Orientation and Mobility for School-Aged Children

These links feature orientation and mobility skills and training tips for parents and instructors working with school-aged children who are blind or visually impaired.

Mobility and Independence Book:  Assessment and Evaluation Scheme: Early Skills, Royal National Institute of Blind People
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/Code/public_rnib001966.hcsp
This skills checklist can be used to assess functional vision, communication, body awareness, spatial awareness, sensory awareness, gross motor skills, independence skills, and play and social skills. It includes a bibliography and additional resources; available as a PDF or a Word document.

Orientation and Mobility for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Northeast Regional Center for Vision Education
http://www.nercve.umb.edu/nhpd/index.php?page=tip3_oandm
This "tip sheet" provides an introduction to Orientation and Mobility in the inclusive school setting.

The Role of the Orientation and Mobility Specialist in the Public School, Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Visual Impairments
http://www.cecdvi.org/Postion%20Papers/060325%20CEC%20O&M%20Position%20Paper.doc
This is a position paper on the role of O&M professionals and their importance in the education of children with visual impairments.

O&M Checklist for VI Teacher, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/om-referral.htm
This checklist developed by Diane Barnes includes some sample activities that can be used to determine the need for a formal evaluation of a student by a certified O&M specialist.

Reflections on Collaboration in Orientation and Mobility (O&M): A Mother, Her Son, and Their O & M Instructor Share Their Thoughts and Experiences, Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Visual Impairments
http://www.cecdvi.org/DVIIQ/Full%20Issues/DVIQ_Spring_2007_(1).pdf
This article on collaboration between home and school is part of a special issue of DVI Quarterly on "Partnering with Parents".  It focuses on the belief that a strong collaboration results in better integration of mobility skills into everyday life.

Growing up with Independence:  The Blind Child's Use of the White Cane, National Federation of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm95/brlm9502.htm#1
This article from The Braille Monitor is written by Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, who has steadily championed the National Federation of the Blind's philosophy of early, consistent cane use by children who are blind.

Orientation and Mobility Content for Children and Youths:  A Delphi Approach Pilot Study, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2a/ac/e8.pdf
In this article, which is available through ERIC, "a panel of 20 experts in orientation and mobility (O&M) reached consensus on concepts and skills that O&M specialists should teach to students who are blind or have low vision," and discussed "visual, environmental, and behavioral conditions" that call for assessment.