Blindness Skills Specialist Program

LEA Information

MISSOURI STATE PLAN
FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING PART B
OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
EDUCATION ACT  

 2001

REGULATION III – IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION

Visual Impairment/Blindness Definition   

Visual Impairment, including blindness, means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Criteria for Initial Determination of Eligibility

A child displays a Visual Impairment when:

    A. a visual impairment or a progressive vision loss has been diagnosed  by an optometrist or ophthalmologist:

   B. a visual acuity has been determined to be: 

        1)      for visual impairment, of 20/70 to 20/200 in the better eye with best correction by glasses;

        2)      for blindness, of 20/200 or less in the better eye after best correction by glasses or a visual field measuring 20 degrees or less.

  C. the visual impairment adversely affects the child’s educational performance.

 Deaf/Blindness Definition                

“Deaf/Blindness” means concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.

Criteria for Initial Determination of Eligibility 

A child is deafblind when:  

1. both visual and hearing impairments are present:
2. the impairments together cause severe communication, development, and educational needs.

REGULATION IV – FAPE/IEP/LRE

Braille Instruction

As appropriate, the IEP must include (for children who are blind or visually impaired):

1)      the specific goals and objectives which specify the competencies in reading and writing Braille to be taught during the school year;

2)      means by which Braille will be implemented through integration with normal classroom activities;

3)      the date on which Braille instruction will commence;

4)      the level of competency in Braille reading and writing expected to be achieved by the end of the period covered in the IEP;

5)      the duration of each session;

6)      if the IEP team determines that Braille instruction is not appropriate for a child with blindness or visual impairments, the basis for that determination shall be documented on the IEP, and,

7)      that a referral to Rehabilitation Services for the Blind has been discussed and the decision of the parent regarding that referral.

REGULATION VI-DESE RESONSIBILITIES

Title: Orientation and Mobility Specialist (page 77*)

Responsibilities:  Provides orientation and mobility services to eligible students with visual impairments.

Educational Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree with specialization in orientation and mobility, teaching the blind and visually impaired, rehabilitation teaching, special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy or closely related area.

Certificates or License: Certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) as a COMS (Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist) or demonstrated proficiency in O&M (orientation and mobility) as required by a current contract with Rehabilitation Services for the Blind.

Title: Teacher Visually Impaired (page 80*)

Responsibilities: Direct instruction, consultation with teachers, develop IEPs, writing evaluation reports, travel training, co-teaching, individualized assessments.

Educational Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree

Certificates or License: Special Education certification by the State Board of Education in Visually Impaired.

For additional information on teacher certification, go to the Teacher Certification-Division of Teacher Quality and Urban Education

Source: State Plan for Special Education (Final Version, Effective Date – 9/30/01)