Study Guide

Blind & Low Vision
Sample Questions

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Competency 0001
Understand characteristics of students who are blind or have low vision.

1. Retinitis pigmentosa is best described as:

  1. any deviation in the position of one or both eyes that results in the eyes having difficulty working together for binocular vision.
  2. increased pressure in the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve and can lead to the loss of peripheral vision and eventual blindness if untreated.
  3. involuntary, rhythmic oscillating movement of one or both eyes from side to side, up and down, in a rotary movement, or in a combination of movements.
  4. a group of hereditary conditions that progressively affect peripheral and night vision and can lead to tunnel vision or blindness.
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Correct Response: D. Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of related eye disorders that cause progressive vision loss. These disorders affect the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Vision loss occurs in people with retinitis pigmentosa as the light-sensing cells of the retina deteriorate. Often, the first sign of retinitis pigmentosa is loss of night vision, followed by blind spots in peripheral vision. Eventually, blind spots merge to form tunnel vision.

Competency 0002
Understand factors that affect development, learning, and daily living in students who are blind or have low vision.

2. A teacher of students who are blind or have low vision (TVI) will be providing in-home early intervention services for a four-year-old child who has a visual impairment. Which of the following steps would be most effective for the TVI to take first with the family to facilitate early intervention with this child?

  1. giving the family numerous materials to use with their child, such as large-print books and hand-held magnifiers
  2. spending initial home visits developing a rapport with the family, including parents, the child, siblings, and extended family who are present
  3. providing the family with a reminder chart to help them encourage their child to do things such as wear his or her glasses and practice flashcards
  4. introducing the family to other families in the area who also have a child with a visual impairment or blindness
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Correct Response: B. Young children are part of an interactive family system, and professionals who work with children who have visual impairments will have greater success if they have an understanding of and respect for the family. Family members are a child's first teachers, and they know the child best. The TVI can learn how best to reach each child from the child's family members. By developing positive relationships with the child's family members, the TVI can more effectively understand the child and then teach the family members additional strategies to help the child.

Competency 0003
Understand procedures for selecting, adapting, modifying, designing, administering, and interpreting and communicating results of various types of formal and informal assessments used with students who are blind or have low vision.

3. When preparing to perform a functional vision assessment, a TVI should plan to take which of the following steps?

  1. presenting the assessment materials one at a time in a prescribed sequence
  2. using assessment materials of consistent font, size, and contrast
  3. completing the assessment in one session
  4. conducting part of the assessment in the student's natural environment
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Correct Response: D. A TVI can obtain the most accurate measure of a child's abilities by assessing within the child's natural environment, including the accommodations the child uses regularly and in the location where the child spends the most time. Additional ways to obtain an accurate assessment include making the child comfortable by ensuring that appropriate environmental and procedural modifications (e.g., appropriate lighting and furniture, lack of visual or auditory distractions) are provided. When children are assessed in unfamiliar or uncomfortable surroundings, they are less likely to be able to perform to the best of their ability.

Competency 0004
Understand strategies and procedures for developing, implementing, and monitoring individualized programs for students who are blind or have low vision.

4. A ten-year-old student with a cortical visual impairment (CVI) and multiple disabilities has recently moved to a new school district. Which of the following factors should the student's new Individualized Education Program (IEP) team consider first in determining the least restrictive educational setting?

  1. the projections for the student's progress offered by previous teachers, special educators, and service providers
  2. the frequency, duration, and intensity of the interventions the student needs in order to learn effectively
  3. the estimated cost to the school district and to the student's family of the available placement and service options
  4. the availability of professional staff members trained to meet the student's specific learning and medical needs
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Correct Response: B. According to Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), each child with a disability should be educated in the least restrictive environment for his or her needs. When determining a student's placement and services, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team must ensure that the student receives the interventions he or she needs to be successful. The IEP team should also determine that these interventions are of the appropriate amount and intensity, and that they are provided in an environment as close as possible to the general education environment.

Competency 0005
Understand strategies and procedures for planning, managing, and modifying the learning environment for students who are blind or have low vision.

5. A TVI is planning to teach a student how to use a handheld magnifier for reading. When learning how to use this low-vision device, which of the following instructions should the TVI give to the student?

  1. "Stay still and use eye movements only with the magnifier."
  2. "Position the text as far from the magnifier as possible."
  3. "Move the magnifier over the line of print."
  4. "Hold the magnifier at arm's length from your eye."
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Correct Response: C. When using a handheld magnifier, an individual should hold the magnifier parallel to the object being viewed (in this case, the line of print) and use it at the correct focal length. The focal length is the distance a lens is held away from the text or object at which it provides the maximum field of view while still being in focus.

Competency 0006
Understand effective instructional practices for promoting success in the general curriculum for students who are blind or have low vision.

6. A high school geography teacher asks a TVI to create a tactual map for one of the students to use for an upcoming geography unit. In general, which of the following approaches would be most important to follow when developing this type of map?

  1. incorporating many embossed representational pictures
  2. utilizing only two or three different materials and tools
  3. limiting the information to essential details
  4. supplying braille labels for as many items as possible
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Correct Response: C. Science and social studies texts often present data in graphic form (e.g., maps, diagrams, graphs). Map- and graph-reading skills are important for all students, so the modification of a tactile map should be accessible for a student who has a visual impairment. As researchers have noted, sight is a unifying sense and students without visual impairments can observe a whole map at once and then consider the parts. Because they interpret the parts rather than the whole, students who are blind or have low vision need compensatory instruction in interpreting tactile graphics in maps. To facilitate this process, the information provided should only be that which is essential.

Competency 0007
Understand strategies for developing students' communication and social skills and for providing effective behavioral interventions for students who are blind or have low vision.

7. Shari is a fifth-grade student who has a progressive visual impairment. Recently she has been exhibiting low self-esteem and frustration about her condition. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for the TVI to implement in fostering Shari's self-esteem?

  1. helping Shari make a list of her abilities and the skills she has mastered so that she can refer to her accomplishments often
  2. encouraging Shari to meet with the guidance counselor to discuss her worries and concerns
  3. asking Shari's classroom teacher and parents to praise Shari for her achievements whenever possible
  4. identifying Shari's interests and having her sign up for extracurricular and weekend activities in these areas
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Correct Response: A. A visual impairment can be overwhelming to a student, especially when the condition is progressive. Individuals with visual impairments may feel anger, frustration, and helplessness as they face these challenges. Research links lower levels of self-esteem recorded with students who are visually impaired. The explicit instruction of skills (e.g., Expanded Core Curriculum), such as goal setting, problem solving, and self-advocacy, are associated with increases in improved academic achievement and engagement by students with visual impairments. It is important for TVIs to teach skills to support self-determination, even at a young age, throughout the educational setting.

Competency 0008
Understand strategies for teaching expanded core curriculum skills and promoting successful transitions for students who are blind or have low vision.

8. Andrew is a high school student with low vision. He has a transition plan that includes developing the social skills he will need to succeed in a competitive work environment. The service option that would likely be most appropriate for promoting Andrew's acquisition of such skills would include:

  1. a school-based program that implements small-group and partnered instruction to teach a wide range of functional academic skills.
  2. an extended employment program in which individuals with similar disabilities work side by side using their existing abilities to earn wages.
  3. a community-based program that teaches vocational and interpersonal skills in the context of actual work environments.
  4. a sheltered workshop that promotes interpersonal interaction as each individual in the group works on activities matched to his or her skills.
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Correct Response: C. In this scenario, it would be most effective for Andrew to participate in a program that most closely resembles an actual work environment in an area related to his career goals and interests. The transition plan should address vocational and interpersonal skills that are directly applicable to situations the student will encounter in the workplace and that he will need to be successful in an actual work environment.

Competency 0009
Understand the historical, legal, and ethical foundations of the field of education of students who are blind or have low vision.

9. Which of the following best describes a decision provided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?

  1. A student cannot be excluded on the basis of disability alone from any program or activity receiving federal funds.
  2. Free and appropriate education must be provided to all children with disabilities ages 6 to 21.
  3. Students with disabilities must receive services in the least restrictive environment.
  4. A general education teacher must be a member of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team for each child with a disability.
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Correct Response: A. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 extends civil rights to people with disabilities, including those with visual impairments. Section 504 states that no individual can be excluded from a program or activity, receiving federal funds, because of his or her disability. This law has expanded opportunities to children and adults with disabilities including visual impairments to increase access and inclusion in both education and employment.

Competency 0010
Understand the professional roles and responsibilities of the teacher of students who are blind or have low vision.

10. A TVI would likely find which of the following professional certifications most directly applicable to his or her work?

  1. Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Certification, from the Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP)
  2. National Certification in Unified English Braille (UEB), from the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB)
  3. National Orientation and Mobility Certification, from the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB)
  4. Low Vision Therapist Certification, from the Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP)
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Correct Response: B. It is the professional responsibility of TVIs to develop and maximize the use of sensory skills and teach compensatory skills to students who are blind or have low vision. The National Certification in Unified English Braille (UEB) from the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) would be applicable for a TVI, as teaching and knowing how to read braille is essential to teaching students who are blind or have low vision. This certification has been available since January 2015, and replaces the National Certification in Literary Braille previously available from the NBPCB. It is important for TVIs to learn as many relevant skills as possible for teaching students who are blind or have low vision, in order to most effectively meet each student's needs.