Resource Teacher: Vision

Resource Teacher: Vision believes in living life to the full

One of the things Ruth most admired about her elderly grandmother growing up was her ability to live a rich and independent life, despite having glaucoma.

"She showed me blindness was something that could be overcome with access to the right support - she learned a tremendous amount from talking books and could physically participate in ordinary life using the right tools like her cane," says Ruth, a Resource Teacher: Vision with more than 20 years' teaching experience.

And, Ruth says, her grandmother isn't the only person in her life who has demystified blindness and its effect on people's lives.

Jarrod (personal details changed for privacy reasons), a totally blind six-year-old boy with whom Ruth works, last year started using a BrailleNote, which is a specialised laptop with Braille display and voice software.

"He's easily mastered writing, editing and saving files. And even wakes up at five o'clock most mornings to switch on his laptop, listen to the talking manual, and learn more about its use and what it can do. It's opened huge doors for him and he is going ahead in leaps and bounds," says Ruth.

Instead of feeling frustrated and unhappy in class, Jarrod feels positive and keen to learn. His recent progress has prompted Ruth to talk with Jarrod's classroom teacher about assessing him for giftedness.

As a Resource Teacher: Vision, Ruth helps Jarrod's classroom educators see life from Jarrod's perspective. "Simply, unzipping his school bag to find lunch or a reading book can be tricky," she says. "But with a bit of practice and the right support from his teacher aide Jarrod can find these daily living tasks a breeze."

Ruth also passes on to Jarrod's teacher ways to help Jarrod take part in everyday lessons and set achievable learning goals. Recently, Jarrod was provided with opportunities to build relationships with other blind children, also savvy computer users.

Ruth explains: "That's about encouraging Jarrod to develop a peer support network, where he has exposure to blind learners just like him - kids who, with the right support, are reaching their potential and doing amazing things."

"It's really important to me that I play a role in developing knowledge about blindness among a child's education team. That way we can all be as skilled and as knowledgeable as we can be in our different roles. When we are, we're in the best position to help blind children reach their learning potential," says Ruth.

Ruth works with staff and students based in more than 100 early childhood education services and schools. Over a year, she might see up to 70 children. Usually she has a case load of about 35 children at any one time.

Ruth's qualifications and training

Ruth is a registered primary school teacher who taught for four years before becoming a Resource Teacher: Vision in the 80s. She has a generic diploma in working with learners with special education needs, which she finished in 1995. She also has a specific qualification in blindness education (educating students with a vision impairment), which she completed in 2005 through distance education.

A significant highlight of her education and training to date has been on-the-job learning with other Resource Teachers: Vision. "It's been hugely valuable to me and my practice to learn from practising resource teachers. Working alongside them on a day-to-day basis and supporting their research work has given me an excellent real-life understanding that's complemented my recent studies," she says.

Ruth's two-year diploma included the following topics:

• Introduction to the education of learners who are blind or vision impaired
• Knowledge of the eye and assessment of vision
• Aims and philosophical issues in special education
• Accessing the curriculum and expanded core curriculum
• Positive behavioural support
• Education of blind learners with complex needs
• Braille proficiency for teachers
• Research within special education
• Counselling, communication and consultative skills for resource teachers.

Throughout her career, Ruth has continued to build on her knowledge and skills by attending a range of biannual conferences especially for teachers working with the visually impaired. Networking with people in the visual education and disability sectors such as Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind staff, Ministry of Education, Special Education staff, and hospital neuro-development therapists has also been important.

Working with Ruth - the process

Ruth works with blind children and children with low vision who have been assessed as having a `high' or `very high' needs through the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS) assessment process. She also works with young children with `moderate' needs within the early childhood education sector.

She works with them from birth until the time they leave secondary school.

Usually a child is referred to Ruth by their health sector, Foundation of the Blind, or education specialist who has worked with that child from when they were a baby.

Once a referral is made, Ruth talks with the child's education team to find out what support she might provide and how she might provide it.

A child's education team can be made up of their mum, dad, teachers, teacher aide, caregivers, wider whānau and other specialists such as a child's Foundation of the Blind child and family worker or their Foundation of the Blind orientation and mobility worker. Ruth works closely with the education team during each step of her process.

Next, Ruth observes and assesses the child's needs in a one-on-one, classroom and home context. She then shares her findings with the child's education team and provides them with at-home and in-classroom programmes for their feedback and ideas.

She says all Resource Teachers: Vision have an excellent understanding of the early childhood and school curriculum, which means they can work with a wide range of educators to adapt their teaching to better suit blind learners and learners with low vision.

"It's important to help educators understand that blind children can learn and develop at the same rate as their peers, with the right equipment and teaching practice," says Ruth.

Sometimes Ruth will help teachers understand the importance of verbally communicating all aspects of a lesson. Or she herself might translate a lesson's reading material into Braille. At times, Ruth teams up with other specialists to provide teachers and families with education workshops on supporting people who are blind or vision impaired.

Eventually, a student's education programme is finalised and becomes part of their individual education plan (an individual education plan is sometimes made up of several programmes each tailored to meet a child's different learning needs).

Next, the education programme's actions, strategies and exercises are carried out. Everyone works together to monitor, review and adapt the programme for as long as the student needs and as long as a child is eligible for Ruth's service.

Working with Resource Teachers: Vision - points to note

It's important to note that Resource Teachers: Vision are part of the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand, and aren't employed directly by the Ministry of Education. It's also important to note that they don't all work in exactly the same way either. Resource Teachers: Vision adapt what they do to suit the needs of individual children and young people, the needs of families, whānau, educators and specialists, and to suit the context in which children and young people live and learn. They may also adapt the way they work as new research evidence emerges and as their knowledge and experience grows.