Division on Visual Impairments

VIDBEQ.70.4.Fall.2025

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 2025 Volume 70 Issue 4 Background Children with visual impairments (VI) consistently demonstrate lower levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS) compared with sighted peers, with consequences for participation, fitness, and self-efficacy. Cross-sectional studies have shown marked motor delays in both locomotor and object control skills (Brian et al., 2018; Castiglioni et al., 2025; Houwen et al., 2009). Systematic reviews confirm reduced physical activity levels and fitness outcomes in school- age youth with VI (Haegele & Porretta, 2015; Lieberman & McHugh, 2010). Importantly, these motor delays are considered modifiable with explicit instruction, adapted environments, and systematic practice (Brian et al., 2018; Haegele & Porretta, 2015). However, general PE teachers frequently report insufficient preparation for working with students with disabilities, and preservice training specific to VI remains scarce; even experienced educators identify students with VI as among the most challenging to teach without targeted guidance (Lieberman et al., 2022; Lieberman et al., 2017; Lirgg et al., 2017; Wilson et al., 2022). To support practice in schools, monitoring inclusive teaching with a short observation tool such as the Lieberman/Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education (LIRSPE) can foster reflection and improvement across lessons (Lieberman et al., 2017). Against this backdrop, resources such as Camp Abilities and the Gross Motor Development Curriculum for Children with Visual Impairments (Lieberman 183

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