starting at special school marion blazé education officer for vision
TRANSCRIPT
Starting at Special School
Marion Blazé
Education Officer for Vision
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Diversity
• Diversity & individuality
• Some case studies
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Any transition
• Period of change
• Need to make connections
• Anticipation
• Eagerness
• Anxiety
• Uncertainty
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Familiarity with school
• Be familiar with school’s programs including: o therapistso specialistso special programs
– meaning of ‘conductive learning’, ‘intensive interaction’, ‘active learning’
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Familiarity
• Important for child and parents
• Visits to schools can be confronting
• Go to all transition days
• Volunteer and become a part of the community
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Research in mainstream
• Successful transition less about preparation and familiarisation of child, more about preschool and first year of school curriculum and environment being similar
• ‘Seamless curriculum’ – how do we achieve this in a special school?
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Consistency
• Consistency of approach with special child
• Education of intellectually impaired – emphasis on repetition
• Implies need for all personnel to be consistent in approach
• Requires prior knowledge of child
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Profile
• If possible, prepared by/with parent/s
• Be concise and practical
• Focus on techniques which assist teacher
• In the first instance, focus on what works (not to insist on “rights”)
• Write as an expert in your child– Friendly, one professional to another
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Profile, cont.
Basic strategies to compensate for vision impairment:
•‘use my name before touching or approaching me’
•‘place objects within my field of view’
•‘place items on tips of my fingers so that I can grasp them’
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Profile, cont.
• Communication methods– 6/6
– 6/24
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Profile, cont.
– 6/6
– 6/24
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Profile, cont.
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Profile, cont.
• Feeding methods• Triggers• Observable responses
• My child likes it best when …• My child likes it least when …
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Finally…
• 2011 Report by Charles Sturt University
• Time of opportunity & vulnerability
• Moving from known contexts and supports
• to unknown contexts and supports.
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Effective transition
• Marked by a positive approach to school
• A sense of belonging and engagement
• Programs need to focus on building relationships– between families, children, school
personnel & support personnel
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Effective transition
• When families feel valued and respected partners in their child’s education they can recognise their role
• Importance of complementary supports for families across the transition – professionals working together.