Philippine Normal University

The National Center for Teacher Education

Taft Avenue, Manila

Lesson Guide for Prof Ed 10: Introduction to Special Education

TOPIC Visual Impairment

Objectives At the end of the session, the students will be able to

Cognitive: know the definition, causes, characteristics, types of Visual
Impairment and the assessment and possible educational programs for
visually-impaired people
Affective: demonstrate a positive increase in attitude towards visually-
impaired individuals
Psychomotor: create an advocacy tagline for visually-impaired people

Teachers 1. Angelica D. Agunod

2. Paulyn I. Elimanco

Learning Resources http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/visual-impairment.html#

https://brailleworks.com/braille-resources/famous-people-with-
visual-impairments/
https://www.visability.com.au/empathy-library/step-into-my-
shoes/vision-impairment/
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/visualimpairment/#teachers
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/visualimpairment/#education
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-visual-
impairments/35103-common-types-of-visual-impairment-in-students/

Procedures Teacher In-charge:

Activity Kita Kita Teacher Angel
The class will be divided into two groups.
Each group will be asked to fall in line.
Each member of the group will be wearing
a modified eye glass made from opaque
cellophane. (See picture below)

This eyeglass will change the color vision of

the students making it hard for them to find
the correct object.

On the other side of the line, there will be

two boxes filled with various objects in
different colors, textures and shapes.
The game facilitator will be announcing
what are the objects that the student must
get inside the box within the limited time
of three minutes.
Whichever group gets the most correct
object will be considered as the winning
team.
Analysis Processing Questions (about the activity):

Affective: How does it feel to have difficulty in

seeing objects?
Cognitive: How can you say that a person is
experiencing visual impairment?
Psychomotor (if applicable): What can you do to
prevent having such impairment?

Abstraction Visual Impairment Teacher Angel and

(Content) I. Definition Teacher Paulyn
Visual impairment refers to when you lose
* Presenting the New part or all of your ability to see (vision).
Lesson Theimpairment must persist even with the
use of eyeglasses, contact lenses,
medication, or surgery.
Visual impairment is a term experts use to
describe any kind of vision loss, whether
it's someone who cannot see at all or
someone who has partial vision loss.
II. Causes/Etiology
Congenital blindness it means that
babies are visually impaired at birth.
Congenital blindness can be caused by a
number of things it can be inherited, for
instance, or caused by an infection (like
German measles) that's transmitted from
the mother to the developing fetus during
pregnancy.
Amblyopia is reduced vision in an eye
caused by lack of use of that eye in early
childhood. Some conditions cause a child's
eyes to send different messages to the
brain (for example, one eye might focus
better than the other). The brain may then
turn off or suppress images from the
weaker eye and vision from that eye then
stops developing normally. This is also
known as a "lazy
eye." Strabismus(misaligned or crossed
eyes) is a common cause of amblyopia,
since the brain will start to ignore
messages sent by one of the misaligned
eyes.
Cataracts are cloudy areas in part or all of
the lens of the eye. In people without
cataracts, the lens is crystal clear and
allows light to pass through and focus on
the retina. Cataracts prevent light from
easily passing through the lens, and this
causes loss of vision. Cataracts often form
slowly and usually affect people in their
60s and 70s, but sometimes babies are
born with congenital cataracts. Symptoms
include double vision, cloudy or blurry
vision, difficulty seeing in poorly lit spaces,
 and colors that seem faded.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the
tiny blood vessels in the retina are
damaged due to diabetes. People with
retinopathy may not have any problems
seeing at first. But if the condition gets
worse, they can become blind. Teens who
have diabetes should be sure to get regular
eye exams because there are no early
warning signs for this condition. To help
prevent retinopathy, people with diabetes
should also avoid smoking, keep their
blood pressure under control, and keep
their blood sugar at an even level.
Glaucoma is an increase in pressure
inside the eye. The increased pressure
impairs vision by damaging the optic
nerve. Glaucoma is mostly seen in older
adults, although babies may be born with
the condition and children and teens can
sometimes develop it as well.
Macular degeneration is a gradual and
progressive deterioration of the macula,
the most sensitive region of the retina. The
condition leads to progressive loss of
central vision (the ability to see fine details
directly in front). Macular degeneration is
often age related (it occurs in older people,
especially older than 60), but sometimes it
can occur in younger people. Excessive
exposure to sunlight and smoking can
increase the risk for age-related macular
degeneration. Symptoms may include
increasd difficulty reading or watching TV,
or distorted vision in which straight lines
appear wavy or objects look larger or
smaller than normal.
Trachoma occurs when a very contagious
microorganism called Chlamydia
trachomatis causes inflammation in the
eye. It's often found in poor rural countries
that have overcrowded living conditions
and limited access to water and sanitation.
Blindness due to trachoma has been
virtually eliminated from the USA.

III. Characteristics (cognitive/ academic, social,

physiological)
Physical Signs
Crossed eyes, eyes that turn out, eyes that flutter
from side to side or up and down, or eyes that do
not seem to focus are physical signs that a child
has vision problems. Other problems are less
obvious. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that children have their eyes checked
during regular well-baby visits throughout their
first years. A child should have a routine eye exam
every year beginning at age 5.
Clumsiness
A child might have a vision problem if he appears
to be overly clumsy. Poor vision might be the cause
when a child is constantly running into things or
falling down. He might have trouble realizing how
close or far away objects really are. The eyes
provide the information about surroundings and
spatial position that is transmitted to the brain.
Consequently, clumsiness can occur when the eyes
misjudge a distance. Sometimes young children
who do not walk well actually have problems with
their vision.
Behavior
Some children who have vision problems appear
to have a short attention span. Other children
might blink frequently or squint whenever they
read or watch television. Often children are
sensitive to bright light or might sit close to the
television or hold books that they are reading
close to their face. Likewise, younger children with
visual impairments might hold toys very close to
their face.
Poor Eye-Hand Coordination
Poor eye and hand coordination can be another
sign that a child has a vision problem, therefore
parents should observe a young child as he plays.
Older children who go to school might have
difficulty with sporting activities or certain
projects in class. Signs of poor eye-hand
coordination might include difficulty throwing or
catching a ball, tying shoes or copying schoolwork
from the blackboard. Poor handwriting is often
another sign of poor eye-hand coordination.
Children who suffer from lazy eyes, crossed or
wandering eyes can have problems with
coordination, balance and depth perception,
primarily because they learn to use only one eye at
a time.
Poor Academic Performance
Children who have trouble seeing often perform
poorly at school. Frequently, problems with
learning are actually related to poor vision and not
to a learning disability. A child might not read well,
or might use her finger to follow along when she is
reading so that she doesnt lose her place. Some
children also have trouble remembering what they
read. Children with vision problems can find it
difficult to write as well or might have problems
with math and other subjects. Schoolwork can be a
challenge for a child who cannot keep a clear
focus, deals with double vision or blurred print on
pages. Unfortunately, not all vision problems are
easily detectable. For children who have had
vision problems from the start, their vision seems
perfectly normal to them, so they dont usually
complain.

III. Types (if applicable)

Low visual acuity- also known
as moderate visual impairment, is a visual
acuity between 20/70 and 20/400 with
your best corrected vision, or a visual field
of no more than 20 degrees.
Blindness- is a visual acuity of 20/400 or
worse with your best corrected vision, or a
visual field of no more than 10 degrees.
Legal blindness- in the United States is a
visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with your
best corrected vision, or a visual field of no
more than 20 degrees.

IV. Assessment & Educational

Programs/Interventions
1. Audiovisual presentations and
demonstrations are made accessible to
severely visually impaired students by
providing verbal explanations. Read what is
being written on the board and/or describe
what is pictured in the presentation. Allow the
student time to handle tactually adapted
materials.
Saying "over there" and pointing to something
the student can't see are not useful with a blind
student. Instead, spatial directions must be
given from the STUDENT'S perspective.
Remember that the student's left and right are
opposite yours when you are facing the
student.
2. Seat or encourage the visually impaired
student to come to the front of the classroom
or presentation area in order to be certain that
s/he hears all instruction/explanation
correctly.
3. Braille materials take an exceptionally
long time to order and/or prepare. Textbook
committee members should be aware of this
and be certain that braille textbooks can be
ordered in January for the following fall so that
they can be transcribed in time. Extra time may
be required for math and technical books, as
Braille mathematical notation requires a
unique certification that many literary braille
transcribers do not possess.
4. Classroom handouts, especially those
with pictures or diagrams, also require a great
deal of time to transcribe into braille and
tactile formats or verbal descriptions.
Classroom teachers are wise to provide
materials to be transcribed at least two weeks
ahead of time, preferably on disk, as some text
 can be transcribed using computer translation
software.
5. Expect the visually impaired student to
complete the same assignments as the rest of
the class. Due to alternative media,
assignments may take a visually impaired
student longer to complete. An average of
double time for Braille or tape is a good rule of
thumb. Due to time constraints it may
occasionally be necessary to reduce the
number of examples to be completed for
classwork or homework (such as in math
problems), as long as the student is able to
demonstrate that s/he understands the
concepts and/or skills exhibited within each
example.
6. Independence is of primary importance!
Be patient. Observe the student, silently
encouraging independent problem-solving
skills. Wait until the student asks for help and
provide minimal assistance only as needed to
build self-confidence and independence.
7. Avoid leaving doors and drawers ajar or
chairs out from under tables and desks. Either
keep furniture consistent or inform and/or
involve the student in rearranging.
8. Address all students by name so that the
visually impaired student can learn to associate
names with voices of classmates. Address the
visually impaired student by name as well, so
he or she knows when he or she is being
spoken to.
9. Encourage the student's use of proper
posture, eye contact as much as possible and
proper social etiquette. Discourage any
inappropriate mannerisms to maximize the
student's physical and emotional health, as
well s the student's social, educational and
career potential.
10. Always treat the visually impaired
student equally with other students. This
includes discipline and special privileges as
well as involvement in extracurricular and
leadership opportunities.
11. Give the visually impaired student as
many opportunities to help others as to be
helped by others.
12. Please don't presume that just because
the student can't see and is using other
learning mediums that the student is incapable.
Try to allow the student to use their strengths
in the areas they have to learn.
13. All students, including those with visual
impairments, learn at individual rates.
Application/Evaluation Advocacy Tagline Teacher Paulyn
In an Oslo paper, create an advocacy tagline about
* Finding Practical visual impairment. Try to be creative in doing the
Applications of task by posting it on social media with a caption.
Concepts and Skills in
Daily
Living
*Evaluating Learning