To: Teachers of Scott Miller

From: Kate Williams; Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Student: Scott Miller
Date: March 2, 2017

Scott Miller will be in your class this school year. He is a visually impaired student. This letter
is to make you aware of his strengths, performance levels, and vision impairment. Please let me
know if you have any questions regarding Scott Miller’s visual impairment or his ability to
access his learning environment, please see my contact information below.

Student strengths
Scott has strong verbal and receptive communication skills.
He is curious of the world around him.
He can advocate for himself when he is confused or needs assistance.
He is a great reader and has good comprehension skills.
He responds well in an environment that is calm and has a set schedule.
He is a good listener.

Eye Condition Information

Scott was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia and esotropia from birth. Optic Nerve
Hypoplasia is defined as a nonprogressive condition that occurs in infancy. It affects the optic
nerve and results in decrease visual acuity and field defects. Esotropia is defined as one eye
deviating inward while the other fixates normally. These eye conditions are stable.

According to Scott’s eye report, he has a visual acuity of 20/500 OD (Right Eye), 20/200 OS
(Left Eye), and 20/320 OU (both eyes) with corrective lenses. He is legally blind.

Present Levels

Scott struggles in math computation facts for addition, subtraction and multiplication. He has
not memorized the facts and relies on touch point to recall and compute. His retention of
information is poor and requires ESY to ensure he does not significantly lose taught skills over
the summer.

He is a strong reader and has a good grasp of vocabulary and decoding skills that are on grade
level. He is able to answer comprehension questions about his readings.

Scott’s favorite subject is science.

He is currently working with the Orientation and Mobility Specialist to work on his cane
techniques and is able to complete simple street crossings in quiet areas. He will need a compass
to help with cardinal directions and does not initiate independent cane usage.

Educational Implications/Accommodations/Adaptations
Scott’s primary sensory modality to obtain information, direct this actions, and make choices is
visual. His secondary modalities are auditory and tactual. He uses auditory information to give
him an awareness of activities or object in his environment that he has not detected visually. He
uses tactual information to confirm visual information.

Scott’s primary medium is large print materials. He requires print to be enlarged to 18-24 point
font. When he is reading, he is normally positioned approximately 2-4 inches over his paper at
24 point font. At a distance, he can identify a single bold symbol at 2 inches in size. His
secondary mediums are auditory and braille. He uses Live Reader, Digital Text, and other
screen reading software through the auditory medium. Scott is currently learning braille. He is
able to read contracted 3rd grade level materials at a rate of 25 words/minute with a 90%
comprehension rate.

Scott uses a variety of assistive technology in the classroom. He uses a video magnifier (CCTV),
a brailler, and screen readers. He also uses adaptive equipment such as dark lined paper, dark
writing utensils, large print/braille, slant board, tactile graphics, and tactile paper.

It is recommended that Scott be position nearest instruction, given enlarged print copies of
information being presented on the board, manipulatives to accompany lessons. Handwriting is
illegible due to his vision loss. He will require a keyboard as a means of writing. He will require
double time to access print assignments and tests due to his vision.

Testing accommodations include breaks during testing, testing broken up into several sessions,
extended time, access to a scribe., use of assistive technology, preferential seating, tested
individually, magnification/enlargement of test, access to own resources, special equipment for
viewing test, can read test aloud to himself, use of calculator during test, and time of day for
testing altered.

Health/Safety Plan

A special Safety Plan and Evacuation plan is in effect in his IEP. Due to his limited visual
acuity, an adult will need to assist him during all Evacuations or Safety Drills. With the alarms,
he easily becomes disoriented due to the diminishment of his auditory cues. He also becomes
disoriented with the large amount of people exiting the same location. If the classroom 1-on-1
assistant is unavailable during this time, the classroom teacher will need to assist him using the
assisted guide technique.

Effects of Medication

Scott is currently on several medications to treat his ADHD, Asthma, and sleeping. He is also on
medication to treat some of the effects of his Septo-Optic Dysplasia.