Division on Visual Impairments

VIDBE-Q 65.2 Spring Convention Issue-Portland 2020

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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VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 2 80 comfortable interacting in a group setting with their peers. Putting Your Best Foot Forward is suitable for implementation in various settings, including schools, private agencies, and VR agencies. It was designed as an intensive, short-term standalone program (e.g., five 8-hour days, ten 4-hour days), but it can be implemented as part of a larger transition program or a semester course if a short, intensive format is not the best fit for a particular group. Effectiveness We conducted a research study with 92 transition-age youth with visual impairments to evaluate the effectiveness of Putting Your Best Foot Forward in improving both short-term and long-term outcomes. We partnered with one VR agency and three specialized schools for children who are blind to implement the program in three states. Some youth in our study participated in Putting Your Best Foot Forward, and some received usual services. Our findings support Putting Your Best Foot Forward's effectiveness in improving short-term outcomes; youth increased their knowledge about searching for jobs, job search behaviors (e.g., contacting employers, filling out applications), and confidence in their ability to accomplish specific job search behaviors (Cmar & McDonnall, 2020). Our research study has also underscored several potential negative consequences of offering repeated work experiences to youth who are capable of searching for a job

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