Because so many things are done for students with visual impairments (and because so many people and things come to them without effort), there is an inherent risk that students with visual impairments will become egocentric, fail to understand the perspectives of others, and not get the chance to struggle and overcome mistakes. Sometimes we want to help so much that we forget that it there is a dignity in being allowed to fail and recover from mistakes. Here are some tips:
- Keep the same expectations for her classroom behavior and performance that you would for any other student. It is best if reminders/consequences for poor choices in the classroom come from you rather than from the teacher of the visually impaired.
- Name students when calling on them so that the student knows who is speaking. Encourage other students to say their name when they are greeting or talking to him or her (Hi Tammy. It’s Corey.)
- There are things you do in the classroom that will visually cue the sighted students but may require some narration on your part in order for the student to feel included and know what is happening. For instance, you might say “I’m getting our next activity ready to hand out.” Using an auditory signal such as clapping (rather than a raised hand) to indicate that you want silence from the students, is helpful.
- The student should be expected to sit with his head up and her body and face pointed toward you when you are doing group instruction.
- Provide verbal descriptions of things that are happening in other parts of the classroom so that the student does not miss activities that are occurring at a distance.
- Encourage the student's peers to give her feedback if she does or says something that upsets them so that she can understand the social consequences of her words and actions (ex. "You hit me with your cane and it hurt.”).
- Other students sometimes have the tendency to direct questions and statements to the teacher of the visually impaired or classroom teacher when the student is the best person to answer the question. Gently redirect the student to ask the student the question directly.
- The biggest challenge is making sure that the student is accountable for his or her work.