Verification Guidelines for Children with Visual Impairments TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENT NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE

Visual Impairment Introduction Three Part Eligibility Requirement Meet verification criteria (92 NAC 51.006) Documentation: Adverse Effect on Educational Performance Determination: Need for Special Education Services

Visual Impairment (cont’d) State Definition To qualify for special education services in the category of visual impairment, including blindness, the child must have: An impairment of vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational, or in the case of below age five, a child’s developmental performance. This category includes children who have partial sight or blindness.

Visual Impairment (cont’d) State Definition Continued Both federal and state special education laws use the term visual impairment to describe children who are blind, legally blind, or partially sighted. Throughout this section the term visual impairment will be used.

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team Composition The MDT should include at least the following members: * The child’s parents; * The child’s teacher(s) or a teacher qualified to teach a child of that age; * An educator endorsed to teach a child with a visual impairment; * A school district administrator or a designated representative

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines A child with a visual impairment, including blindness, should be verified in one of the three categories: * Blind * Legally Blind * Partially Sighted

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Visual Impairment: Blind * No more than light perception as stated in a signed report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist * Need for adapted curriculum and materials

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Blind * Educational significance of the visual impairment including: - documentation of behaviors which appear to impede the child’s overall functioning - deficiencies in one or more of the following areas: activities of daily living, social interaction, academic achievement, performance in the educational setting, or orientation and mobility

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Legally Blind * A visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after correction or a contiguous field restricted to 20 degrees or less as stated in a signed report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist; * Need for adapted curriculum and materials

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Legally Blind * Educational significance of the visual impairment including: - documentation of behaviors which appear to impede the child’s overall functioning - deficiencies in one or more of the following areas: activities of daily living, social interaction, academic achievement, performance in the educational setting, or orientation and mobility

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted * Signed report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist to certify a structural defect, condition, or disease of the eye, which may affect the child’s ability to learn visually; and

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted * Educational significance of the visual impairment including: - documentation of behaviors which appear to impede the child’s overall functioning - deficiencies in one or more of the following areas: activities of daily living, social interaction, academic achievement, performance in the educational setting, or orientation and mobility

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted In addition to these two criteria, the child must meet the requirements of either of these criterion:

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted * An assessment of the child’s functional vision. All assessed behaviors should be elicited by both light and pattern. Significant delays in 3 or more of the visual behaviors should include but are not limited to: peripheral orientation, fixation, ability to shift gaze, ability to track, and ability to converge.

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted Or A visual assessment as stated in a signed report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist to certify at least one of the following:

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines Continued Visual Impairment: Partially Sighted - a distant visual acuity of 20/70 or less, in the better eye after correction; - a near visual acuity equivalent to or less than 8 point type at 40 centimeters, in the better eye after correction; - a central vision field loss of any degree in both eyes; and - a peripheral visual field of 60 degrees or less in the better eye

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines In all cases, the MDT should consider: * Educational performance of a child to determine if it is below that of peers regardless of modification of instruction, curriculum, and environment * Medical information to determine if there is evidence of a visual impairment

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Verification Guidelines In all cases, the MDT should consider: * Functional vision information to determine if there is evidence of a visual impairment including blindness. * MDT must determine whether the visual impairment is the primary disability of the child.

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Procedures to Determine Adverse Effect on Educational Performance: Factors to Consider * current medical eye information * type and degree of visual impairment * etiology of the visual impairment * age of onset of the visual impairment * expanded core curriculum areas such as social skills, independent living skills, career/vocational education, rec/leisure skills and assistive technology

Visual Impairment (cont’d) Related Definitions Frequently Asked Questions References and Resources

For Additional Information Special Education Office Nebraska Department of Education Telephone: 402-471-2471 Web Address: www.neb.state.ne.us/SPED/sped/html