Iowa Educational Services for the
Blind and Visually Impaired
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
In an effort to ensure consistent and quality services to our students who are blind or
visually impaired the leadership of Iowa Education Services for Blind and Visually
Impaired Student has developed the following procedures and expectations to which all
TVIs and OMS should adhere.
FUNCTIONAL VISION ASSESSMENT (FVA) AND LEARNING MEDIA ASSESSMENT (LMA)
SECTION 1 - REQUIREMENTS
1. Required as a part of any initial evaluation of a student for whom there is concern
around vision issues that impact learning.
2. Should be updated with the 3-year Reevaluation of a student, or at any time that
a team member observes changes in the student’s visual behaviors.
3. The Functional Vision Assessment and Learning Media Assessment reports in a
Word document format should be uploaded to the Functional Vision Assessment
and the Learning Media Assessment section of the statewide database.
SECTION 2 - INCLUDE
1. Should reflect how the student functions in a variety of environments and types of tasks
over several assessment times. Templates for this report can be accessed at the link
below:
FVA-LMA Birth-3
FVA-LMA including Preschool (Ages 3-5)
FVA/LMA (Ages 5-21)
2. Should include interview of the child, parent, and teacher. Interview templates can be
accessed at the link below.
Parent-Caregiver_Interview_(Ages_Birth-3) (added 8/14/13)
Parent Interview including Preschool (Ages 3-5)
Teacher Interview including Preschool (Ages 3-5)
Parent Interview FVA-LMA (Ages 5-21)
Assessment Procedures.docx
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Teacher Interview FVA-LMA (Ages 5--21)
SECTION 3 - SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
1. For the preschool early access/early childhood aged child the following link will provide a
valuable resource for assessment tools:
a. http://www.earubric.com/
2. For the student who is totally blind or has only light perception, the TVI should provide a
written statement of the visual diagnosis that has resulted in no functional vision. This
may be incorporated into the LMA report. A template for this statement can be accessed
at the link:
a. Functional Vision Form for Students Who Are Blind
3. For the student who is blind or has only light perception the LMA would assess the
student’s tactual and auditory skills. It will be assumed that tactual will be the primary
media of instruction in preparation for tactile objects/symbols or Braille instruction.
However, the LMA will identify the student’s efficiency to gain and comprehend
information through the tactual and auditory channels. Use Learning Media Assessment:
A Resource Guide Forms 2-5 (Section I and Section II (accurate tactual identification of
objects) of Form 5.
4. For a student who has a diagnosis of cortical visual impairment, by Christine Roman
Lansky Scale will be used:
a. FVA-LMA for Students with CVI
5. Interview and report templates can be accessed at the link below: required templates
a. Parent Interview Cortical Vision Impairment
b. Teacher Interview Cortical Vision Impairment
Functional Vision Assessment (FVA) and Learning Media Assessment (LMA)
SECTION 4 – REQUIREMENTS
1. Required as a part of any initial evaluation of a student for whom there is concern around
vision issues that impact learning. Templates for these reports can be accessed at the
link below:
a. FVA-LMA including Preschool (Ages 3-5)
b. FVA/LMA (Ages 5-21)
Assessment Procedures.docx
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2. Should be updated with the 3-year Re-evaluation of a student, or at any time that a team
member observes changes in the student’s visual behaviors that would suggest access to
the curriculum is becoming more challenging.
3. The LMA report in a Word document format should be uploaded to the Learning Media
Assessment section of the statewide database.
SECTION 5 – INCLUDE
1. A LMA would not be expected for a child birth to 3 years of age. However ongoing
evaluation of auditory, visual, tactual and gustatory skills to help predict school readiness
is appropriate. Use Learning Media Assessment: A Resource Guide Forms 2 and 3.
a. FVA-LMA including Preschool (Ages 3-5)
b. FVA/LMA (Ages 5-21)
2. Should include observation of the student in the educational setting at different times of
the day in a variety of settings; and assessment of the student to determine to most
efficient learning and reading media. Use Learning Media Assessment: A Resource Guide
Forms 3, 4 and 5.
3. For the student who is blind or has only light perception the LMA would assess the
student’s tactual and auditory skills. It will be assumed that tactual will be the primary
media of instruction in preparation for tactile objects/symbols or Braille instruction.
However, the LMA will identify the student’s efficiency to gain and comprehend
information through the tactual and auditory channels. Use Learning Media Assessment:
A Resource Guide Forms 2-5 (Section I and Section II (accurate tactual identification of
objects) of Form 5.
SECTION 6 - SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
1. For the preschool age student the following link will provide guidance in this assessment:
http://www.earubric.com/
a. For the students who experience significant additional disabilities (in the birth-2
range developmentally): The Sensory Learning Kit Guidebook and assessment
forms should be used in the development of the LMA.
Assessment Procedures.docx
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SECTION 7 -SCREENING
1. Completed by the orientation and mobility specialist (OMS) for any child who is identified
as eligible for vision services in Iowa.
2. Purpose of this screening process is the initial step to determine if the student is in need
of further OMS evaluation and possible services.
3. Screening should be updated as requested by TVI, parents and district.
4. The suggested screening instruments can be accessed at the links below:
OMS Screening Information
EVS OMS Screening
OMS Initial Screening Observation
OMS Screening Ages 3-22
OMS Screening Ages Birth - 2 Years
OMS Screening Multi-Impaired
OMS Assessment Summary
5. Completed screening should be uploaded to the OMS screening assessment section of
CRM.
Evaluation
6. Completed by the OMS as a result of the screening which indicated significant need.
7. Required as basis for the development of any IEP goals related to orientation and mobility.
8. Updated as a part of the 3-year Re-evaluation, however we recognize that the acquisition
of skills is updated throughout the instructional year.
Assessment Procedures.docx
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9. Final report of the OMS evaluation should be uploaded to the OMS assessment section of
CRM.
10.A report checklist can be accessed at the link below:
OMS Assessment Summary
Assessment Procedures.docx
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