Introduction & Table of Contents
Contributors
Kathi Garza Jill Gorman Chrissy Cowan
Debra Sewell Cindy Bachofer
What is the NOAH SchoolKit?
The SchoolKit provides information and resources to guide parents in supporting general education teachers when a student with albinism will be in their classroom. The kit is divided into five sections with instructions and suggestions on how to use the information within it. Sections include informational sheets for teachers, documents to help guide conversations between parents and educators and templates for student involvement in conversations and advocacy.
The NOAH SchoolKit was designed in collaboration with a team of teachers from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
For whom is the SchoolKit intended?
The kit is intended to be used by students and families when communicating needs to general education teachers. The Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) may or may not be involved in this exchange of information depending on appropriateness and availability.
Why is this resource important?
The following are the foundation for why this resource was developed.
- In many cases, students with albinism are able to access the general education curriculum with few accommodations and modifications which are outlined in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
- Although students likely receive services from a TVI, service delivery times may vary, and the general education teacher is often responsible for ensuring that modifications and accommodations are carried out daily.
- Many teacher credential programs spend little time on the special education student population. Classes often focus on higher incidence disabilities leaving many general education teachers unaware of the implications for students with albinism in their classroom.
- Empowering parents to facilitate communication with general education teachers with or without the TVI opens a dialogue between the two most important people to a student’s education. Leading by example can translate into student empowerment and self-advocacy later in life.
The SchoolKit is organized into five-sections.:
I. Sharing General Information with Educators
This information will support conversation with the general education teacher and provide a resource list of albinism terminology.
II. Sharing Educational Information with Educators
This section will support conversations with educators and provide educational resources including defined roles of team members, educational considerations and detailed information on the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).
III. Materials for the Educational Team
This section includes documents that can be presented to members of the educational team as helpful tools for working with your child.
IV. Sharing Information on Continuation of Skills in the Home and Community
This section is written to guide parents and families in supporting the development of ECC skills in the home and community.
V. Resources
Suggestions, guidelines and templates are provided in this section to support you and your student in advocating for their success in the general education class.
Questions? Feedback? Email: SchoolKit@albinism.org