La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CI-725

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section CI-725 - Visual Impairment

A. Definition. Visual Impairment (including blindness) - an impairment in vision that even with corrections adversely affects a student's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

1. If a student has the two disabilities of deafness and blindness, the student must be classified as having deaf-blindness and not developmental delay or multiple disabilities. The LEA shall notify state deaf-blind census of all students who have both visual and hearing disabilities

B. Criteria for Eligibility. Evidence of 1 of the criterion listed below must be met:

1. visual impairment or loss of vision identified by a functional vision assessment which adversely interferes with the ability to perform academically and which requires the use of specialized textbooks, techniques, materials, or equipment; or

2. visual acuity in the better eye or eyes together with best possible correction of:

a. blindness-20/200 or less distance and/or near acuity; or

b. partial sight-20/70 or less distance and/or near acuity;

3. blindness due to a peripheral field so contracted that the widest diameter of such field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees and that it affects the student's ability to learn;

4. progressive loss of vision, which may in the future affect the student's ability to learn; or

5. other blindness resulting from a medically documented condition that could include bilateral dysfunction of the optic radiations, the visual cortex, or both, and may coexist with ocular and ocular motor disorders and may include, but not be limited to, the result of trauma or perinatal brain dysfunction.

C. Additional Procedures for Screening

1. Orientation and mobility screening will be conducted to screen the student's ability to travel around in his or her environment. (There is a suggested screening checklist in the Appendix.)

D. Procedures for Evaluation. Conduct all procedures described under §513, Evaluation Components.

E. Additional procedures for evaluation:

1. an eye examination conducted by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. When the impairment results from an active disease process, it shall be verified in the report of an ophthalmologist. When this condition is progressive or unstable, the need for a yearly eye examination shall be documented in the integrated report;

2. the educational assessment shall include:

a. a braille skills inventory, commensurate with grade level literacy and math standards in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4(A)(4) including a functional vision assessment of the degree to which the student utilizes vision to operate within the educational environment performed by a certified teacher of the blind or visually impaired or an orientation and mobility specialist;

b. a research-based learning media assessment to determine the student's needs in appropriate reading and writing media including an assessment of the student's future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille and a statement of the student's strengths and needs. For the student who is a non-reader, learning medium assessment would involve systematic examination of how he/she obtains information through visual, tactile, or auditory methods;

3. based upon the orientation and mobility screening results an assessment, if warranted, shall be conducted by a qualified orientation and mobility instructor for the purpose of identifying the student's ability to travel safely and efficiently in a variety of environments and situations with or without the use of special mobility devices and visual aids;

4. a family interview which addresses the following additional factors:

a. the needs of the family in understanding the student;

b. the community service agencies currently providing assistance to the family in relationship to the student;

c. the expectations of the parents for the student;

d. an appraisal of self-help and other functional skills exhibited at home;

5. when the data indicate a severe visual impairment, the evaluation coordinator should consider referring the student to the Statewide Assessment Center for Students with Visual Impairments for assistance in conducting specialized aspects of the evaluation.

6. If necessary, a low vision assessment centered on how the student uses vision on a daily basis to determine if the student would benefit from optical devices, such as monocular telescopes or magnifiers. As appropriate, visual acuity, visual fields, and color vision shall be assessed.

F. Procedures for Reevaluation. If the visual impairment is progressive or unstable the triennial evaluation must be conducted.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CI-725

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 35:914 (May 2009), effective July 1, 2009, Amended LR 432493 (12/1/2017), Amended LR 491211 (7/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:1941 et seq.