Preparing for Transition:CVI Considerations During the

Transition Process

Tracy Evans Luiselli, Ed.D.New England Consortium for Deafblind Technical

Assistance and TrainingMay 29, 2015

MA DESE Advisory on Transition (2012)

• The advisory states, "The ultimate goal of all professional endeavors in special education is to prepare students with disabilities for adult life.“

IDEA – Federal Mandate

• According to IDEA, transition services are a "coordinated set of activities... within a results-oriented process," so as to facilitate a student's "movement from school to post-school activities." This means that for every student, the transition planning process needs to be done in a purposeful, scheduled and organized way to ensure an individualized meaningful learning experience. http://fcsn.org/newsline/v33n2/dese_transition_advisory.php

Top Predictors for Successful Transition from School to Employment for Youth with Disabiltieis

Top Predictors of Success:

• Employment training and work experiences in high school

• High parental expectations for their child’s future (Wehman, P., Sima, A.P., Ketchum, J., 2015)

Significant Variables Impacting Successful Transition for Youth with

Visual Impairments• Early and recent work experiences• Completion of a postsecondary program

• Top impediments to successful transition:-Difficulty with transportation, -Lack of independent travel skills,-Limited social skills (Wehman et al, JVIB, 2015)

Roles of Transition Team Members and Expertise

Parents/Caregivers• Parents know their child the best (PCP Process).• Parents are the real experts of their child (MAPS)• Studies of parents of children with CVI indicate high level of accuracy of parent report regarding child’s background, history and performance. (CVI Parent Interview) (Roman-Lantzy, 2007)

Classroom Teacher/Program Staff• Team leader and coordinator of the IEP team• Manager of the child’s educational program, integrates child into classroom environment and curriculum• Develops/implements class routines and activities to meet IEP goals & objectives related to transition, and incorporating CVI characteristics

Roles continued….Vision Teacher (TVI)• Formal training and clinical experience regarding ocular issues

• Formal training and clinical expertise in assessment and intervention strategies for students who have CVI or who are at riskC

• (demonstrated inter-rater reliability of at least 80%)

• Provides direct service/consultation specific to student’s visual needs and advocates within the IEP/Transition process

State Agency Personnel (MCB, DDS, MCDHH, Voc Rehab)• Provides information on eligibility and available resources and supports• Awareness that parents may need clarifying information about their

child moving from out of a mandated service delivery system (Earlier rather than LATER)

The Transition Team/IEP ProcessTwo types of team involvement define and enrich the collaborative process when working with a student with CVI -

1. Each team member contributes her/his professional knowledge, perspective and wisdom to help evaluate the students skills, learning needs, interests , to develop a meaningful and effective program, and modify the program based on the child’s needs and rely on the expertise of the team in order to expand his/her individual skills to work with the student. (CONTRIBUTES)

2. Related service providers should cross discipline boundaries to learn mutual strategies and skills to actively engage the student in daily activities and routines that are infused with optimal and familiar visual, language, movement, sensory, and social opportunities. (RELIANCE ON OTHERS)

(A TEAM APPROACH TO CORTICAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT - CVI IN SCHOOLS, Donna Sharman, 2009)

Key Ingredients for a Successful Transition Plan:(Area IV – Northeast COPCS 2007)

A Vision for the Future (PCP) Parents and Key Players Involved (MCB, DDS, Voc Rehab…) Key Student Information Documented (Voc Profile) Transition Assessment and Environmental Assessment Includes Non-

School Areas (W, C, H) (school, work, living, leisure) Assessment Includes Assistive Technology *Student is Actively involved Connection to General Education and ECC Assessment of Transportation Needs Environmental Assessment Career Exploration and Variety of

Experiences Involvement in the Community

Transition Timeline

• SharedWorks.org

• MA Revision in process – to include CVI assessment guidelines and resources; highlighted in the MA Transition Planning Form

• ITTI TIMELINE

Key Ingredients for a Successful Transition Plan:

Considerations *Addresses CVI characteristics, intervention and modification needs

A Vision for the Future Person centered planning (PATH, COACH, MAP) Outlines a vision linked to the student’s school experience and

documented in the student’s IEP. A plan for re-assessment is established for the future.

Parents and Key Players Involved Active engagement in planning for the student’s future.

Key Student Information Documented

Student’s strengths, preferences, abilities and other key information is documented and available for decisions involving transition. (*)

Transition Assessment Includes Non-School Areas

Assessment includes recreation, leisure, daily living, community interests/ affiliation, family involvement, cultural influences, religious influences, work assessment (*)

Assessment Includes Assistive Technology

Transition assessment includes documentation of the assistive technology, accommodations, and modifications needed for student success in the educational environment. Assessment used for planning (*)

Student is Actively involved To fullest extent possible, the student is involved in key issues of transition (self-determination)

Connection to General Education Assessment for transition planning is connected to the general education curriculum and utilizes the natural environments available to students (*)

Assessment of Transportation Needs

Transition assessment includes an analysis of transportation needs (bus, public transit, independent driving, ambulation, orientation and mobility) based on current/future adult needs of the student. (*)

Environmental Assessment Assessment includes an environmental analysis of home/ adult living, school, community and other environments pertinent to the student’s life as an adult. (*)

Career Exploration and Variety of Experiences

Connection to the school community, access to novel experiences to identify, links to future adult experiences (*)

Involvement in the Community

Student is involved in community experiences related to adult life in the community that they will live after school graduation (recreation, health, commerce, leisure). (*)

CVI Transition Checklist

Focus: Instruction/coaching that is focused on increasing visual responding and building independence

CVI Characteristics (Roman-Lantzy, 2007)

Modifications/Strategies To Support Vision and Build Independence Home Bedroom Kitchen Family

Room Family

Car

School Classroom

Materials Hallways Cafeteria Bathroom Bus/Van

Work Work

Materials and Environment

Hallways Bathroom Break Room

Community Stores Restaurants Leisure – Park, beach,

movies

Social Interactions

Color preference

Movement

Visual latency Visual Field Preferences

Visual complexity

Light-gazing & non-purposeful

gaze

Decreased distance viewing

Atypical visual reflexes

Decreased visual novelty

Decreased visually guided reach

MA Transition Planning Form

• Sample

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Transition Planning Form

Mandated Form 28M/9

TRANSITION PLANNING FORM (TPF)

Massachusetts requires that beginning when the eligible student is 14 for the IEP developed that year, the school district must plan for the student’s need for transition services and the school district must document this discussion annually. This form is to be maintained with the IEP and revisited each year.

POST-SECONDARY VISION

Write the student’s POST-SECONDARY VISION in the box below. In collaboration with the family, consider the student’s preferences and interests, and the desired outcomes for post-secondary education/ training, employment, and adult living. This section should correspond with the vision statement on IEP 1.

DISABILITY RELATED NEEDS

Write the skills (disability related) that require IEP goals and/or related services in the box below. Consider all skills (disability related) necessary for the student to achieve his/her post-secondary vision.

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Student: Date form completed: Anticipated date of graduation: Anticipated date of 688 referral, if applicable:

SASID: Age:

Current IEP dates from: to:

Sample School/Work Plan:Use of Vision Across the Day –

Considering the CVI Characteristics

Sample Work Schedule and the Use of Vision Across the Day – Considering

the CVI Characteristics

9:00 Arrival – Locker, hanging up coat, lunch in frig, 9:15 Meeting – locating work space, chair9:45 Work Sessions – locating and manipulating work materials, locating and greeting peers10:30 Break – locating break area and snack, eating10:45 Work Session12:00 Lunch and Free Time – Reaching for items on tray1:00 Work Session2:00 Break2:15 Work Session3:00 Departure: Locker, gathering coat and backpack, travel to van/waiting area

Transition Team Training Initiative2015-2016

• Transition teams • Parent Involvement• Monthly team meetings and webinars (year

long action plan; Whos on the team?)• Transition topics: PCP, Developing a Transition

Plan, Transportation, Work Sampling….

Mercedes – “Good to Go!!”http://wvde.state.wv.us/player.php?m=x&vid=osp/MercedesJacobs

Family, Self Determination, Peer/Sibling Modeling, Student Background: Mercedes is a seventeen year old student enrolled in Philip Barbour High School in Barbour County, West Virginia. She has a diagnosis of myopia and acquired Cortical Visual Impairment with associated hydrocephalus and seizures from meningitis she contracted at six weeks old. Video Description: WV CVI Mentor Jamie McBride talks with Mercedes, her parents, sibling, as well her Teacher of the Visually Impaired about the impact of CVI on learning, modifications Mercedes needs for successful independent living skills in both the home and school environments, changes observed in her visual functioning from infancy to present, and how successful visual interventions are attributing to her

References

Newcomb, S. (2010). The reliability of the CVI Range: a functional vision assessment for children with cortical visual impairment. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, October, 637-647. Roman-Lantzy, C. (2007). Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment and Intervention. New York: AFB Press. Sherman, D. A Team Approach to Cortical Visual Impairment - CVI in Schools, 2009).