If  your child has been formally evaluated for special education services and has been

found eligible to receive special education and related services as required by IDEA,

the Individualized Education Program (or IEP) will document the school’s responsibility

to provide related services.  The IEP must contain a statement of the special education

and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided.  These will

vary depending on the student’s classification.

 

With Regard to Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students:

The IDEA Reauthorization of 2004, Section 614(d)(3)(B)(iv) states:

 

*   “The IEP Team shall consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child’s language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child’s language and communication mode;”

 

With Regard to Blind/Visually Impaired Students and BRAILLE INSTRUCTION:

The IDEA Reauthorization of 2004, Section 614(d)(3)(B)(iii) states,

 

*    “The IEP Team shall, in the case of a child who is blind or visually impaired, provide for instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP Team determines, after an evaluation of the child’s reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including an evaluation of the child’s future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille), that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is not appropriate for the child”

 

This means that all children who may have sufficient vision to read large print or regular print with a CCTV or magnifier are also to be provided instruction in Braille, unless an evaluation (Learning Media Assessment) is conducted and concludes that Braille instruction is not appropriate for the student.  It is also important to note that the future needs of the student are to be kept in mind, especially for those with degenerative eye conditions.

 

With Regard to Blind/Visually Impaired Students and O&M INSTRUCTION:

The IDEA Reauthorization of 2004, Section 300.34(c)(7) states:

 

Orientation and mobility services--

(i) Means services provided to blind or visually impaired children by qualified personnel to enable those students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community; and

(ii) Includes teaching children the following, as appropriate:

(A) Spatial and environmental concepts and use of information received by the senses (such as sound, temperature and vibrations) to establish, maintain, or regain orientation and line of travel (e.g., using sound at a traffic light to cross the street);

(B) To use the long cane or a service animal to supplement visual travel skills or as a tool for safely negotiating the environment for children with no available travel vision;

(C) To understand and use remaining vision and distance low vision aids; and

(D) Other concepts, techniques, and tools.

 

NJAC 6A:9-13.16 School Orientation and Mobility Specialist

(a) The school orientation and mobility specialist endorsement is required for service as an orientation and mobility instructor to blind and visually impaired students in public schools in grades preschool through 12;

(b) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with a school Orientation and Mobility Specialist endorsement, the candidate shall:

     1. Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university; and

     2. Hold a valid Orientation and Mobility Specialist certification issued by

           *Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) or  

           *Category A: University Preparation certification issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB).

 

With Regard to Related Services:

The IDEA Reauthorization of 2004, Section 300.320(a)(4) stipulates that each child’s IEP must contain:

 

“…(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services … to be provided to the child … and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—

(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;

(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and

(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section… [§300.320(a)(4)]

 

Section 300.34 Related services.

Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes:  

 

  * speech-language pathology and audiology services,

  * interpreting services,

  * psychological services,

  * physical and occupational therapy,

  * recreation, including therapeutic recreation,

  * early identification and assessment of disabilities in children,

  * counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling,

  * orientation and mobility services, and

  * medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.

 

Related services also include school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.