BVI Program - Room Familiarization/Search Patterns

Room familiarization enables a student to become oriented with the environment by using a process that takes time but provides information that allows for safe and independent movement within the room.

Room Familiarization/Search Patterns

a. Whole method (grid, perimeter)

Student identifies a landmark or starting point, often times this is the door. The student then travels either clockwise or counterclockwise along the length of the first wall keeping track of the features of the wall to name or assign the wall. When the student reaches the end of the first wall, the student will then return to his homebase to do it again. When reaching the end of the first wall again, the student will continue on to explore the secondwall and then returning again to home base hopefully able to anticipate any landmarks found along the two explored walls. The student adds a wall during each trip, but returns to home base prior to exploring the next wall until all walls have been explored.

b. Part method (sectional)

Student starts at one corner of the room an arm length away from the wall squaring off and using protective techniques to cross the room. When reaching the opposite side, the student turns around to face the starting wall, slides over about three feet and crosses the room again in a grid pattern until the student has explored the entire room.
- The student explores every inch of the room this way.
- Student may need trail around an object in his path and attempt to realign back to original path.

img: visual of search patterns: fan, spiral, up and back vertical, grid, expanding box, and side-to-side pattern. Credit: Partners in O&M text

c. Locating Dropped/Desired Objects

It is more reliable to use a systematic search pattern rather than a random search which can result in frustration and little success.
- Student listens when object is dropped and immediately turns body in direction of sound and begins using the upper-body protective technique to protect self as student lowers body towards floor to search for item or object. The student then begins to move hand in preferred search pattern.
- If student was able to listen to sound, it is likely the student will locate the object after a search with both hands, one at a time. If not, the student should move to the side of original search, repeat search pattern with each hand, and if needed, move to the other side of the original search location to again repeat search pattern with each hand until the item is located.
- Student should wash hands after searching on the floor.
- Student can use cane to lengthen the search area moving cane back and forth and then sliding hand down length of cane when the object is located.

d. Sound Localization Improvement Strategies

Activities that encourage the use of sound localization, including walking towards and away from sounds.
Activities that incorporate the need to identify of a variety of sounds.
American Printing House Sound Balls
Hide-and-Seek Sound Clues

e. Teaching Suggestions/Observations

Embed instruction into daily routines to provide short, frequent, low stress exposure.
Student can travel clockwise or counterclockwise
Walls can be labeled as: window wall/door wall, wall 1, north wall, couch wall, etc.
Students with intellectual disabilities may need to learn the route around the entire room first.
It's helpful to identify landmarks or clues that indicate the halfway point of each wall to assist in spatial mapping of the room.
Ask the student to verbally describe fixtures and objects in the room to help create a cognitive map.
Practice search patterns on a table top prior to locating dropped items on a floor to assist in identifying a preferred search pattern.

f. Concepts Needed for Room Familiarization/Search patterns

Body Concepts
- Major Body Parts
- Smaller Body Parts
- Less Defined Body Parts
- Functions of Body Parts
- Movement of Body Parts
Spatial Concepts
- Laterality (Left to Right)
- Directionality (Left to Right of others; Positional Concepts; Cardinal Directions)
Environmental Concepts
- Nature Concepts (Sounds as clues, sun as a clue, etc.)
- Indoor Concepts (shapes of rooms, layouts of furniture or appliances, etc.)
- Outdoor Concepts (Blocks, street fixtures, traffic patterns, traffic control systems, etc.)
Time and Distance Concepts
- Hours; Minutes; Seconds
- English units: Feet; Yards; Miles
- Metric units: Meters; Kilometers
- Informal Measurements: Length of a city block; Number of steps