What does my student see and what not? Are adjustments needed in the classroom? Don't my classmates think my aids are strange?
Isn't my son more likely to be bullied because he is visually impaired? Can my daughter participate in gymnastics?
These are questions that I regularly receive in my daily work. My name is Henk Benjamins, outpatient educational supervisor at Visio Education in Haren.
Visio Education is part of Royal Visio, a national institution that focuses on Research, Rehabilitation, Education and Housing for people - young and old - with a visual impairment.
If a child with a visual impairment attends regular education, many school matters continue as they always do. Some things, on the other hand, happen differently. This can raise questions for the teacher, parents, but also for the child or young person himself or fellow students. At Visio we have specialized teachers – called ambulatory educational counselors (AOB'ers) – of which I am one, who can answer these questions and who guide a student with a visual impairment in all school matters that are a little different. Together with my colleagues, I support not only the student but also the teachers at school. We do this in all forms of education, from toddler to student. It is also nice for children and young people with a visual impairment to go to school or receive training in their own environment. This has been possible and successful for many years thanks to outpatient educational guidance!
The aim of outpatient educational guidance is to ensure that a child or young person with a visual impairment can participate in regular (or special) education as best as possible. The student teacher, together with the student, the teachers and often also in consultation with the parents, examines what is needed to make this possible. This may involve special aids, such as a laptop with enlargement software or adapted teaching material in A3, digital or in Braille, but also better lighting for school work or extra time for a test. Providing advice and teaching skills is tailor-made, focused on the specific situation and needs of the pupil or student. For example, a child or young person who is visually impaired as a result of, for example, Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) requires different adjustments than a child with a different visual disorder. In addition, every child is unique with their own personal characteristics and capabilities.
“I enjoy talking to my teacher about school and how I can best approach something. For example, drawing with a thick pen is more convenient than with a pencil. And I have now exchanged my school books for digital books on a laptop. I also like that he explains to the teachers what I have and how they can best deal with it. Simple tips such as writing larger on the board or sharing the image of the digital whiteboard with me and extra time during a test make the lessons a lot less tiring for me.”
In addition to ensuring that the child or young person is properly educated, the outpatient educational guidance is also aimed at developing the child or young person into a person who can later participate fully in our society, despite his or her functional disability. An important aspect of this process is encouraging self-management in the child or young person. The outpatient educational counselor also thinks about the student's future options and informs the school and parents about legal and financial regulations.
In secondary education, guidance takes a different form than in primary education and also in secondary vocational education and higher education. The guidance is guided by what is needed in the educational situation, with the aim of ensuring that the young person can ultimately find his way independently with the right skills and any aids. The AOB employee gradually takes on more and more of a coaching role. Naturally, the responsibility for the education of the pupil or student lies and remains with the school in question.
For questions that fall outside the expertise of the teacher, he or she will refer teachers and parents to other support services within Visio. Consider, for example, relevant activities and training (Ophthalmological examination, ICT training, (Car) mobility) from Visio Revalidatie & Advies. In short, the AOB person is the contact person for everything that concerns the visual impairment of the pupil or student at school.
General information about Visio can be found on our website: www.visio.org
For information or registration, please contact our Client Service Office: 088 585 85 85
If you are curious, take a further look at Visio's outpatient educational guidance using the video below:
