Teachable Moments: Using Story Telling for an Orientation and Mobility
Lesson
Shelley McCoy, CTVI, COMS
VIP Rehabilitation Services L/C
Smccoy370@gmail.com
In my short couple of years learning about
and practicing the fascinating art/science of Orientation and Mobility instruction, it has become
very clear that a multitude of factors impact engagement, retention, and overall effective teaching. Of all the factors that impact instruction, ulimately, Orientation and Mobility instruction is a
relationship-based practice. Establishment of
trust and comfort with a student or client is a
natural, necessary segue into the successes that
lie ahead. Without relationship and rapport, expecting a student/client to learn and grow can be
likened to a bicyclist riding with two flat tires. It is
a slow, painful ride getting nowhere fast. Relationship development has a few simple ingredients: knowing the student/client, using that knowledge to individualize your approaches with that
student, and ultimately establishing trust. It is
only with trust that a comfort level can be
achieved where active learning can take place.
Knowing the student
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Knowing the student means not only knowing the etiologies, diagnoses, and optimal functionality of a student but equally, or perhaps even
more importantly, exploring the personhood of the
individual. What does s/he love? What are his/
her fears? What are his/her strengths? What
