The main character of the The Story of the Little Mole is the mole. When introducing the book, the mole is key information that the adult would talk about and describe. Having the picture of the mole highlighted helps draw students’ vision to the most important element on the page. Having the text highlighted on a separate page helps distinguish the text from the picture. This helps students learn that pictures are different from text – a very basic concept about print Graphic 1: Visual Highlighting Example.
Visual Supports/Cues: Visual aids can be used to engage students’ vision. Visual Guides: A piece of black paper can be used to cover parts of a page to reduce complexity and focus vision on a par- ticular area. Colored Highlighting Cues: Bright colored markers can be used to highlight key details of a picture or print. When using colored highlights, it is important to highlight only the key concepts on a page. See Graphic 1. Flashlight Cues: Using flashlights to direct students’ vision can be an easy and quick strategy. Be sure to consult with a TVI regarding the use of light cues; the color of the light may be an important consideration. Auditory Supports/Cues: Auditory cues can be verbal descriptions of visual items or they can be auditory cues used for com- munication choices. When working on communication, it is essential that students have access to enough things to say. Many students with CVI may not be able to see the items in a communication array (due complexity), so the items can be represented by auditory cues which are read out loud by the helper or a device. Presenting the auditory cues in the same order supports students’ memory which ultimately allows them to communicate more successfully. Using auditory cues is essential for stu- dents with CVI. This prevents their vision from restricting their communication. Case Study: Shared Writing Supports/Cues. When Janie’s teacher is guiding a group writing activity (such as Predictable Chart Writing), there are multiple opportunities for the students to answer the question, “Who?” Janie can be asked “Who is next?” Or “Who has this word?” To provide predictability and help her memorize the list of students, Janie’s team organized a communication array that includes the names of the students in her class. Keeping the order the same and using auditory prompts helps Janie learn to anticipate which name comes next. Giving her a switch that she can use to tap through the list of names provides consistency of motor plan. Before asking Janie to choose a friend, her teacher can use the switch to tap through the list and make a choice first. In this way, she provides a model for Janie of expected behavior without giving extraneous verbal explanation or cues. When it is Janie’s turn to pick a student, everyone can agree to be quiet so Janie can hear her choices and only react once Janie indicates that she has found the name she wants to select. After Janie selects a name from the audi- tory list of options, the teacher may ask Janie to use her vision to confirm the selection. She will ask Janie to look at the name card of the student Janie selected (using a 3x6” black card with bright red highlights around the shape of the word, similar to the example for Mole in Graphic 2). Using a single card for each name controls visual demands while Janie is in a group settings. Once she is more automatic in choosing the name of a student from her list, Janie will be able to focus her attention on smaller details, like letters and sounds that make up names of the students (e.g., “Who has a name that starts with L?” — answered using the visual supports. “Who has a name that starts with the /m/ sound?” and “Who has a name that rhymes with Tammy?” – answered using auditory listing).
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