The VISSPA builds upon two existing tools: the VISSIT: Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas for TSVIs/TVIs/TSDBs, and the O&M VISSIT: Orientation & Mobility Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas for O&M specialists. Both are designed to guide VI professionals in determining the type and amount of itinerant services to recommend for students (direct and/or collaborative consultation) on their caseload. The IEP/IFSP committee will typically rely upon this recommendation, and the VISSITs support the VI professional in quantifying information for the IEP/IFSP committee.
The VISSPA allows VI professionals to then take the information calculated in the VISSIT regarding the appropriate type and amount of services and build upon it to document the total time needed by personnel to support the resulting caseload service time in combination with other responsibilities. The VISSPA can be used as an accountability tool for documenting time spent on professional roles and responsibilities.
The following graphic depicts all duties that comprise a workload for a 40-hour work week:
