2019/2020 Teacher, Special Education- Orientation and Mobility Specialist
 
 
REQUIRMENTS:
California credential authorizing instruction in the appropriate area of handicap. Must have English Learner Authorization.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of and ability to implement the subject matter, philosophical, social, and educational concepts relative to the duties and responsibilities listed on the job description.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree Certification from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with school-aged children, including infants and preschoolers Experience with children with multiple impairments Experience working with teams

Job Summary

     Orientation and mobility (O&M) is that part of the educational process that prepares students with visual impairments to travel independently and safely. O&M is one of the nine areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) required to be evaluated for students with visual impairments.  The itinerant O&M specialist travels to the students’ assigned schools and/or home to provide direct and/or consultative services relating to the visual impairment. These services enable the students to travel safely, efficiently, and independently in their home, school, and community environments. The students range in age from birth through 22 years.  Community-based instruction is assumed and a critical component of the O&M program.  It is often necessary for instruction to occur off-campus, so the need for transportation for this community-based instruction is important.

Major Responsibilities and Duties

Assessment and Evaluation

Perform orientation and mobility evaluations that focus on long- and short-term needs of the student for new referrals and at intervals as designated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Identify the needs and strengths of the student and an estimate of the length and frequency of service necessary to meet determined needs and include such information in the assessment report Contribute to other appropriate portions of the IEP, such as goals and recommendations Provide consultation and support services to parents, educators, other team members, and students’ sighted peers Confer regularly with parents, classroom teachers, physical education teachers, physical therapists, and other school personnel to assist in home and classroom modifications to ensure reinforcement of appropriate O&M skills that will encourage the student  who is visually impaired to travel independently in these settings and in the future Work with the teacher of students with visual impairments to conduct the functional vision assessment as it relates to independent travel Evaluate the student’s progress on an ongoing basis and keep progress notes on each student

Appropriate Learning Environments

Instruct students with visual impairments in skills and knowledge that enable them to travel independently based on the IEP. Teach students to travel with proficiency, safety, and confidence in familiar and unfamiliar environments Prepare sequential and meaningful instruction geared to the student’s assessed needs, IEP goals and objectives, functioning level, and motivation level Be responsible for the student’s safety during O&M instruction and in other environments while fostering maximum independence during O&M lessons Prepare and use equipment and materials, such as tactile maps, models, optical devices, pre-canes, GPS devices, and long canes for the development of O&M skills Provide orientation of new buildings and new class schedules to students with visual impairments as needed, including those community settings where students receive instruction