Practicum at a Glance

Practicum at a Glance

Minimum Hours  

400 hours clinical practice

Supervision 

At least 250 direct service or instructional hours:

• The remaining 150 hours can be non-instructional

Instructional hours may include

• Assessment of students in any of the domain areas identified in the Orientation and Mobility Scope of Practice

• Direct teaching of students in any of the domain areas identified in the Orientation and Mobility Scope of Practice

• Active participation in IFSP, IEP, IWRP, ISP, VA assessment, or other formal meetings where the instructor is actively engaged in presenting information that will affect O&M instruction provided to the student or client

• Providing direct consultation and training to parents, caregivers, teachers, paraprofessionals and other related professionals, as appropriate.

• Lesson/material preparation and/or route scouting (this is limited to 50 hours total that may be used towards the 250 direct hours)

Non-instructional hours may include

• Observation of lessons conducted by other COMS

• Report writing

• Attendance at conferences

• Travel to and from contact with a student or client

• Travel to conferences

• General staff meetings

• Supervision meetings

• Public education (e.g., White Cane Day) 

• Building one’s ePortfolio workbook for practicum

Observation, Coaching, Feedback & Reflection

Once full responsibility for a student’s instruction is released to the practicum student s/he will request a minimum of 1 coaching sessions from the O&M Cooperating Professional and 1 observation- coaching session from the University Supervisor per term

Required experiences for the O&M Candidate 

(this is a form in your ePortfolio workbook)

• Evaluate use of remaining vision for travel in and design and implement activities, with and without non-optical devices in a variety of travel environments.

• Plan and conduct in-service presentations, workshops about O&M topics.

• Evaluate static and dynamic sound localization and teach echolocation skills.

• Design instructional programs based on knowledge and communication needs of student/client; write of goals and objectives based on assessment findings on O&M curriculum resources to plan, conduct, and deliver individualized O&M lessons.

• Modify or adapt instruction in situations or environments that may affect an O&M lesson (e.g. adverse weather, fatigue, emotional reactions, unexpected noise, construction).

• Teach orientation skills, including use of remaining senses to establish position, location and direction; establishing and utilizing environmental concepts, compass directions, numbering systems.

• Teach non-cane and cane techniques.

• Teach skills needed to safely cross residential and lighted intersections. 

• Teach travel skills to learners in complex environments, such as roundabouts, service stations, parking lots and railroad tracks. 

• Teach learners self-efficacy and self-determination skills in a variety of environments.

• Assist learners to select the most appropriate mobility system to meet learner needs at a particular time.

• Plan, implement, and/or adapt lessons that incorporate the use of a dog guide, Electronic Travel Aid (ETA), Electronic Orientation Aid (EOA) to meet the learner’s needs at a particular time or as regularly used device.

• Complete at least two O&M assessment and write the narrative report.

• Teach residential concepts.

• Introduce some type of cane skills.

• Introduce street crossings to at least one student who is blind and one student with low vision.

• Teach street crossings at a complex intersection.

• Contribute to an IEP/IFSP/ IWRP or transition meeting.

• Provide instruction to students with varying visual abilities to facilitate travel.

• Provide instruction/consultation for at least one student with multiple disabilities.

• Collaborate with professionals, other than the TSVI, on supporting independent travel for a student with a visual impairment or deafblindness.

• Attend a conference or workshop (local, state, regional, national, international) related to O&M.

Additional Desired Experiences

• Complete an intersection analysis and written report using the intersection analysis tool provided in the google drive folder.

• Conduct a monocular evaluation.

• Conduct a sunglasses evaluation.

• Teach night travel techniques.

• Teach rural travel techniques.

• Set up a travel routine for a child or adult with multiple disabilities. 

• Role release the practice of a skill to a paraprofessional and supervise the paraprofessional and student/client progress.

• Do an environmental analysis/ classroom consultation to set up environment to facilitate O&M skill development.

• Facilitate appropriate peer interaction.

• Assist in the development of a calendar system designed to facilitate O&M skill development (see Huebner et al., 1994 and Blaha, 2008).

• Conduct a concepts of traffic patterns and intersection screening with student or client.

• Create an activity for a student/client that a family member can do to support specific O&M skill development.

• Create accessible maps for a specific student or client.

• Do an evaluation to determine if a student has the visual and cognitive function to be a driver.

• Collect observational data for another instructor (peer to peer coaching).

• Design a t-shirt or activity for White Cane Awareness Day (Oct 15).

Assignments for Practicum students

• Complete all Practicum Placement requirements:

  • Complete FERPA and/or HIPPA training.

  • Develop, organize, and reflect on ePortfolio workbook artifacts. 

  • Complete any expected or mandatory district/agency documentation, such as lesson plans, reports, caseload management, attend meetings, etc.

  • Submit time logs into Google Sites at end of each quarter.

  • Participate in scheduled discussion boards in Canvas.

  • Attend virtual meetings as scheduled per term.

  • Complete a minimum of 1 observation-coaching session with Cooperating Professional and submit through Google Sites.

  • Submit final evaluation documents to Google Sites.

  • Complete a minimum of 1 observation-coaching session with University Supervisor and submit documentation through Google Sites.

  • Participate in at least one more planned and scheduled session with University Supervisor, which can include: artifact review, virtual coaching session, progress checklists, or topics based on student need.

• Complete ePortfolio

  • A minimum of 7 artifacts required; reviewed and evaluated by University Supervisor through Google Sites.

Competency

• To meet the ACVREP and AERBVI standards requirements, all candidates must engage in learning experiences that allow you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the O&M skills and competencies outlined in the ACVREP/ AERBVI Clinical Competency Evaluation Form. 

• Verbal and written feedback by University Supervisor and PSU instructor must indicate that the candidate is ready to teach independently. 

• All assignments were completed to the satisfaction of the PSU instructor and University Supervisor and were submitted by the end of the 4th quarter of practicum.

• All minimum experiences were completed and approved by the University Supervisor and O&M Cooperating Professional. 

• Complete ePortfolio with a minimum of 7 artifacts demonstrating all competencies.

O&M Candidate Activities Not Permitted During Practicum 

As a policy, PSU students will not participate in the following practices as a part of their PSU field experiences:

• No pre-planned physical restraint,

• No pre-planned seclusion, even with training,

• No planned participation/creation of aversive intervention plans,

• No participation feeding/medication protocols,

• No independent completion of home visits

• No participation in strikes.

PSU students may participate in training for these protocols, but not implementation. If districts/agencies have hired the students as employees, then their contracts will dictate what is appropriate.