Noise Ball Activity - Kristin Dibler

Despite what some may think, people with visual impairments can enjoy recreational activities, such as playing toss, basketball, softball, dodgeball, etc.

You can purchase a "beeper ball", or make your own "noise ball". To make your own, you just need to purchase a ball (select the ball that is most appropriate to the activity you will be doing), deflate the ball, add bells to the inside, and then re-inflate the ball.

Now let's try playing a game of toss, with a "noise ball", and with goggles that depict various visual impairments.

.... This is an example of an expanded core curriculum activity that requires both an auditory and a kinesthetic approach.

Mat Man

I use Handwriting without Tears with my preschoolers (and my own kids for that matter) and my favorite part of that program is Mat Man.  I love that there is a song that goes with Mat Man.   Handwriting without tears is a multisensory based program that teaches children handwriting.  It starts with pre-writing skills.  Mat Man helps kids not only learn how to draw a person but also helps them recognize body parts.

This is to the tune of "The Bear Went over The Mountain"

Mat Man has one head one head one head, Mat Man has one head, so that he can think

Mat Man has 2 eyes, 2 eyes, 2 eyes, Mat Man has 2 eyes so that he can see

Mat Man has 1 nose, 1 nose, 1 nose, Mat Man has 1 nose so that he can smell

Mat Man has 1 mouth, 1 mouth, 1 mouth, Mat Man has 1 mouth so that he can eat

Mat Man has 2 ears, 2 ears, 2 ears, Mat Man has 2 ears so that he can hear

Mat Man has 1 body, 1 body, 1 body, Mat Man has 1 body to hold what is inside

Mat Man has 2 arms, 2 arms, 2 arms, Mat Man has 2 arms so that he can reach

Mat Man has 2 hands, 2 hands, 2 hands, Mat Man has 2 hands so that he can clap

Mat man has 2 legs, 2 legs, 2 legs, Mat man has 2 legs so that he can stand

Mat Man has 2 feet, 2 feet, 2 feet, Mat Man has 2 feet so that he can walk

After building Mat Man, I ask my students to draw him.  I love it when I hear them singing Mat Man as they draw him!

Auditory Cues - Kristin Dibler

Auditory Cues for students with visual impairments...

Tapping to areas to locate specified items-

Tap on desk where you want student to sit, they can locate sound and move towards sound

Adding sound to any everyday task where we use our vision to assist us -

Add noise-makers to door handles so they can hear when someone is coming in the room, put bells in a ball for recreational activity assistance such as a simple game of toss to help better localize the ball's location, noise-making devices when pouring a drink to let you know when glass is full

An Example of a Multi-sensory Lesson

This lesson demonstrates how a multi-sensory approach can be used to teach a single lesson.  Pay attention to the beginning because the students are singing a song as they transition to sitting in a circle for the math activity.  The children clearly have been instructed how and when to respond to their teacher.

Auditory Cues

Students often benefit from auditory warnings and auditory cues built into a daily routine.

Transitions 
Give a 2 to 5 minute warning prior to a change in the schedule- a timer, a bell, a special song
Give a signal when it is time to start an activity- clap your hands, ask students to repeat a phrase
Have a special auditory signal for the beginning or end of the school day
When traveling to different activities sing a song such as the Ants Go Marching

Learning Songs
Circle Time- a morning greeting song, a routine song or rhyme to start the day, sing the days of the week
Math and Reading- the alphabet song is an excellent example of an early reading song, there are numerous counting songs available, and even multiplication rhymes if you search for them!  School house rock is still around!
Social Studies and Science- throw in some key sounds in Science during experiments, find a song for the water cycle, etc.

Unstructured Times
Have calming music playing during nap or indoor play time
Have an auditory signal to indicate when the class is getting too noisy
Have an auditory signal when the whole class attention is needed

This is a great explanation of how to teach your students how to respond to an auditory signal.  Remember that just because you are using a signal at a certain time, doesn't mean that your students understand how to respond to it.  It involves direct instruction.

Combining Art, Music, and Movement

This is likely an activity that is geared more towards the preschool age student or early elementary student.  However I suppose that variations could be made to use it with older students.

I love this activity to combines art, music, and movement.  It is a musical chairs game with the use of art. This a great way to not only teach students about different art concepts such as texture and concept but also allow students to move and burn some energy!  This version does not eliminate a player, which is great for allowing students to work together as a team.

During the winter months I love to pull several students together for a social skills group to build Frosty the Snowman.  I hand out the parts of Frosty and we sing a song to build Frosty.  If you are familiar with the song Mat Man (to the tune of the bear went over the Mountain), I typically sing the song as "Frosty has one nose, one nose, one nose, Frosty has one nose so that he can freeze".  I end every verse with so that he can freeze.  I hand out the parts of Frosty to different students.  As they build Frosty, they need to request the items from another student.  It allows them to work together and they often love singing the song.

Daniel Tiger

I work with preschool age students.  I think that everyone has heard a preschooler just randomly break out into song.  They love music.  Cute, catch tunes usually gain their attention.  They also of course love watching cartoons.  I am a huge fan of this little guy.  His name is Daniel Tiger.

I love to find simple songs that help with basic social skills or behavior skills.  Paired with a visual, especially a cartoon is amazing.  The Daniel Tiger cartoon on PBS is a social skills and positive behavior based cartoon.  They have many songs that go along with positive behaviors.

The following is an example of a song about a needed social skills.  It discussing talking about doing something new.




Here is a link to a list of all of Daniel Tiger's songs.  I love the Find a way to play together and When you Feel so Mad you want to Roar.

There are books that just were published outlining many of the Daniel Tiger shows.  They also have the characters for purchase at most toy stores.  They are great for acting out many of the social skills outlined in the show.  I love that Daniel Tiger embraces the multi sensory approach to social skills- visually watch, listen to the songs, move to practice the social skill.

Vision Skill - Expanded Core Curriculum - Kristin Dibler

Expanded Core Curriculum

"Educators define 'core curriculum' as the knowledge and skills expected to be learned by a student by high school graduation. Generally, the core curriculum consists of knowledge and skills related to academic subjects.... With respect to blind and visually impaired students, the existing core curriculum, as developed for sighted students, is entirely appropriate and generally available... But most professionals hold a strong position that there is an expanded core curriculum for visually impaired students that requires additional areas of learning. There are experiences and concepts casually and incidentally learned by sighted students that must be systematically and sequentially taught to the visually impaired student. The core curriculum for visually impaired students is not the same as for sighted students. Indeed, it is much larger and more complex."

The Expanded Core Curriculum includes:

• compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes
• orientation and mobility
• social interaction skills
• independent living skills
• recreation and leisure skills
• career education
• use of assistive technology
• sensory efficiency skills
• self-determination

Information provided by AFB

Visual

Visual schedule/steps to tasks

Videos/Modeling of Task

Auditory

Reading about designated task

Movie with speech about task

Tactile

Writing about task

-the steps of the task

-as a reflection after performing task

Bodily-Kinesthetic

Actual performance or acting out of task

 

AFB Expanded Core Curriculum 

Daily Living Skills Checklists

Vision Skill - Tracking/Scanning - Kristin Dibler

Tracking & Scanning

Tracking is the ability to visually follow horizontally, vertically, and diagonally without head movements and with smooth eye movements. This is an important skill for reading. 

 

Scanning is the ability to visually search for an object and then systematically from one object to another. This is important for scanning text when reading.

These skills tend to overlap at times, which is why they are listed together. In order to properly scan, you must be able to properly track in all directions. For students with visual impairments, we teach them the systematic tracking & scanning approach, which is top to bottom, left to right - the same pattern we follow when reading! This skill can be important for students with unstable eye movements, and/or vision field loss.

Visual

Paper activities-

   -dot to dots

   -mazes

   -tracking worksheets - letters, shapes, numbers, etc.

iPad activities

Hidden Pictures or Look & Find books

EyeCanLearn.com

   Clown Tracking

Auditory

Verbal description of specific activity

Verbal description of techniques

Verbal review of areas for improvement, skill improvement

Tactile

 Paper activities that involve drawing-

   -Dot to dots

   -Mazes

iPad activities that involve tactile input

Bodily-Kinesthetic

Hide & Seek related games in various environments

Eye Spy in various environments 

Between the Lines Advanced Lite

 

Between the Lines Advanced Lite HD

By Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development

Description

Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development presents this groundbreaking iPad app designed for adolescents-adults who would benefit from practice interpreting vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language, and idiomatic or slang expressions. Using real photographs, voices and short mini-video clips of a variety of social situations and expressions, this app provides a dynamic way to help learn and practice interpreting the messages that are “between the lines” and simply can’t be replicated with worksheets and static flashcards. Scenes for the body language activity include a shopping mall, office, restaurant, family room, outdoors, school and party.

This Lite app provides 12 samples of each of the three activities for a total of 36 tasks and is for a single user only. (The full version provides 225 total tasks)
This app uses American expressions and body language.

 

Vision Skill - Braille - Kristin Dibler

 Braille Instruction

One important skill that I teach is Braille. We are required to teach Braille for students with a diagnosis where they currently have severe vision loss OR if they have a prognosis where their vision will progressively diminish. Most of my students that I am currently working with do have functional vision, but their diagnosis is progressive, meaning in the future they could lose most of, or all of their functional vision.

There are a variety of skills involved with Braille, not just learning the letters, numbers, contractions, etc. You must enhance tactile identification skills, tactile tracking skills, learn to read and write Grade 1 Braille, and then Grade 2 Braille.

It is important to incorporate a variety of modalities for Braille instruction, not only to provide a variety of activties and to touch a student's preferred modality, but to also ensure that the student's tactile sense is not "overwhelmed". For Braille learners, their fingertips can become sore and sensitive, until they work on prolonging their tactile skills.

Visual

Braille Flashcards - enlarged image of contraction

Color-in Enlarged Braille Template

Tactile books, papers, etc. with images

iPad activities for Braille contraction learning

Auditory

Verbal review of lesson, contractions

Verbal identification of flashcards or Braille images

Tactile

Braille Flashcards - actual Braille contraction

Braille images

Tracking Paper

iPad activities for Braille contraction learning that involve tactile selection

Braille using Brailler

Bodily Kinesthetic

Board activities-

 Select/circle the appropriate contraction

 Draw the contraction

 Match print letter(s)/number(s)/word(s) to appropriate Braille contraction

 Pictionary - draw image of contraction or a word containing the contraction 

Braille Code