Summer Orientation and Mobility Specialist Special Education

Anticipated Opening - Position is contingent on funding and student enrollment

School Spring #5703831

Summer Program:ESY Special Education

Dates/Hours:

June 29th - August 6th with weekly planning and Pre & Post-Work (depending on programming)

Monday-Thursday

7:45am-12:00pm (Golden Hill/Nettle

12:00am-1:00pm (HHS)

Work Location:

Golden Hill/Nettle

HHS

(Depending on programming)

Salary: $40.00/hr(if for any reason the candidate selected does not complete the appointment compensation will be prorated based upon time served)

Organizational Relationship

or Line of Authority:

Directly responsible to the Summer Coordinator and/or theExecutive Director of Student Support Services and/or his/her designee

Summary:

Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) are professionals who have been trained to work with students with vision loss. They are not therapists but rather hold certification in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) in addition to either a bachelors and/or masters degree. They are specialists trained to provide services to students from birth through adulthood with uncorrectable vision pathologies and/or to those who function as blind or visually impaired including students with multiple disabilities. Orientation and mobility skills are the ability to travel safely through the environment and develop an understanding of how an environment is configured and to correctly interpret this information with or without vision. O&M training usually focuses on navigating familiar environments first such as the classroom or home setting. Depending upon an individuals needs and abilities this training may extend beyond the school to the community.

The COMSs role is multifaceted and crosses many disciplines. O&M Specialists are knowledgeable about medical conditions and diseases of the eye and how these may impact functional travel skills and functional travel vision. A COMS is familiar with various types of magnification devices for long distance use as well as assistive travel devices and technology. Certified O&M Specialists are also familiar with state and federal laws regarding the education of their students and are knowledgeable about local agencies and resources for this population.

In addition to direct teaching a COMS conducts assessments and consults with other teachers and service providers regarding ways to make school and community programs accessible and welcoming to students with visual impairments. The comprehensive roles and responsibilities of a COMS in delivering high quality services to students with visual impairments in Massachusetts schools include:

Direct teaching:

• Use of low vision devices.
• Motor skills needed for balance posture and gait
• Use of adaptive devices and techniques to assist those with multiple disabilities
• Orientation skills
• Tactile skills
• Use of computers and other assistive technology devices that support traveling or route planning skills
• Visual efficiency skills
• Listening skills
• Protective techniques
• Sighted guide techniques
• Pre-cane skills
• Long cane training
• Use of adaptive mobility devices
• Daily living and independent living skills
• Leisure and recreation skills
• Map skills and route planning including techniques for traveling in indoor and outdoor environments
• Pedestrian travel skills
• Analysis and identification of intersections and traffic patterns
• Use of traffic control devices
• Techniques for crossing streets
• Use of public transportation taxis and/or specialized transit services
• Social skills
• Self-advocacy
• Communication (e.g. using the telephone soliciting assistance)
• Personal safety awareness skills when traveling

Consultation with school staff:

• Help teachers become familiar with the unique educational needs and learning characteristics of students with visual impairments.
• Provide information to all school personnel including classroom teachers physical education teachers bus drivers/monitors cafeteria staff playground staff maintenance staff Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments paraprofessionals and related service providers regarding travel strategies for students with visual impairments.
• Provide in-service training to school staff regarding:
• Sighted guide assistance
• How the student travels (e.g. use of long cane use of vision)
• Emergency evacuation such as fire drills
• The physical arrangement of the classroom/school environment
• Effective communication (e.g. direction giving offering assistance).
• Interpret medical eye reports and functional vision assessments to help school personnel including teachers of special subjects (physical education dance drama etc.) understand the students eye condition and its implications for safe travel and movement.
• Make recommendations for the physical environment (classrooms hallways gym cafeteria playground areas) regarding lighting conditions seating glare reduction safe/efficient movement around the environment and equipment use and storage.
• Train staff when to reinforce and/or to assist the level of support a student needs.
• Observe classes and meet regularly with classroom teachers parents and other specialists/therapists to evaluate and coordinate the students program and services.
• Plan/confer with staff and other providers in all areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum: orientation and mobility social interaction skills independent living skills recreation and leisure skills career education use of assistive technology and visual efficiency skills (in addition to the compensatory skills and communication modes listed under direct teaching). In all cases serve as an active member of the students educational Team helping to develop the IEP and monitor student progress.

Note: Consultation in these areas may sometimes involve personnel outside of the school.

Consultation with parents:

• Provide information about visual impairment and blindness and links to parent organizations regional state and national resources.
• Help parents understand their childs eye condition and its implications for travel.
• Help parents understand the unique orientation and mobility needs of pedestrians/travelers with visual impairments.
• Help parents to acquire skills in adapting equipment arranging safe spaces and promoting their childs independence at home.
• Communicate regularly via conferences phone and/or e-mail regarding progress concerns resources information-sharing and future goals.

Consultation with students:

• Help the student understand his/her visual condition and its implications for travel social and recreational experiences and career planning.
• Help the student effectively communicate the implications of the vision loss to peers teachers and others.
• Assist with transitions from one level of education to the next: from an early intervention program to preschool; from elementary to middle school and then to high school; from high school to college work or a vocational program.
• Promote independence by providing information about agencies and resources and by teaching the student how to access them.
• Work effectively with the student regarding safe travel skills and how the student may use specialized equipment.

Preparing/acquiring/adapting materials:

• May assist in the development of tactile and/or large print maps of the classroom the school the neighborhood and the community.

Assessment

• Conduct and interpret Functional Vision Assessments (FVA) relating to orientation and mobility skills.
• Conduct ongoing assessment of skills and maintain a continuous record of student progress in pertinent areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).
• Obtain and interpret medical eye reports and any functional assessments done by outside eye specialists or agencies.
• Recommend specialized evaluations as necessary such as technology low vision occupational therapy physical therapy and/or evaluations by a rehabilitation therapist or a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments.

Note: O&M evaluations will take place in classrooms on and around campus within the students home and/or in community environments.

Administrative and record-keeping tasks:

• Write assessment and progress reports.
• Maintain a file of information related to a students vision including medical reports from ophthalmologists optometrists and low vision clinics; provide copies of these documents to the special education office.
• Maintain contact with counselors and rehabilitation workers from the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and other agencies as appropriate.
• Consult with the Team in working with agencies that provide specialized evaluation and/or training in such areas as technology independent living skills social skills and transition.

Qualifications:

• Experienced in a school setting and able to work in a team environment. Must possess excellent written and oral communication skills be flexible able to pay attention to the overall environment and specific details.
• Bachelors Degree in a related field
• Must possess certification as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Bilingual preferred

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The Haverhill Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is in compliance with Federal regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of race color religion national origin age gender gender identity or expression sexual orientation or disability.

Required Experience:

IC