AER Conference Presentation

In April, I presented a workshop at the AER Conference in Virginia. I am sharing some of the slides from my part of the presentation. 

Many of my students have Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). I love the blank books from www.barebooks.com. The shiny red paper comes on a roll from the Dollar Tree. I got 11 - 12 pages from each roll. I used double sided adhesive paper on the back.

 On The Way to Literacy Books are available from APH. Consider making a kit to go with them to use not only with your student but your student's peers.

Story bags are available from APH. I like to use them to keep a student's Dots for Tots materials from the Braille Institute. You can also use them to keep together a student's objects for a calendar or a favorite book.

Feel and Peel Carousel of Textures has to be one of my favorite products from APH. This picture is a binder that I created so that students with CVI had their favorite background when making choices.

The Carousel of Textures makes a nice addition to the Rolling Right Along Construction Kit. I also enjoy letting students use textured cutout to make repeated line books.

They Symbols and Meaning Kit is a newer product from APH. I like using the plastic pages to make books for students.

 I used rubber cement on the back of these numbers so that they are restickable. I used the textured paper from the Carousel of Textures from APH.

Wax Paper Stained Glass for the Light Box

I have a few students who benefit from light box activities.  This activity can be created on the light box.  After it dries, it can be used with the light box.

Directions:

Draw a simple shape onto a piece of wax paper with a black permanent marker.  If the student can rip tissue paper, have him rip the paper into small pieces.  You can do this in advance and cut the paper into small squares. Spread enough glue to cover the shape.  Place the tissue paper pieces onto the shape.  It doesn't matter if you go over the edges because the shape will be cut out with scissors.  When the shape is completely covered with a single layer, cover the paper with glue.  I used thin lines because when you press the project together, the glue will spread.  Place another piece of wax paper on top of the glue.  Smooth the paper.  Allow the project to dry over night.  Cut out the project.

Here is a picture of the butterfly that I did with one group.  I also made an earth.  The outlines can be changed to match the curriculum.  (pyramid-Egypt, shapes-math, etc.)

Background Binder

Many students benefit from different backgrounds when presenting choices.  I created this binder for a specials teacher that works with many students.  She uses the shiny backgrounds when working with students who only visually attend to shiny things.  I included a black background and a few others.  I added the Velcro dots to the outside of the binder so that the backgrounds can easily slide into the binder.

Butterflies

My students created a book called "Where's My Mom?"  Each book had a textured caterpillar on the cover page.  The next two pages said, "That's not my mom."  The last page said, "That is my mom.  The goal is to match the "mom" butterfly to the caterpillar.  I used an Ellison Press to cut the butterflies and caterpillars from textured paper available from APH.  It was a good lesson for teaching the concepts - same and different.  If you present the caterpillar, matching butterfly, and a non-matching butterfly, the student can find the texture that is different.  I continued this way until the butterfly that was left was the "mom" butterfly.

We also made a butterfly from a coffee filter.  Some of my students painted their butterfly on the Mini-Lite Box from APH.  I used shiny pipe cleaners to make the antennae, and bright colored clothes pins for the body.  We used watercolor paints and brushes.  Try not to let the filter get too wet, or wait until it dries to add the antennae.  Wrap the pipe cleaner around the body, then twist.  I used plastic clothes pins, but you could use the wooden pins and paint them.

If you have a student with low vision or CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment), shiny pipe cleaners can be a quick way to highlight pictures or objects.  

Work Tasks

My caseload includes students with many disabilities. I made some work tasks for students with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and autistic characteristics. I focused on bright colors. Duct tape is available in many colors now. I found it at Target and Home Depot. I covered cardboard boxes with the bright tape, then added accents to the other components.

I included a switch that says, "I'm finished." The task on the right has an auditory component. The eggs are filled with fish tank gravel. Different "fillers" could be used to create different sounds. I found that with the water task, lighter "coins" floated to the bottom of the tube more slowly. I found some St. Patrick's Day Coins that floated nicely. The picture above shows poker chips which sink more quickly.