The Extended Core Curriculum

What is the ECC?

The Extended Core Curriculum (ECC) is a set of 9 key areas where students with Visual Impairments need additional instruction in a specialized set of vision-related skills to become independent adults. They are focused on teaching students about areas of the world that they may miss without incidental learning due to a lack of vision.

Why is it Important for my Child?

They are the skills EVERYONE needs for daily life for school, work, and participation in the community.
Persons with visual impairments often miss the skills others learn through incidental learning. Persons with visual impairments need specific instruction in these areas to be successful.
The ECC covers all areas that make it possible for a person with a visual impairment to hold a job, advocate for accommodations, travel independently, make purchases in a store, and manage finances.

ECC Activities at Home

Independent Living- Tasks and activities people perform in daily life to increase independence and contribute to the family structure.
- - Cleaning up after oneself
  - Preparing simple snacks or meals
  - Picking out clothes or preferred items
  - Helping with self-care
Social Interaction- Social skills are typically learned through visual observation therefore it is important to teach visually impaired children directly. Skills include body awareness, body language, facial expressions, and personal space.
- - Allow opportunities for your child to interact with familiar and unfamiliar people, if this is difficult try talking through a situation in advance.
  - Allow your child to communicate for themselves. For example, when attending a doctor's appointment or paying for an item at the store.
  - Provide opportunities to socialize with same-age children outside of school, playgrounds, parks, and similar-aged children in the neighborhood are great places to interact socially.
Self-determination- Knowing and valuing who you are allows you to become an effective self-advocate and have control over your own life. Self-determination skills include choice-making, decision-making, problem-solving, personal advocacy, assertiveness, and goal-setting.
- - Allow for choice-making opportunities, for example picking out clothes or preferred items
  - Do not always talk for your child, allow them to communicate for themselves. For example, when attending a doctor's appointment or paying for an item at the store.
Recreation and Leisure- Instruction in recreation and leisure skills allows us to explore, experience, and choose recreation and leisure activities that bring us enjoyment for lifelong fulfillment.
- - Provide as many opportunities as possible for your child to explore, experience, and choose recreation and leisure activities
  - Camp Abilities Delaware is a great opportunity to learn recreation and leisure skills, and many other ECC skills. https://www.campabilitiesdelaware.org/
  - River Soccer Club-TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities. https://www.riversoccerclub.com/Default.aspx?tabid=870475
  - Lower Sussex Little League, Challenger Division- The Little League® Challenger Program was founded in 1989 and is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. https://www.lowersussexlittleleague.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1389732
Career Education- Allowing opportunities for hands-on learning about jobs and work-related skills. Career education provides opportunities to explore, discover strengths and interests, and plan for transition to adult life.
- - Jobs and chores around the house
  - Division for the Visually Impaired, Vocational Rehabilitation- Pre-ETS program and Pathways to Employment https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dvi/vocrehab.html
  - Camp Abilities Delaware- Coach in Training Program and Junior Coach Program https://www.campabilitiesdelaware.org/
Compensatory Skills- Skills necessary for accessing the core curriculum including concept development, communication, organization and study skills, access to print or braille materials, tactile graphics, and audio materials.
- - Support your child in school
  - If your child is a braille or large print learner, label items around the house for them
  - Encourage your child to read or listen to audiobooks.
Sensory Efficiency- Instruction in the use of vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste and addresses the development of proprioceptive, kinesthetic, and vestibular systems. Learning to use the senses efficiently allows students to access and participate in activities in school, home, and community environments.
- - Sensory bins (a bin filled with different items such as rice, sand, water and small toys)
  - Environmental Awareness Games ("Name that Sound")
  - Nature Hunt (find leaves, pinecones, grass, bugs, flowers, etc.)
  - Baking and cooking
Assistive Technology- Includes assistive and adaptive tools and instructional services that can enhance communication, access, and learning.
- - Teach your child to use Siri, Alexa, or another smart device to turn on items around the home.
  - Utilize your computer's "ease of access" settings
Orientation and Mobility- instruction that enables persons of all ages to be oriented to their surroundings and move as independently as possible in school, home, and community. O&M incorporates skills in basic body image, spatial relationships, purposeful movement, and cane travel. They allow students to acquire independence to the greatest extent possible based on individual needs.
- - Allowing your child the independence to move around their environment.
  - Cleaning up toys
  - Using positional words when giving directions (in front, behind, left, right)
  - Helping with grocery shopping