Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standard

Alignment Of Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards With Research From The Field Of Education For Children With Visual and Dual-Sensory Impairments

Wisconsin Model Early Performance Standards Research Implications: Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Learning Standard Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Loss Including Multiple Disabilities.

“Children in Wisconsin will…..” …be physically active, 1. Self-care routines Children who are deaf blind are at a greater disadvantage for gathering sensory information for physically healthy, and 2. Safety rules and directions learning than are their peers with single sense losses. With the combined distance sense losses, effectively care for their 3. Components of a healthy lifestyle, a child’s sensorimotor input and experiences can be reduced (McInnes & Teffry, 1982, Haring & physical well being.” including nutrition, exercise, rest, and the Romer, 1995) and overall development may be pervasively delayed. (Haring, 1995). role of healthcare providers 4. Use of multi-sensory abilities to process During the last decade, O&M training for infants and preschoolers has received increased attention information as a content area of priority in early intervention programs for children with visual impairments. There has been a growing recognition of the importance of providing young children with opportunities to explore and gain purposeful movement with or without the use of mobility aids. Areas typically emphasized in early instructional materials for the development of O&M skills are: sensory skills, concept development, motor development, environmental awareness and formal O&M techniques. (Haring & Romer, 1995).

Considerations for Provision of Orientation & Mobility Instruction, ...effectively master the use 1. Strength, control, balance, coordination, Koehler, W., M.Ed. Domain of small and gross motor locomotion and endurance skills to advance their 2. Hand-eye coordination, strength, Ages 0-3: skills include: awareness of major body parts and movements; begins to organize One: learning and to achieve control and object manipulation personal space; has purposeful movement (e.g., creeps, crawls, cruises, walks); uses familiar optimal physical health.” 3. Use of their senses to take in, sounds (voices, objects) for orientation; begins using landmarks (visual, tactile); uses modified Health & experience, integrate, and regulate mobility techniques (e.g., modified sighted guide); use simple search patterns to locate objects; responses to their environment. may use pre-cane as appropriate; independently moves within home. Physical Recommended amount of instruction by certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist: 1-3x per week Developm for 30-60 minutes for at least one school year. ent Ages 3-5: Skills include: identifies all major/minor body parts/body planes; uses appropriate modified mobility techniques (e.g., modified sighted guide); uses familiar sounds in orientation (awareness, identification and localization; uses vision to maintain personal safety; uses systematic search patterns; uses landmarks/clues to establish / maintain orientation; uses mobility devices (cane or AMD) identifies textures/objects in the environment with and without cane/AMD; moves independently within the home and classroom. Recommended amount of instruction by certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist: 2-3x week, 30- 60 minutes for at least one school year.

Aligned by Mary Tellefson, M.A./M.S./COMS © 2006 “Our job as educators is to teach children they are whole blind people, rather than defective sighted people.” B.F. Schroeder Alignment Of Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards With Research From The Field Of Education For Children With Visual and Dual-Sensory Impairments

Wisconsin Model Early Performance Standards Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Learning Standard Loss Including Multiple Disabilities.

“Children in Wisconsin will…..” ..be emotionally healthy.” 1. Expressing a side range of emotions in a variety of settings (pretend, play, “Little, if anything, in the development of the Multi Sensory Deprived (MSD) child can be left to drawing, dancing,) incidental or accidental learning. Without direct intervention the MSD child will cease to interact 2. Seeking adult interaction as needed for with his environment at an appropriate level.” (McInnes & Treffry, 1982). emotional support, physical assistance, social interaction & approval The Multi Sensory Deprived (MSD) child has considerable less chance of influencing his 3. Self-control environment than the sighted, the deaf or even the blind child. Moreover, as he develops socially 4. Use of words to communicate emotions and emotionally, his behavior is often less acceptable to others because of the contrast which may 5. Understanding and responding to be present between his physical size and his developmental age. The environment surrounding a others emotions. “terrible two” in an eight-, ten-, or twelve- year old body must be carefully structured if disaster is to be avoided. (McInnes & Teffry, 1982). ..have a sense of personal 1. Self-esteem well being” 2. Self-direction in choices and actions O&M are keystone skills (Wolery, 1991) to facilitate children’s success in inclusive programs. A 3. Self-awareness, including abilities, child’s ability to move independently within his or her environment will increase opportunities for characteristics, and preferences participation, active engagement, child initiations, and peer interactions. (Haring & Romer, 1995). Domain 4. Creative self-expression 5. Willingness to make needs known and Research on sighted children has documented the association between children’s relationships Two: to trust others with their care givers and their later competence with peers (Lieberman, 1977). Numerous studies 6. Views self as a teacher/learner have demonstrated that blindness or visual impairment threatens the early attachment of many Social parents and their infants (Adelson, 1983; Als, 1982; Fraiberg, 1977; Friedman, 1986). It also …be socially competent in 1. Interacting with one or more other affects the communication of parents and their children; without shared visual cues, including eye And early l children gaze, gestures, and smiles or contextual information, caregivers and visually impaired children learning environments.” 2. Seeking out peers as play partners often fail to notice, interpret, or respond appropriately to each other’s attempts to communicate Emotional 3. Participating successfully as a member (Adelson, 1983; Als, 1982; Anderson & Kekelis, 1982; Fraiber, 1977, Rowland, 1984; Urwin, of a group 1983). ( Sacks, 1992). Developm 4. Using words and other positive strategies to resolve conflicts Visual information plays an important role in the acquisition and refinement of skills that are critical ent 5. Understanding when and how to ask for for positive social interactions. Eye gaze regulates turn taking, gaze and gestures establish topics adult help of conversation, smiles and gaze acknowledge and invite responses from partners, and contextual information enables children to monitor and respond to the interests of their peers. For visually impaired children, the challenge of initiating and maintaining interactions with peers is paramount. Many children fail to master basic social skills and encounter rejection when mainstreamed with sighted children. (Kekelis, p 13, 1992). (Also applicable to Domain 3, Language Development & Communication).

For some disabled students, placement in regular education classrooms has resulted in increased social isolation and a more restricted environment (Gottlieb & Budoff, 1973; Gresham, 1981).

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standard Performance Standards Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Loss Including Multiple Disabilities. “Children in Wisconsin will…..” …convey and interpret 1. Deriving meaning from verbal and Visual impairment affects language development in a number of ways. Visually impaired children meaning through listening nonverbal cues use more echolalic speech than do their sighted peers (Chernus-Mansfield et al., 1985; Dunlea, and understanding.” 2. Listening with understanding to stories, 1989; Fraiberg, 1997; Prizant, 1987). When their language is related to past experiences, rather books, directions and conversations than to the ongoing activities of their peers, it leads to breakdowns in communication and may 3. Following directions of increasing influence their social standing among their classmates. VI children ask more questions than do complexity sighted children and more questions that are irrelevant to the activities that take place around 4. Listening and responding music & them. The language of VI children is more self focused and less responsive to the interests of rhythm their partners. These differences may affect both the quantity and quality of feedback from peers. (Sacks, et. Al, 1992). …convey and interpret 1. Communicating needs and thoughts meaning through speaking through gestures, sounds, and/or words Blind readers need sufficient knowledge, background, and experiences to interact with text and and other forms of 2. Using increasingly complex and varied arrive at a meaning that is closely related to the author’s intent and closely related to the meaning communicating.” vocabulary and language structure gained by their sighted peers. It is critical to provide a range and variety of concrete experiences in 3. Using speech understandable to the early preschool years. (Rex, Koenig et al. 1995). familiar and unfamiliar listeners Assuring Quality Literacy Instruction for Students in Braille Literacy Programs, Holbrook, M., Koenig, A. Domain Three: ……have the literacy skills 1. Understanding concept of print (book and concepts needed to and print awareness) Emergent Braille Literacy Skills: Supporting early literacy development in early childhood settings, Language prepare them to learn to read 2. Using a variety of strategies to derive such as the home, daycare, and preschool; teaching early literacy skills and modeling techniques and write.” meaning from a text for fostering development of those skills, such as reading aloud to the child, developing book Development 3. Alphabetic awareness concepts, encouraging early reading and writing (pretend reading, scribbling), working with parents and 4. Phonological awareness and others to expand student’s experiential base and general concepts; developing hand/finger 5. Understanding language structure skills; helping parents and other acquire books, labels and other materials in accessible media; Communicatio 6. Associating sounds with written letters helping parents acquire knowledge of Braille and resources for learning the Braille code; assuring 7. Understanding and use of writing to models of proficient Braille readers, bridging emergent literacy to early formal Braille literacy. n represent thoughts or ideas Instructional recommendations for infancy to preschool: 8. Understanding increasingly complex 1x week to daily instruction, less than ½ hr to 1 hour for at least one school year. and varied vocabulary used in language and the environment. Early Formal Literacy Skills (“Prebraille”): Teaching hand / finger skills, tactile discrimination and perception skills, and hand movements; fostering early letter and simple word recognition skills; increasing conceptual knowledge and vocabulary skills; increasing listening skills; expanding the student’s experiential base; fostering early reading and writing skills; fostering motivation for, and enjoyment of, reading; applying Braille in authentic contexts; bridging early literacy and beginning Braille literacy. Instructional recommendations for preschool through Kindergarten: Daily instruction (5x), ½ hr-1 hr. per day for at least one school year.

CONTINUED: CONTINUED: Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Loss Including Multiple Disabilities. Domain Three Language Literacy for Students with Low Vision: A Framework for Delivering Instruction, A. Koenig, Anne Corn

Development Emergent Literacy Skills: Ages 0-5: supporting the development of literacy in early childhood settings, such as the home, day care, and preschool; teaching early literacy skills and and modeling techniques based on children obtaining knowledge through active experiences for fostering the development of those skills in the home and preschool, such as reading aloud to children, developing book concepts, encouraging early reading and writing skills (e.g., pretend reading and scribbling); working with parents and others to Communicatio expand students’ experiential base and general concepts; helping parents and others acquire and create books, labels and other materials in accessible media; drawing attention to signs and other forms of environmental print; assuring models of proficient readers; and bridging emergent literacy to beginning print literacy. n Recommended amount of instruction by Teacher of the Visually Impaired: 1-3x per week for ½ to 1 hour for at least one school year. “Children in Integrated Use Of Visual Skills: Infancy-High School: Teaching and reinforcing the development of visual skills in functional contexts (e.g., visually searching at a distance and Wisconsin will…” visually directed reach), teaching the integrated use of visual skills in authentic environments and contexts (e.g., interpreting pictures and graphic displays, systematic searching …convey and and scanning for information on a page, reading, writing, daily living skills, social skills and travel skills), and teaching the use of environmental adaptations and nonoptical low vision devices and strategies (e.g., light-controlling devices, felt-tip pens, filters, and the angle and position of materials. interpret meaning Recommended amount of instruction by Teacher of the Visually Impaired: 1-3x per week for ½ to 1 hour for at least one school year. through listening Use of Optical Devices in Distant Environments: Preschool - high school (when prescribed by a clinical low vision specialist): Teaching the use of prescribed optical low vision and devices (e.g., hand and stand magnifiers and spectacle-mounted devices) for reading in near textual environments (e.g., books, newspapers, magazines, and other material understanding.” involving narrative reading), building stamina in students for sustaining textual reading for sufficient periods to complete given tasks, teaching the integrated use of near low vision optical devices in authentic environments for functional tasks (e.g., reading menus, time tables, and price tags), and coordinating training with the O&M instructor (map reading …convey and skills). interpret meaning Recommended amount of instruction by teacher of the Visually Impaired: 1-3x per week for less than one half hour to 1 hour either in a concentrated format (one to a few days with high/moderate intensity); or for at least one school year. through speaking and other forms of Use of Optical Devices in Distant Environments: Preschool – High School: Teaching students to use prescribed distance optical devices (e.g., handheld monoculars and communicating. binoculars and spectacle-mounted devices) to complete short-term distance tasks (e.g., viewing directories in office buildings, menus on walls, signs in grocery store aisles, …have the chalkboards, over-head projectors, charts in classrooms, and demonstrations in classrooms), coordinating training with the O&M instructor (e.g., reading house numbers and street signs), integrating the use of distance devices in authentic tasks and throughout the day, teaching the care and importance of the use of the devices to gain independence, literacy skills and and teaching older students how to obtain devices if the need them in the future when their visual demands increase. concepts needed Recommended amount of instruction by a teacher of the Visaully Impaired: 1x-3x per week for less than one half hour to 1 hour, concentrated format (one to a few days with high/moderate intensity); or for at least one school year. to prepare them to learn to read Beginning Print Literacy Skills: Kindergarten-Grade 3: Teaching formal reading skills in print, including handwriting, decoding, and word analysis skills, vocabulary development, comprehension skills, and reading for specific purposes; teaching formal writing skills (manuscript/cursive); providing ongoing assessments of literacy skills and literacy media and write.” needs; building reading fluency and stamina; arranging the reading environment; building motivation for, and the enjoyment of reading; encouraging leisure reading; applying literacy skills with throughout the day in authentic contexts; and bridging beginning print literacy skills with intermediate/advance print literacy skills. Recommended amount of instruction by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired: 3-5x per week for ½ to 2 hours for at least one school year.

Beginning Literacy Skills In Dual Media (Print And Braille) Recommended amount of instruction by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired: 5x per week for 1hr-2hours for at least one school year.

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standard Performance Standards Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Loss Including Multiple Disabilities. “Children in Wisconsin will…..” …be curious and open to new 1. Discovering and trying new things tasks and challenges, using 2. Extending learning through attempting, Many children with severe and multiple disabilities do not engage in exploration, choice making or inattentive, task persistence, repeating, experimenting, refining and problem solving without direct instruction. A child’s visual impairment creates different learning and attentiveness to extend elaborating an activity needs that require more time for gathering information and direct systematic input by the teacher. their learning.” 3. Persistence in working on an activity (Haring & Romer, 1995.)

Because young children learn primarily through play, exploration, and participation in naturally occurring events in the environment, if is important that the child be actively involved in his or her environment in order to ensure optimal learning. Children with disabilities, particularly children with multiple disabilities, typically show low levels of engagement. As engagement is linked to a child’s ..use invention and 1. Trying new things and taking risks ability to attend to stimuli in the environment, increasing engagement is an important component to imagination to extend their 2. Problem-solving using a variety of learning. For children with deaf blindness, learning to become actively engaged in the learning.” strategies environment can improve mobility, communication, social interaction and independence. (Haring & 3. Using complex scenarios in pretend Romer, 1995). play 4. Exploring movement, music, and a Rather than deeming instructional strategies uniformly effective or ineffective, professionals must variety of artistic media assess when different strategies are most appropriate in every child’s school career. (Haring & Domain Romer, 1995). Four: Distance senses provide a learner with access to incidental information that is vital for concept Approache building and learning, both in classrooms and other environments. (Haring & Romer, 1995). s …develop their capacity to 1. Thinking about, relating and asking use cognitive skills as a tool questions about events and experiences, To to acquire knowledge and using progressively more complex skills, including: reasoning, language structure Learning reflection, & interpretation.” 2. Learning from experience 3. Linking new learning with past learning 4. Generalizing and adjusting to new learning & experiences

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standard Performance Standards Operational Level For Students With Sensory Impairments, Including Vision Loss, Dual Sensory Loss Including Multiple Disabilities. “Children in Wisconsin will…..” …understand & use early 1. Group and arrange objects in a series mathematical concepts and and recognize similarity/relationships Children with deaf-blindness may require systematic and explicit instruction in both child-initiated logical thinking processes to 2. Count, join, separate, and tell how and teacher-initiated activities. They may also require direct instruction to explore materials and extend their learning.” many environments and to respond to peer and adult initiations. That is, children may need systematic 3. Recognize and use numerals to instruction to learn to take advantage of a well-planned and interesting environment. (Haring & represent quantity Romer 1995) 4. Understand words that locate an object in relation to its environment, put together The ability of a child to exert some control over his or her environment is crucial for the progressively more difficult puzzles, and development and maintenance of motivation for learning. (Martin, 1986 Carolina Curriculum) recognize and create two-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional objects The question posed is not how do we motivate others, but how do we create the conditions in 5. Understand the concept of which others will motivate themselves? ( Deci, 1995). measurement Domain 6. Collect, describe, and record information using all senses Five: …understand and use 1. Use their senses to observe scientific tools and skills to characteristics and behaviors in the Cognition extend their learning.” physical world And 2. Use tools to gather information, compare observed objects, and ask General answers to questions through active investigation Knowledg 3. Hypothesize and make predictions 4. Form explanations based on trial and e error, observations, and explorations ..understand the 1. Recognize and respect shared and characteristics and structures different characteristics of self and others, of social systems.” including values and beliefs 2. Understand family and community interdependence 3. Comprehend the concepts of fairness and equality and the reason for rules and laws 4. Recognize the interdependence of humans with the natural world.