Overview of Programs and Services

A Center for Educational Services
for All Blind and Visually Impaired Students in Texas

Opportunities for children and youth with visual impairments to develop the skills necessary to lead personally, socially, and vocationally satisfying and productive lives

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TSBVI is a special public school established and funded by the state of Texas to provide specialized and intense services that focus on the unique learning needs of students with visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities. The School is accredited by the Texas Education Agency as part of the public education system of Texas. TSBVI provides a broad range of instructional programs and specialized instruction, including a residential program, at no cost to students or their families during the regular school year and in summer programs. Students receive instruction that can prepare them for high school graduation, for return to their local school districts, or for transition to further education, training or placement in local communities.

Curriculum

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired curriculum is designed to meet the unique needs of visually impaired learners. Students work primarily in one of these curricular approaches, but may participate in parts of others.

Academics - Designed for students who are functioning within two years of their grade level. This is the regular, public school curriculum for grades K-12, including the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills adopted by the state. In addition to attending classes at TSBVI, many academic courses are taught at campuses of the Austin Independent School District. Students receive additional academic support for these courses at TSBVI from teachers certified in Visual Impairment.

Elementary Concepts - Designed for students ages 6-12 years of age who are blind or visually impaired and may have additional impairments. This approach is for students who are at the readiness level for academic learning, but are not yet reading, writing or doing math on a first grade level. Programming consists of thematic units, which involve students in age-appropriate learning activities in concept development, math readiness, reading & writing readiness, music & games, art, cooking, and social play.

Practical Academics - Designed for students 12 years of age or older who are functioning more than two years below their chronological age, with at least kindergarten equivalent reading and writing skills. Practical Academics courses focus on teaching students to use their academics skills in a variety of meaningful, functional tasks in preparation for adult life. These students can be taught in a self-contained classroom, a subject-specific classroom, and/or community based setting, depending on individual needs and abilities. The course work will be driven primarily by the student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) Goals and Objectives.

Basic Skills - Designed for students aged 6-22 who have visual impairments combined with other disabilities who learn best with the support of consistent routines and meaningful functional activities. Often these students have difficulty generalizing skills in new and different situations. Social and emotional development, communication skills, and community-based instruction are significant components of this approach.

EXIT (EXperiences In Transition) - Designed to focus on transitioning young adults from school to the adult world. This course of study will provide programming for Practical Academic students ages 18-22 in an environment that more closely replicates the adult environment in which they will be living. The EXIT program focuses on these areas of transition: personal management; housing/household management; adult leisure, recreation and fitness; physical and mental health needs; transportation; employment; post secondary education; and age of majority. Also included will be instruction in social skills and self determination skills.

Post Secondary Program - This program, offered in partnership with the Texas Commission for the Blind, provides training for students who are legally blind and have a regular State Board of Education high school diploma or GED. Students seeking this post-secondary experience are in need of remedial academic, independent living and work-related skills training. They will cultivate the skills, attitudes and opportunities necessary to meet the demands of competitive employment and adult living.

Special Areas - Instruction is also available in expanded core curricular areas, such as:

Compensatory Skills - Braille and Adapted Mathematics
Orientation & Mobility
Recreation/Leisure Skills
Social Interaction Skills
Career Education
Independent Living Skills
Technology
Visual Efficiency Skills

These learning experiences are included in regular classroom activities and/or specifically designed instruction.

Related Services - Services are provided to identified students in the areas of occupational and physical therapy, counseling, school health, social work, low vision and assistive technology/adaptive equipment.

Special Programs - Special Programs provide short-term services to visually impaired students who attend their local districts during the school year. Special Programs provide two types of service:

Short-Term Programs range from three to five days in length and offer intensive, individual, narrowly focused training to academic students in any area specifically related to vision loss, such as adaptive technology, Braille, and tactile math tools. Close collaboration with independent school districts occurs before and after participation in these programs. Contact Lauren Newton at (512) 206-9119.
Summer Programs provide a wide range of offerings, from elementary to high school, academic to severely multiply-impaired, in a broad array of content areas such as vocational, functional application of academic skills, independent living skills, social-emotional development, and adapted athletics.

For information about admission to any of the programs, contact the TSBVI Office of Admissions at 512-206-9182

Outreach Program - The Outreach Program serves as a statewide resource for families and professionals on blindness and/or deafblindness. The Outreach Program:

consults with local districts on student programming, in coordination with regional education service centers
sponsors local and regional workshops, statewide conferences and regularly scheduled videoconferences
produces original materials, including a quarterly newsletter, SensAbilities, in print and on the website
administers a technology loan program, through which local programs may borrow specialized technology for use by individual students for up to one school year
coordinates statewide registration of students with visual impairments and the deafblind census
distributes specialized materials from the American Printing House for the Blind with federal quota funds
coordinates mentors for new teachers and orientation and mobility specialists, and supports personnel prep programs

Curriculum Development - This department develops curriculum written by teachers and other certified professionals for blind and visually impaired students in all curricular approaches. Curriculum and resource guides are published and sold worldwide to assist parents, teachers, and other professionals and paraprofessionals in areas such as independent living, career education, technology, Braille instruction, orientation and mobility and low vision. Each guide contains assessment and instructional methodology.

TSBVI Website - The School hosts this accessible resource, recognized throughout the world for content concerning visual impairment and the education of blind and visually impaired students.