Gain Specialized Skills at Special Schools for Blind
Children with visual impairments have a different way to gain knowledge of the surrounding world instead of observing them through their visual elements. Apart from going for regular classroom studies, visually impaired children are required to learn specialized skills often referred as the expanded core curriculum through teachers and special educators. The special educators are certified teachers of the kids facing visual challenges and are also considered mobility and orientation specialists.
Specialized Skills to Acquire
The specialized skills that the visually impaired children must learn include proficiency in computer and technology through equipment — a screen reader that reads information in print or on monitors. In addition, they should be literate enough to read and write through Braille, optical devices and large print as they are trained to utilize the available vision better. Also, age-appropriate career education is necessary for them to explore career preferences and participate in job experiences through non-visual methods.
What the Differently-Abled Learn and How?
Visually impaired students are also taught for becoming independent and practicing safe mobility through specific mobility and orientation techniques and tools at special schools for blind. They also learn social interaction through developing an understanding of the body language and various visual concepts. Independent living skills are inculcated in them through acquiring specialized techniques of personal grooming, money management and food preparation, etc.
Kids who are visually impaired, receive education at a special school for blind children designed with specialized classes, itinerant teaching in regular classrooms and resource rooms. Based on their individual needs and inputs received from educators and parents, special classes are necessary educational options for differently-abled students. These specific educational centers offer technical assistance and outreach support to public schools too in the respective states.
Needed Challenges and Improvement
Though, such schools incorporate the specialized instruction for the visually impaired in their programs, still there is a massive scope for improvement. Many pupils with vision loss drop out of schools without becoming an expert of the skills needed for further education, independent living and gainful employment in their communities. Another challenge is the existing perception about the special schools for kids with visual limitations that is considered costly or unnecessary.
Specialized Schools are Best
This problem persists despite the experts holding the view that they have the best environment when it comes to teaching the differently-abled. Though, it is considered that the neighboring school has the most integrated and mainstream environment, they cannot fully provide all the skills training and services needed by the special kids. Here, specialized schools become the best choice offering all the necessary education while interacting with the peer groups on genuine quality. Another crucial part of their working is gathering regular feedback to modify their syllabus and teaching tools and techniques.
