Statewide System for Vision Services
1002 G Ave, Vinton, IA 52349
319-472-5221 or 800-645-4579 (Iowa only)
www.iowa-braille.k12.ia.us
Expanded Core Curriculum
ECC
Nine Unique Educational Needs for
Students with Visual Impairments

Have you heard your child’s teacher of the visually impaired
(TVI) or orientation and mobility teacher (COMS) talk about
ECC or the Expanded Core Curriculum, and you’re not sure what
it means?

Do you wonder if your child’s school program addresses his or
her disability-specific needs?

Would you like more information to use when developing your
child’s IEP goals?

Do you know that the Statewide System for Vision Services
offers Expanded Learning Opportunities on evenings and
weekends at locations near your home?
The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is the body of knowledge and
skills that are needed by students with visual impairments due to their
unique disability-specific needs.
Because children who are blind or have low vision often do not bring
the same visual experiences to the learning environment, it is very likely
that all of their curriculum needs will not be met without planned,
sequential, direct instruction by individuals who understand their
learning style.
Students with visual impairments need the Expanded Core Curriculum
in addition to the Core Academic Curriculum of general education. The
ECC should be used as a framework for assessing students, planning
individual goals and providing instruction.
ECC
Nine Unique Educational Needs for
Students with Visual Impairments
Assistive Technology Skills
Technology is a tool to unlock learning and expand the horizons of students. Assistive
technology can be a great equalizer. For Braille users, it allows the student to provide feedback
to teachers by first producing materials in Braille for personal use, and then in print for the
teacher, classmates and parents. In addition, students with visual impairments can use assistive
technology for note-taking, studying for tests, research and a variety of other academic and
leisure uses.
Career Education Skills
The disadvantage facing students with visual impairments is the lack of information about
work and jobs that the sighted student acquires by observation. Career education for students
with visual impairments need to begin as early as possible and include self-awareness and
career exploration activities, job seeking skills instruction, information about job keeping and
opportunities for work experience.
Compensatory Academic Skills, including Communication Modes
Compensatory and functional academic skills include learning experiences such as concept
development, spatial understanding, study and organizational skills, using Braille or low vision
devices to read and write, using alternative communication systems such as sign language or the
use of calendar systems, using recorded materials, and so forth.
Independent Living Skills
This area of the Expanded Core Curriculum is often referred to as “daily living skills.”
Independent living skills are the chores people perform, according to their abilities, which
enable them to manage their homes and personal lives. These chores include grooming, eating
and preparing meals, taking care of household chores, money and time management, and so
forth.
Orientation and Mobility
Orientation and Mobility training focuses on alternatives to using sight for safe and
independent travel purposes. Students will need to learn about themselves and the environment
in which they move – from basic body image to independent travel.
Recreation and Leisure Skills
Most often people with sight select their recreation and leisure activities by visually
observing activities and choosing those in which they wish to participate. Students with visual
impairments need help identifying the array of choices available to them in this area and must
be taught how to perform leisure skills that most children learn through observation.
Self-Determination
This area of the ECC highlights the importance of believing in oneself, while
understanding one’s abilities and limitations. Students learn from successes and failures how to
achieve one’s goals in life. Self-determination is the ability for people to control their lives,
reach goals they have set and take part fully in the world around them.
Social Interaction Skills
Almost all social skills used by sighted children have been learned by visually observing
the environment and other persons and behaving in socially appropriate ways based on that
information. Social interaction skills must be taught to children with visual impairments because
they are unable to casually observe how people interact and socialize with one another. They
must be taught when and how to smile, frown, nod, wink, shrug and the many other nonverbal
communication skills.
Visual Efficiency Skills
Visual efficiency skills are those skills that children with impaired, but good remaining
vision use to make the most use of their remaining sight. Instruction in this area may focus on
the use of optical devices such as magnifiers, bioptic aids, telescopes, closed circuit television,
and so forth.
Extended Learning Opportunities
The Statewide System for Vision Services offers Extended Learning
Opportunities on evenings and weekends at locations near your home.
There are many Extended Learning Opportunities available and
examples of three are below.
Splish Splash and My 5 Senses
is a program for children
birth to 7 years old and their families.
Parents will:
 Make a story box to take home and read to their child
 Learn about available resources to support child exploration and learning
 Learn vision specific activities to enhance their child’s development
 Learn how to promote exploration of the environment around their child
 Learn the importance of play to help
their child develop social interaction
skills
 Learn strategies for development of
Independent Living Skills
Children will:
 Play with focus on developing Social
Skills
 Participate in a snack preparation activity
 Participate in a story box activity
Childcare is available during parent learning activities.
Jump Start for Expanded Core Curriculum is offered to students in
2nd – 8th grades and their families.
Goals of this program are:
 Strategies to promote independence in the Expanded Core Curriculum
 Tips for empowering youth to develop problem-solving, self-determination
and social skills
 Ideas to support educational programming at home, especially in the
expanded core curriculum areas
 Resources and strategies to support vision-specific activities which enhance
development and independence
 Recreation / Leisure activity
 Cooperation skills and working together
 Strategies for development of Independent Living Skills
At our last Jump Start for the Expanded Core Curriculum, students spent the
morning planning a grocery list, shopping and preparing their own lunch. They also
made and took home a cookie recipe jar and then spent the afternoon bowling with
peers.
Jump Start to Independence: Parents as Teachers: Regional
Learning Opportunities Support Learning the Expanded Core Curriculum
Target audience: Parents and Care Providers
Parents will learn:
 Strategies for development of Independent Living Skills.
 Exploration of tools and techniques to promote your child’s independence.
 Resources to support child exploration and learning.
 Vision specific activities to enhance child development and independence.
 The importance of empowering your child to develop problem solving and
self-determination skills.
 Suggestions for a variety of daily living activities and organization.
 Ways to support educational programming at home, especially in the
Expanded Core Curriculum areas.
Now that you’re familiar with the Expanded Core
Curriculum (ECC) and the Extended Learning
Opportunities:
Talk to your child’s teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) and/or orientation
and mobility teacher (COMS) about how they use the ECC for assessment,
goal planning and instruction.
Talk to your child’s TVI or
COMS about attending an
Extended Learning
Opportunity.
Use the ECC to assist with goal
writing at your child’s next IEP
Meeting.
Contact Carla Morrow
cmorrow@iowa-braille.k12.ia.us
if you are interested in an Extended Learning Opportunity near your home.
Contact Phyllis McGowan
pkmcgowan@iowa-braille.k12.ia.us for
information regarding the Parent
Web-board.
Contact Kathy Hintz khintz@iowabraille.k12.ia.us to be added to the
parent email list and receive email
alerts when opportunities for you
and/or your child are in your area.
Visit the Iowa Braille School website www.iowa-braille.k12.ia.us for
information regarding opportunities for students and parents.
Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)
Nine Unique Educational Needs for Students with Visual
Impairments
Extended Learning Opportunities
Offered on evenings and weekends at locations near your home
Statewide System for Vision Services
Our purpose is to enable Iowa’s students who are blind or visually impaired
to function as independently as possible in all aspects of life by providing
appropriate educational opportunities, resources and support services
Statewide System for Vision Services
Iowa Braille School
1002 G Ave
Vinton, IA 52349