Remember the student with a vision impairment will need to be orientated to others in the room and will need lots of verbal cues during discussions.
Suggestions:
- Introduce yourself and anyone else in the room. If you are conducting group counseling, be sure to say the person’s name before continuing the discussion.
- Be descriptive of others in the group to give the student with a vision impairment cues. For example, “Joe, you look angry about Martha’s comment.”
- Be careful with any of your non-verbal indicators. The student with vision impairment may be exquisitely attuned to differences in breathing, shifting in your chair, or general restlessness.
- Do not be overly concerned with the student with vision impairment’s lack of emotional indicators in facial expressions. Without the ability to observe others, these may not be well-developed. Watch body language and especially hand and finger movements for emotional reactions (Murphy & Dillon, 2003).
Vision Impairment
Chapter 1: The Spirit of Inclusion
Chapter 2: Definitions, Identification, and Professionals
Chapter 3: Technological and Medical Interventions
Chapter 4: Teaching Strategies and Accommodations
Chapter 5: Activities
Chapter 6: Social Skills
Chapter 7: Counseling Students with Vision Impairment
Chapter 8: Working with Families
Chapter 9: Research and Reflections