Orientation and Mobility Evaluation
Student: SAM
DOB: 1/5/2000
Age at Observation: 14 years 7 months
Consultant: Claire Hakin, COMS
School: All American Middle School
Grade Level: 6
Date of Consultation: May 29-31, 2013
LEA: Central NC County
Purpose of Evaluation: Sam is a 6th grade student enrolled at All American Middle School. Sam’s
Orientation and Mobility evaluation was requested by the educational team as a part of his
triennial revaluation. He is anticipated to transition to All American Middle School in the fall of
2013.
Means of Assessment:
 Review of records including Sam’s most recent O&M evaluation (Corbett, 5/24/10)
 Functional Vision Assessment (5/24/10)
 Learning Media Assessment (5/24/10)
 Medical Eye Report, (Buckley, Duke Pediatric Ophthalmology,6/27/12)
 Psycho-Educational Evaluation (Gardner, 9/14/10)
 Interviews with Sam, classroom teachers, VI teacher, and Sam’s mother.
 Competence in O&M Outcomes Guide, (Michigan) and Framework for Independent
Travel, (Ontario,BC)
 Observations
Student History: Sam’s visual condition is listed as optic nerve hypoplasia OU and nystagmus. Sam
demonstrates mild peripheral field loss on his right side. Sam is a braille reader and uses the long
cane to aid in his travel. Sam has received O&M direct instruction throughout his school career.
Interviews
Teachers: Sam’s primary academic classroom teacher reports Sam moves independently within
the classroom to his desk and to a table where he works with peers on group projects. Sam uses
his cane during travel in the school and during mobility lessons in the community. She noted
concerns with organization and keeping assignments and materials accessible.
Sam’s VI teacher reported challenges with organization, slow reading rates and his reluctance to
ask for help.
MOM: Sam’s mother expressed concerns about his transition to a new school and learning his way
around the school, especially due to increased daily classroom changes.
She reports he knows where everything is at home. Sam lives with his mother and father he is an
only child. Sam attends church with his parents however; he does not go to the church youth
group. Sam has a cousin his age that he sees at holiday gatherings. Mom would like for Sam to
attend a four year college.
Student: Sam expressed a desire to have more friends and he stated there was a girl in his class
that was his best friend. He wants to be able to go to the mall and to meet and “hang out “ with
friends, however, his parents have not allowed him to go by himself.
Sam likes to listen to music on his mp3 player and he has a book port to listen to audio books.
EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN DIVISION
Mary N. Watson, Director | [email protected]
6356 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6356 | (919) 807-3969 | Fax (919) 807-3243
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Central NC Co Schools
June 5, 2013
Page 2 of 3
Sam has a cell phone with a “blackberry” type keyboard. Sam has a computer at home.
OBSERVATIONS
Sam was observed over the course of several school days walking throughout the school building,
and in classrooms. Lighting in the interior halls and classrooms is provided by traditional overhead
fluorescent fixtures. Sam was also evaluated in his residential neighborhood and at a local strip
shopping center traveling within two stores.
Orientation refers to the thinking part of moving from place to place. It is the process of
using knowledge and sensory information to understand one’s location in the
environment and how to move to a desired location. Orientation goals for students
begin with body awareness, sensory development, identifying and using landmarks,
auditory discrimination, and the use of cardinal directions applied to large
environments.
Orientation Skills
During the more formal parts of this assessment Sam demonstrated the following:
 Correct responses to positional and directional requests including: knowledge of left from
right, between, next to, under/over, near/far, in front of/behind, center corner, side.
 Sam correctly navigated routes in sequence throughout the school building
 Sam was unaware of alternate routes (there are two additional) from his classroom to the
gym.
 Sam lost his orientation when asked to travel a new route from the classroom to the art
room (he normally goes from the cafeteria to Art)
 Sam incorrectly identified perpendicular and parallel, 3 out of 4 times
 Sam continues to have challenges when verbally describing a simple 3 step route that he is
familiar to him, he often omits a turn
 Sam can name and identify landmarks for orientation in his school building
 Sam knows the most common place for customer service counters in retail stores is near
the front entrance.
 Sam has limited understanding of grocery stores and common food, grocery sub-groups
indicating a limited experiential base
 Sam has not been introduced to the compass or simple tactile travel maps
Mobility refers to the physical part of travel, with the culminating goal for the student
to demonstrate safe, efficient and independent travel in familiar and unfamiliar
environments. Mobility specific objectives for students may include body protection
techniques, and proper sighted/human guide techniques, telescope use for distance
print access, neighborhood and community safe street crossing skills and techniques.
Mobility Skills
Sam was observed demonstrating the following at school and in the community
Central NC Co Schools
June 5, 2013
Page 3 of 3
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Sam walks at a slow pace during hall travel with and without the log cane
He can become easily distracted when people speak to him during hall travel at school
losing his orientation
Sam visually sighted door knobs at one foot
Sam used his cane in a diagonal position during hall travel
He uses a modified constant contact technique during outside travel and needed verbal
reminders to use sweep his cane in an arc (two point touch) in front of his body as he
walked
Sam knows his daily schedule by route memory and practice
Sam incorrectly identified the parallel street during neighborhood travel 2 out of 4 times
He demonstrated correct use of the 8X monocular to “read “ a street sign from the
opposite corner where he was standing however; he could only identify the letters at 10
feet (mid street) distance
Sam identified the direction of car travel in relation to his body correctly during residential
travel
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
According to the O&M outcomes guide Sam demonstrates a 60% competence level in all areas for
students entering 6th grade. The domains of highest competence are basic cane skills and
knowledge residential neighborhoods. Areas of least competence are: verbally describing the
layout of his home and description of familiar routes (perceptual cognitive processes) map reading
and understanding, time/distance planning, and compass use.
The anticipated transition from elementary school to middle school will present new challenges
for Sam and greater demands for independent safe travel skills. Sam would benefit from
continued consistent direct O&M instruction to meet his unique needs as a student with a severe
visual impairment.
Create your best O&M PLAAFP ever!
Are there O&M skills that Sam needs in order to be able to access the math curriculum?
How can you help the IEP team support good O&M skills during the school day?