Division on Visual Impairments

VIDBE-Q 63.4 Fall 2018

A quarterly newsletter from the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Visual Impairments containing practitioner tips for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and other professionals.

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62 VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 4 majority of clients who complete the program continue on to get a dog guide. Clients who attend Leader Dog for Orientation & Mobility also have the option of coming back for a second week of Orientation & Mobility if it is needed. Leader dog also provides a one week camp during the summer for teens aged 16 and 17 which provides opportunities for the teens to try new sports, activities, orientation and mobility skills, and learn how to use the Victor Reader Trek GPS device. While I had my share of nerves as the start of my internship approached I quickly got over them as I began my internship. My time as an intern at Leader Dog in their Orientation & Mobility program provided a wealth of knowledge and some opportunities that I may not have gotten at another placement. Having a new client each week provided opportunities to work with a vast variety of personalities and ages as well as a variety of visual impairments. I was able to teach the same skills every week with different approaches to the teaching depending on the client's vision, needs, and learning style. This week-long model of teaching provided some challenges as well. For myself, the main challenge was getting to know the client and building the needed rapport to work with them for the week. With such a short time to teach the skills needed to travel independently a good rapport with the client is essential for building trust and needs to be developed quickly. In addition to the typical orientation and mobility skills, the program at Leader Dog teaches a few techniques that are used when traveling with a dog guide in order to prepare the client for a dog guide. This inclusion of pre-dog guide preparation for the clients is part of what made the internship at Leader Dog so unique. Clients who are intending to get a dog guide are given instruction in curb to curb travel and the basic

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