Division on Visual Impairments

VIDBE-Q 64.2 Spring 2019

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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26 VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 2 might be available to the client. While the resources may prove beneficial when working with young adults, the dvd is meant for those with driving experience. Addressing the Grief Cycle When families first find out about their child's vision loss they begin to grieve. They grieve the loss of having a typical child who is able to engage in the same milestones as his sighted peers. As the child ages and is able to achieve milestones in a way that is unique to him/her, the family moves through the stages of grief (shock, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance; Kübler-Ross & Kessler, 2005). It is important to note that although researchers refer to the "stages" of grief, it is more of a circular cycle, not a linear path from shock to acceptance. Missed milestones, like the inability to obtain a permit or license, can cause families and students to return to other, previously experienced, stages within the grief cycle. This may also occur when peers or siblings obtain a driver's license when the adolescent with a visual impairment is not eligible to do so. The professional's role during this time is to empower the student with a visual impairment to help him realize he has alternate transportation options to driving a car. It is important to listen to student and family concerns and direct them to seek professional help if the issue of nondriving becomes

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