work space by using placemats, work trays, colored paper, tablecloths, tactile symbols.
· Use natural light whenever possible. Use window shades to reduce glare from outside light when needed.
· Use individual lighting when needed such as gooseneck lamp.
· Try illuminating an object to attract the student’s attention. This can be done with the use of a simple flashlight. Simply use the light to illuminate and object to gain attention. Never shine a light directly in a student’s face.
·When purchasing toys, consider auditory, visual and tactile effect.
·Place mirrors at student’s eye level to increase body awareness.
