Vision Services Offered and Price:

Certified teacher of vision in several states. I offer virtual services to students who are blind or visually impaired. This includes services for the DeafBlind and students with communication challenges with multi-sensory solutions.

• Consultation and training for parents

• Home school support

• Additional intensive training and support to parents who elect for summer services beyond district offerings

• Summer school and extended school year support for school districts

• Braille

• Assistive Technology (Screen readers such as NVDA for Windows, Voice Over for IPhone, Talk Back for Android, Narrator for Windows and Chrome vox on Chrome OS)

• Instruction in use of word processors such as Google Drive, Docs, Google slides, Google Sheets, Microsoft Office

• Employment/Career Readiness  

• College readiness

• soft skills (common sense, problem solving, team work, leadership)

• tactile instruction for those with communication challenges (calendars and routines)

• Independent Living Skills using non-visual skills such as Cooking, audio description of movies and TV, socialization, recreation, home management (making beds, telling clothing apart, using a smart phone)

• Price for parents:  call for quote

• Price for school districts:  $60 per student per hour; no prorating.  If your district signs a contract with me, I do require at least one hour per week per student.  Alternative arrangements and pricing may be considered with a free hour of consultation/services.

How Virtual works for a student who is Low Vision:

Services are provided in two ways:

• Indirect Observation

Weekly observations are normally conducted for a half hour- because of virtual instruction, changing schedules or observing different classes is not a problem. In person would require a major shift with driving times to observe all students in all settings of a daily schedule. A paraprofessional can set and leave a chromebook or other device turned on with the camera/microphone on so I can hear and see what the student is doing and also the instruction from the teachers. This will assist in knowing what skills I need to teach during direct time.

• Direct instruction- 

A staff member can meet with me and the student with the device in a pull-out set-up. During this time, I will work with the student on their IEP goals and any skills that need improvement seen through the indirect observation.

Why is virtual better and what are some challenges:

• No driving which saves time and funding for your organization or district

• Allows more time for me to work with students rather than driving

• Since the paraprofessional or other staff member work with the student the most anyhow, the staff member needs to understand blindness and low vision. My philosophy through evidence-based practices has proven that instruction is mor meaningful and beneficial  if the staff is involved in instruction so that instruction can continue throughout the day rather than only during vision pull-out.

•  Besides working with the paraprofessionals and other staff, consultation with teachers and parents allow for me to know what they are experiencing as well.

• Braille is taught to both the student and staff member at the same time- This allows the student the hands-on instruction they need and allows for the staff to understand Braille.

Materials:

• To teach Braille, I use materials such as a simple muffin tin with tennis balls

• For conversion of materials to tactile, I provide simple solutions such as glue, paint or household and classroom items to make maps and images accessible to your students.

• Cost- I always prefer to use items you already have or even mail you items I can create. There are also free resources I have access to through grant funding that cost your school district no additional funding.

Who Am I - Robert Blachowicz:

• Certified teacher of vision, special education and history

• Undergraduate degree obtained from SUNY Fredonia - History

• Masters in Education- Special Education Blindness Low Vision- Missouri State University

• Classroom Experience

• Personal experience in blindness

• Explorer- hiking, camping, emersion experiences in various developing countries

• Training- Full structure discovery training Louisiana Center for the Blind.