Independence Skills

Tuesday 14th January 20142.30-3.10

Michelle Beirne-Shalice and Gary Learmonth

sensory support service

• To develop an awareness and understanding of the implications of a vision impairment on developing independence skills.

Learning Objective

• This workshop will focus on the implication of a vision impairment on developing independence skills at home and in school. This will include an assessment of your individual pupil’s independence skills and steps towards developing these areas of need. There will be opportunities to see specialist ILS equipment.

Mobility and independence assessment

• All children with a visual impairment should have a basic assessment.

Educational progress

• Included in Statement of SEN under “educational provision”

Inclusion

• More than academic inclusion

• Full inclusion in all activities of the classroom on an equitable level to fully sighted peers

• All require good mobility and independence skills

What are mobility and independence skills?

Early and Foundation Mobility and Independence

• Body and spatial awareness – e.g. early sensory-motor development, spatial language, mobility and orientation in different settings

• Social and emotional development – asking for assistance, social conventions, manners, confidence and motivation.

Advanced Mobility and Independence

• Travel skills – e.g. routes and technical aspects of travel, mobility and orientation, road safety, cane techniques

• Independent living skills (ILS) – e.g. kitchen skills, eating, hygiene, money handling, dressing.

Independent living skills• Kitchen skills, e.g.• Household management• Money management• Personal presentation skills• Dressing• Personal hygiene, teeth• Medication• Shopping• Self-service café and various other contexts• ‘Transferability of skills’ and ‘problem solving’

Mobility skills and the NC

• Mobility skills need to overlap with the National Curriculum – communication essential between all working with the pupil including their parents

Roles and responsibilities

• Who?• Roles need to be formalised• Key people need to be trained and supported

appropriately

Now…

• Assessment of individual pupil’s independence skills

Next steps…

• Identifying an area of need and next steps to developing this skill

Examples of ILS equipment

• Liquid level indicator

Tactile measuring jug

Talking weighing scales

Talking clock

Kitchen timer

Dycem mats

•Questions?

Sensory Support ServiceElmfield House

Greystoke AvenueWestbury-on-Trym

BristolBS10 6AY

Tel: 0117 9038442Fax: 0117 9038440

Text: 0781 050 6669

www.sensorysupportservice.org.uk

sensory support service