Consultation and Caseload Management

1. Consultation and Caseload Management For Students with Visual Impairments Part 1 -- Overview

2. What “Consultation” Is Not • It’s not easier or less engaged than direct services. • The “Mercer Model” of consultation. • Seeing a student/teacher occasionally (e. g. once every six weeks). • Scheduling a very limited time (e. g. 30 minutes)

3. How do I know if I’m doing it right? • Have you included ALL vision needs in the student’s IEP? • Are you teaching from a comprehensive plan? • Is that comprehensive plan based on specific assessment information? • Do you have specific lesson plans for EACH teaching session?

4. How do I know if I’m doing it right? • How much time have you allocated for the student? • Direct services • Consultation • Have you prioritized your time appropriately?

5. Priorities • Babies • Beginning braille readers of any age • PPCD students • Dual media students

6. Low vision academic students with extensive ECC needs • MIVI consultation students • Braille “maintenance” students • Middle and high school students with low vision and few ECC needs. (materials adaptation and resource management)

7. How much time should I allocate for each type of student?

8. Babies • A minimum of times per week. • You should allocate one hour (plus drive time) for each session. • Allow one hour per week per student for preparation and planning.

9. Beginning Braille Students of Any Age • A MINIMUM of four hours of DIRECT INSTRUCTION per week. Best practice is to work with the student EVERY school day. • Allocate one hour for direct instruction and one hour of consultation/preparation per day. • Add whatever is needed for driving time.

10. PPCD Students • Three 30-45 minute sessions per week for direct instruction. • Allow 1 ½ hours per week for consultation and preparation.

11. Dual Media Students • Beginners – • A minimum of 4-5 hours of direct instruction per week • Plus 4-5 hours for preparation and consultation. • Intermediate – • Typically 3 hours per week of direct instruction • Plus 4-5 hours for preparation and consultation.

12. Dual Media Students • Advanced – • Two hours per week direct instruction • Plus 3-5 hours of consultation and preparation.

13. Low vision academic students with extensive ECC needs • Two to three one hour direct service sessions. • Allow 2-3 hours per week for preparation, consultation, and planning.

14. MIVI Consultation Students • Amount of time should be based on the student category. • Students at the awareness level (formally biobehavioral state) should be allocated 1 hour per week. • Typically students in the resonance and object categories should allocated 2-3 hours per week.

15. Students at the picture/tactile symbol level should receive 2-3 hours per week. • Students at the linguistic level are essential pre-readers (either print or braille) and should be allocated 3-4 hours of direct service and 2-3 hours of consultation and preparation time.

16. Braille “maintenance” students • Allocate 4-6 hours per week for a combination of: • Direct services • Consultation • Materials preparation • Instruction in the ECC

17. Middle and high school students with low vision and few ECC needs • Four to six hours per month for: • Direct service in the ECC • Materials modification • Monitoring classroom performance • Consultation

18. How do I know if I’m doing it right? • Have you done a caseload analysis?