SUGGESTED REFERENCES RELATING TO THE STUDENT WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
"Educating Students with Visual Impairments in Texas: Guidelines and Standards" published by Texas Education Advisory for Students with VisualImpairments Committee- available online via a link from
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has an excellent website with a number of articles posted and updated regularly. A variety of publications and criterion-referenced instruments are available at
"Assessment of Low Vision for Educational Purposes", from the American Foundation for the Blindhas a nice overview of some of the tools used to investigate functional vision -
The American Printing House for the Blindis resource for information about accessible tests such as the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement (braille and large print) as well as different adaptive devices. Information is at
Bishop, V. (2004) Teaching Visually Impaired Children. Springfield: Charles Thomas Publisher. This book provides comprehensive information about the reasons for visual impairments as well as specific curricular approaches for different types of children. Topics range from the young child with multiple disabilities to providing an appropriate curriculum for children who are gifted and talented.
Gense, M. and Gense, J. (2008) Autism Spectrum Disorderand Visual Impairment. New York: AFB Press. This is an excellent book that provides information on informal assessment and curriculum strategies for this group of students. Multiple examples and case studies are provided.
Goodman, S. and Wittenstein, Editors (2003). Collaborative Assessment. New York: AFB Press. Staff at the California School developed this book for the Blind. Different chapters discuss issues relating to different professional disciplines. It is an excellent resource to share with members of the Multidisciplinary Team working with the evaluation of a student with visual impairment.
Haygood, L. (1997). Communication: A Guide For Teaching Students With Visual and Multiple Impairments. Austin: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. This book discusses different issues that impact language development of students with visual impairments as well as other disabilities. Specific strategies are included to facilitate language and communication
Haygood, L. (2010). Better Together. Austin: TSBVI Curriculum. Students with some form of autism spectrum disorder in addition to the visual impairment present unique challenges in developing relationships. This book was written by a speech therapist at TSBVI and provides a great deal of information about the process of facilitating relationship development as well as specific activities.
Holbrook, M.C. (2006) Children with Visual Impairments: AGuide for Parents. Woodbine House. This book is an outstanding resource in understanding the different ways that visual impairment impacts the development of a variety of skills throughout the developmental period. Written for parents, it can provide a great deal of information for a professional who wants a general overview of issues that should be considered.
Kamel-Hannan, C & Ricci, L. (2015). Reading connections: Strategies forTeaching Students with Visual Impairments. American Foundation for the Blind. This book provides a systematic framework and many activities for providing intervention. Focus is on students who are visually impaired and struggling with reading and language arts. Many suggestions are applicable to any student. .
Loftin, M. (2005). Making Evaluation Meaningful. Austin: TSBVI Curriculum. This book discusses specific issues that must be considered in the determination of additional eligibilities. Special emphasis is given to psychological factors that should be considered in interpreting test results as well as in developing appropriate IEPs.
Muñoz, M. (1998). Language Assessment and Intervention with Children Who Have Visual Impairments: A Guide For Speech-Language Pathologists. Austin: Texas School For the Blind and Visually Impaired. This booklet provides information about different issues that impact development of language in children with visual impairments. It provides specific strategies to help facilitate development of meaningful language rather than echoed speech.
Sacks, S. and Wolffe, K. (2006) Teaching Social Skills to Students withVisual Impairments. New York: AFB Press. Social skills is a critical need for many students with visual impairments. This book provides a framework for understanding difficulties that may be exhibited. It also provides specific strategies and activities that will help develop more age-appropriate skills.
Tuttle, D. and Tuttle, N. (2004) Self Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness. New York: Thomas Publications. This is a classic in the field and one of my favorite books for understanding the complex issue of adjusting to blindness. Dr. Tuttle speaks of his own personal experience in this process. One of the guiding principles is that “adjusting” is a process that occurs throughout the life cycle rather than a simple “adjustment” that is finite.
Please note: This is not a comprehensive list of materials available for reference. Not surprisingly, it is a list that changes frequently as I read materials that I think are helpful. Your TVI will be a good source for additional information appropriate for the specific student.
Loftin, 2016