Starting Points: Instructional Practices for Young Children Whose Multiple Disabilities Include Visual Impairment
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 404 839 EC 305 439 AUTHOR Chen, Deborah; Dote-Kwan, Jamie TITLE Starting Points: Instructional Practices for Young Children Whose Multiple Disabilities Include Visual Impairment. INSTITUTION Blind Childrens Center, Los Angeles, CA. PUB DATE 95 NOTE 174p. AVAILABLE FROM Blind Children's Center, 4120 Marathon Street, Los Angeles, CA 90029; telephone: 800-222-3566; fax: 213-665-3828 ($28). PUB TYPE Books (010) Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Behavior Problems; *Communication Skills; *Daily Living Skills; Early Childhood Education; Educational Strategies; *Instructional Development; Interpersonal Communication; *Multiple Disabilities; Occupational Therapy; Regular and Special Education Relationship; Staff Role; Student Needs; Teacher Collaboration; Teaching Methods; *Visual Impairments; Visually Impaired Mobility; *Young Children ABSTRACT This handbook provides basic information on the needs of young children (ages 3-8) whose multiple disabilities include visual impairments. Chapters address: (1) common disabilities associated with visual impairment, the primary educational needs of these children, and the complexity involved in teaching them;(2) the need for clearly defined program philosophies, goals, and practices to promote meaningful learning opportunities, including meeting exceptional learning needs, involving the child as an active learner, and integrating objectives from various disciplines;(3) procedures to develop and plan instruction that are meaningful to the child and important to the family;(4) selected instructional strategies such as task analysis, chaining and shaping, use of natural cues and instructional prompts, fading, and creating an environment that encourages active participation;(5) strategies for promoting communication with nonverbal children and those who have severe language difficulties;(6) specific adaptations and strategies for working on daily living skills;(7) roles and responsibilities of a behavior support team, orientation and mobility specialists, and an occupational therapist;(8) the development of an instructional program for a 4-year-old child with multiple disabilities, including visual impairment; and (9) strategies for facilitating communication between the special education and regular education teacher. A final chapter details a family's experience in parenting a little boy who is blind and has multiple medical needs. Each chapter contains references. (CR) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy you who (t ttht(;&t dr.t.acJG El -080 f,,s,00° o 1-; PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY GM TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Starting Points Instructional Practices for Young Children whose Multiple Disabilities include Visual Impairment Starting Points Instructional Practices for Young Children whose Multiple Disabilities include Visual Impairment by Deborah Chen, Ph.D. Department of Special Education California State University, Northridge and Jamie Dote-Kwan, Ph.D. Division of Special Education California State University, Los Angeles Blind Childrens Center Los Angeles, California 4 STARTING POINTS Instructional Practices for Young Children whose Multiple Disabilities include Visual Impairment All rights reserved. This is copyrighted material and may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the express permission of the Blind ChildrensCenter. 01995 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-73443 Published by Blind Childrens Center 4120 Marathon Street, Los Angeles, California 90029 213/664-2153 In California 800/222-3567 In the USA 800/222-3566 Fax 213/665-3828 Photography Jamie Dote-Kwan, Robin Exsted, Dolly Lastine, Eric Powell, Barbara Quinlan copy Editor Neal Kaptain Graphic Design & Production Donna Kaptain STARTING Till; DA IRRVIIE TH S E INTSItriTAFEIVSAALBIPLRIECIENIFLPi'D'EY'iMGALC Acknowledgments vii Preface ix Introduction xi CHAPTER I WHO ARE YOUNG CHILDREN WHOSE MULTIPLE DISABILITIES INCLUDE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT? Deborah Chen CHAPTER 2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 15 Deborah Chen CHAPTER 3 ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR GETTING STARTED 29 Jamie Dote-Kwan CHAPTER 4 INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 43 Jamie Dote-Kwan CHAPTERs UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION 57 Deborah Chen CHAPTER 6 TEACHING DAILY LIVING SKILLS 73 Jamie Dote-Kwan CHAPTER 7 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SELECTED DISCIPLINES 79 Comprehensive Positive Behavior Support for 79 Young Children with Significant Behavior Problems Richard A. Mesaros Orientation and Mobility for Young Children with Multiple Disabilities 89 Diane Fazzi Occupational Therapy for Young Children with Multiple Disabilities 98 Susanne Smith Roley CHAPTER 8 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 107 Deborah Chen & Jamie Dote-Kwan CHAPTER 9 THE ITINERANT TEACHER AS A CONSULTANT 113 Dolly Lastine & Robin Exsted CHAPTERto A FAMILY'S PERSPECTIVE 125 Barbara Quinlan Video Resources 137 Information and Source List 139 Blank forms 141 About the Contributors 155 Index 156 Blind Childrens Center 157 Order Form 158 VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS starting Points is the result of our collective experiences in working with young children whose multiple disabilities include visual impairment. We acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of the children and families who have given us insight into the significance of meaningful instruction. Sincere thanks go to the families who allowed their children's photos to bring to life the words on the page. We also thank our own families, friends, and colleagues for their support and encouragement in this endeavor. Special thanks go to Linda Clarke, Dr. Kay Ferrell, Dr. Diane Klein, Mary Ellen McCann, Mardi Robers, and Patty Salcedo for their careful review and thoughtful comments about Starting Points. Their suggestions have contributed greatly to the overall quality and usefulness of this handbook. Most of all, we extend our sincere appreciation to the Margaret Bundy Scott Trust for supporting the development, production, and distribution of this publication. 7 ix PREFACE Apreface is the first piece you read, but altogether. Now too often the emphasis is on in most cases, it is the last piece developing use of vision, as though that were written. And this preface is no different. the only thing that mattered. It isn't, of course, I have had the pleasure of reading Starting but as more and more teachers find themselves Points: Instructional Practices for Young working with children with multiple Children Whose Multiple Disabilities Include disabilities, this is what they seem to do, Visual Impairment long before you, and I perhaps because this is what they seem to recommend it highly, especially if you are a know best. Or perhaps, this is all they were teacher or hope to become one. This is a book taught to do. you will learn from and one you will use. The promise of Starting Points is that Drs. The field of blindness and visual impairment Chen and Dote-Kwan have finally bridged the has expanded its service delivery system over gap between the methodology for teaching the past 40 years. Nowhere is this more evident children with significant disabilities and the than in its embrace of children and adults who methodology for teaching children with visual have impairments in addition to vision deficits. impairments. They bring to you, in user-friendly It wasn't so long ago that children with language, what you need to know, from an multiple disabilities in addition to visual examination of the most prevalent types of impairment were considered too severely multiple disabilities, to concepts of active challenged to benefit from educational or learning, to instructional strategies, to specific rehabilitative services.When I entered the field techniques for developing communication and in the early 1970s, the debate was still going daily living skills. And then they tell you how to onwhere did these individuals belong? Who do it as a member of a team, without stepping should be the primary service provider? A team on toes or wearing out your welcome.With approach is necessary, of course, but who these tools in hand, your interactions with and should take the responsibility? While others instruction of young children with multiple were arguing about the relative intensity of disabilities can be more than vision each disability and which of these had the most stimulationyou will have the methodology to impact on development and functioning, the adapt both instruction and environment to community of professionals dealing with address the visual disability, instead of merely blindness opened its doors and began to teach. trying to change it. The debate may be over. Few special educators I have high hopes for the future of early today doubt that children with multiple childhood eduction for children with visual and disabilities which include visual impairment multiple disabilities, because of Drs. Chen and should receive the