Study Guide

Field 022: Exceptional Needs—Blind or Low Vision
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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The following reference material will be available to you during the test:

Objective 0001
Foundations of the Field of Visual Impairment (Standard 1)

1. Under FERPA, the parents/guardians of students younger than 18 years of age are guaranteed the right to:

  1. remove disputed entries from their child's educational records.
  2. specify which of their child's teachers may have access to the child's educational records.
  3. inspect and review their child's educational records.
  4. prohibit the inclusion of disciplinary reports in their child's educational records.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of federal laws related to the field of special education. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of student educational records and guarantees certain rights to students and to the parents/guardians of minor students. One of these rights is the right to access the student's educational records kept by the school.
Objective 0002
Professional Roles and Responsibilities (Standard 9)

2. A TBLV is asked by a family about a behavior they have noticed in their four-year-old daughter, Sara, who has exotropia. They say that Sara refuses to walk on the family's tiled kitchen floor, which has a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. The TBLV's best response would be to explain to the family that Sara's visual condition may cause her to have:

  1. an aversive reaction to visual clutter.
  2. the impression that the floor is moving beneath her.
  3. a photophobic response to the brightness of the white tiles.
  4. the perception that the floor has holes in it.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of how to communicate with families of students with visual impairments about the problems caused by eye conditions. In this question, a family is concerned about the behavior of their child, Sara, who has exotropia. Exotropia is a visual condition in which one or both eyes turn outward and are therefore not in alignment. When the eyes are misaligned, the brain processes information from only one of them at a time, so the individual sees with just one eye. Lacking the many depth cues provided by binocular vision, the individual typically has difficulty with depth perception. The TBLV should explain that Sara's refusal to walk on the black-and-white tile floor suggests that she is experiencing this difficulty. Sara may, for example, be perceiving the floor's black tiles as holes that she could fall into rather than as different colors on a flat surface.
Objective 0002
Professional Roles and Responsibilities (Standard 9)

3. A TBLV provides services twice a week to a student who receives instruction in cane travel techniques from an O&M specialist. With regard to the student's O&M instruction, the TBLV's primary role should be to:

  1. allot 15 minutes every day to helping the student practice the cane techniques being taught by the O&M specialist.
  2. monitor the student's cane travel skills and alert the O&M specialist to any problems the student is having.
  3. teach the student classroom-specific cane techniques to augment those taught by the O&M specialist.
  4. evaluate the student's overall rate of progress in cane travel and provide the O&M specialist with weekly progress reports.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of how to communicate, collaborate, and consult with other stakeholders to provide learning opportunities for students with visual impairments. A TBLV and an O&M specialist receive professional training in distinct areas, and each of these professionals provides services in his or her area of expertise. While a TBLV who sees a student using poor cane technique might suggest that the student make an adjustment, the TBLV's best follow-up would be to inform the O&M specialist so that he or she can address the issue.
Objective 0003
Development and Characteristics of Students with Visual Impairments (Standard 2)

4. Which area of the eye is responsible for color perception and clear central vision?

  1. macula
  2. lens
  3. pupil
  4. cornea
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the structures and processes of the human visual system. The macula, an area at the back of the eye, is located in the center of the retina. The macula contains a high concentration of cones, which are photoreceptors that function in bright light. Cones detect color, provide black-and-white vision, and transmit fine detail. At the center of the macula is the fovea, which contains very densely packed cones and is thus the locus of clear central vision.
Objective 0003
Development and Characteristics of Students with Visual Impairments (Standard 2)

5. A first-grade teacher tells the TBLV that a student consistently holds texts at arm's length while reading. This behavior is most commonly associated with which of the following vision problems?

  1. astigmatism
  2. hyperopia
  3. glaucoma
  4. aniridia
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the effects of visual impairments on literacy development. Hyperopia is an eye condition in which light rays entering the eye converge at a point behind the retina instead of converging on the retina. Individuals with hyperopia have trouble focusing on near objects. Holding texts at arm's length is frequently a sign that a student is hyperopic and may need corrective lenses to enable him or her to focus on print held at a standard reading distance.
Objective 0004
Assessment (Standard 3)

6. A TBLV is conducting a functional vision assessment. As part of the assessment, the TBLV holds a light within the student's range of vision and moves it slowly to the right and left, up and down, and in a circle. This procedure would be most effective for assessing the student's visual:

  1. acuity.
  2. scanning.
  3. convergence.
  4. tracking.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of various formal and informal assessments. Visual tracking skills include the ability of the eye to fixate on an object quickly and accurately, to visually follow a moving object, and to move the eyes efficiently to fixate on objects from point to point (e.g., as in reading printed text). One common method of assessing a student's visual tracking ability is to hold a fixation target (e.g., a light) 8 to 10 inches in front of the student's eyes and observe the student's eye movements while the examiner moves the target horizontally, vertically, and in a circle.
Objective 0005
Individualized Program Planning and Implementation (Standard 4)

7. An IEP is being developed for a student with visual and multiple impairments who attends a general education fourth-grade class. Which of the following provisions in the student's IEP is an example of a modification as opposed to an accommodation?

  1. providing curricular materials to the TBLV in advance to be electronically formatted for the student
  2. including the student in the same activities as classmates but with individualized learning objectives
  3. providing the student with extended time to complete assignments or with shortened assessments
  4. sending materials home with the student before a lesson to facilitate pre-teaching by family members
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of types of supports needed to facilitate students' inclusion in various settings. Accommodations are changes to the environment, instruction, or assessment that facilitate the student's access to the general curriculum. Modifications are changes to the actual curriculum. Modifications might include changes in learning objectives, adjustments to scoring rubrics, or reductions in the complexity of learning activities. Establishing individualized expectations would be considered a modification as opposed to an accommodation.
Objective 0005
Individualized Program Planning and Implementation (Standard 4)

8. The CCC of a six-year-old student with a visual impairment and a moderate cognitive impairment is conducting an IEP meeting. The team members agree that the student has needs in the areas of sequencing and anticipation. The team's best strategy for addressing these needs would be to include which of the following in the student's IEP?

  1. a reward system in which the student receives treats or privileges for exhibiting the targeted behaviors
  2. a weekly activities calendar for the teacher to fill out with the student at the beginning of each week
  3. a calendar system for the student using authentic objects as symbols of specific classroom activities
  4. a set of picture cards showing classroom activities from which the student can make independent selections
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for addressing how to provide students with accessible instructional materials. In the scenario, a student's CCC is considering how best to meet the student's needs related to anticipation and sequencing. For a student with visual and cognitive impairments, a calendar system with personally meaningful object symbols would be especially effective. For example, by handing the student a small cup, the TBLV could help the student anticipate that snack time will come next.
Objective 0006
Learning Environments (Standard 5)

9. Victoria, a high school student with central vision loss, turns her head away when talking with others in order to see them. Some of her classmates interpret this behavior as a sign of rudeness and lack of interest in what they are saying. Which of the following would be the TBLV's best strategy for addressing this issue?

  1. meeting privately with Victoria's classmates to explain why Victoria behaves in this way
  2. advising Victoria to make a verbal response to every statement made by a conversational partner
  3. encouraging Victoria's classmates to tell Victoria how her behavior is making them feel
  4. teaching Victoria to alternately turn toward a conversational partner and turn away
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of barriers to the acceptance of students with visual impairments. The scenario describes Victoria, a high school student with a visual impairment, who is unintentionally offending some classmates by not looking directly at them during conversations. In this situation, it would be important for the TBLV both to inform Victoria of the problem and to teach her more appropriate social behavior. The strategy of alternately looking at and turning away from conversational partners will satisfy both Victoria's need to see the people she is talking to and her classmates' need for cues that she is interested in what they are saying. The strategy is also a good one because it is transferrable to a wide range of other social contexts in which Victoria may find herself.
Objective 0006
Learning Environments (Standard 5)

10. Eliminating glare from the visual environment would be an especially important classroom adaptation for a student with which of the following visual conditions?

  1. nystagmus
  2. aniridia
  3. strabismus
  4. keratoconus
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for planning and modifying the teaching and learning environment. Aniridia is a visual condition in which the iris of the eye is underdeveloped. Because the iris controls the diameter and size of the pupil, it determines how much light reaches the retina. Because they lack the retinal mechanism for adapting to lighting conditions, students with aniridia are especially likely to benefit from the elimination of glare in the learning environment.
Objective 0007
Instructional Planning and Delivery in the General Curriculum (Standard 6)

11. Which is the correct Braille transcription of the following sentence?

The teacher praised her students for their behavior.








Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of how to read literary Braille. One key skill in reading Braille is the ability to recognize the myriad contractions that are used both to facilitate reading quickly and to reduce the bulk of embossed transcriptions. In this question there is only one Braille transcription in which all contractions are used appropriately.
Objective 0008
Instructional Planning and Delivery in the Expanded Core Curriculum (Standard 7)

12. Yuri, a seventeen-year-old student with hyperopia and astigmatism, is learning to use a bus for transportation. Although his old glasses are not adequate for reading the bus number and name, Yuri refuses to wear his new prescription glasses because he says they make his eyes look too big. Which of the following low-vision aids would likely be best for Yuri's TBLV to recommend in this situation?

  1. monocular telescope
  2. dome magnifier
  3. bioptic telescope
  4. bar magnifier
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of assistive technology, including optical devices. In the situation described, the TBLV needs to address two needs: 1) equipping Yuri with a low-vision device that will enable him to read the necessary information on the bus, and 2) providing a device that Yuri will not refuse to use because it makes him feel self-conscious about how he looks. A monocular telescope would be the TBLV's best suggestion. For one thing, this device would meet Yuri's visual needs for reading print at a distance. For another, it could be used briefly and then put away, rather than being worn for all to see.
Objective 0008
Instructional Planning and Delivery in the Expanded Core Curriculum (Standard 7)

13. A TBLV is about to start working on independent cooking and food preparation skills with Shawn, a seventeen-year-old student who is blind. Shawn says he wants to begin by learning to make mini-pizzas using English muffins, tomato sauce, and grated cheese. The TBLV's first steps in the process should be to:

  1. assemble the necessary tools and appliances and describe them to Shawn.
  2. talk to Shawn about the food groups and help him plan a balanced meal.
  3. demonstrate how to use a knife safely and have Shawn practice using it.
  4. conduct a task analysis and assess Shawn's current level of knowledge.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for teaching daily living skills. In the situation described, the TBLV should begin by gathering the necessary information for conducting the planned activity. This information would include identifying the discrete steps in preparing Shawn's selected meal—for which a task analysis would be ideal—and determining what food-preparation skills Shawn has already acquired. That might be done through an interview, the use of a checklist, and/or performance assessments. This information will provide the basis for planning the upcoming activity.
Objective 0009
Transitions (Standard 8)

14. Howard, a high school senior with a visual impairment, plans to graduate from high school in the spring and to make the transition to college in the fall. Given these plans, the TBLV should inform Howard that in order to receive support services in college, he must provide the college with:

  1. a list of the accommodations he is receiving at his high school this year.
  2. letters from current teachers expressing confidence in his ability to succeed at the postsecondary level.
  3. documentation of his disability and his individual strengths and weaknesses.
  4. a videotape demonstrating his ability to travel independently in a variety of environments.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting successful life transitions for students with visual impairments into postsecondary settings. While elementary and secondary schools are legally required to seek to identify students with disabilities and to provide services to meet their documented needs, colleges and universities are not. At the postsecondary level, it becomes the responsibility of the student to identify him- or herself, request services, and provide the institution with documentation of need. Howard's TBLV, therefore, should make sure that Howard understands his responsibilities in this regard and takes action accordingly.
Objective 0009
Transitions (Standard 8)

15. The parents of Nora, an elementary student who is blind, ask the TBLV how best to prepare Nora to make successful transitions throughout the school years and beyond. The TBLV's best response would be to emphasize the importance of:

  1. responding immediately whenever Nora appears to need assistance and praising her repeatedly for her accomplishments.
  2. engaging Nora frequently in role-playing activities that simulate real-world experiences as closely as possible.
  3. conveying high expectations for Nora and creating conditions that promote her competence and independence.
  4. building Nora's confidence by involving her in activities and games that permit her to achieve success with minimal effort.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting successful life transitions for students with visual impairments throughout the school years. Parental expectations of success for their children help children internalize such expectations for themselves. By holding high expectations and creating conditions that promote their children's development of competence and independence—e.g., by providing challenges that are achievable through effort, by supporting children's mastery of self-help and daily living skills, by expecting appropriate behavior and strong academic performance—parents/guardians lay the foundations for successful transitions both during the school years and throughout adulthood.