Expanded Core Curriculum

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Movie Night: Planning a Recreational Activity
a shelf with DVDs on it
This activity is designed to help students with visual impairments learn about options for watching accessible movies and television.
Self-Determination: Setting IEP Goals
A table with chairs around and thought bubbles above it
An activity that encourages students who are blind or visually impaired to participate in their IEP goal development.
Career Development & Self-Determination to Achieve Transition Success: Expanding the Core Curriculum
Students are working at a cafe on Perkins campus.

Learn how to support children with visual impairments through the career education model.

Theme Based Lessons
An image showing packing and other materials at the post office.

In this webinar, Gwyn McCormack, of PositiveEye UK shares theme-based lessons that provide a breadth of cross-curricular activities.

Theme Based Lessons
Cover image for post office theme based lesson.

In this webinar, Gwyn McCormack, of PositiveEye UK shares theme-based lessons that provide a breadth of cross-curricular activities.

Calling to Order a Pizza
hands holding and dialing an iPhone
A hands-on activity that encourages social skill development as students who are blind or visually impaired use the phone to order a pizza.
Building Social Skills Through Game Night
A group of students playing Farkle
Playing games can be a fun way to develop social skills for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities.
Learning about the Roles of IEP Team
A teacher talking to a teenage boy
Learning about the roles of the members of the IEP team are an important step towards self-determination, which is part of the ECC (Expanded Core Curriculum).
Learning to Ask for Help
A teen who is blind shakes the hand of a woman in a bank.
This activity is designed to help students with vision impairments develop increasing practice and comfort with requesting assistance, in progressively more challenging situations.
Understanding Accommodations Needed
An adolescent girl uses a VisoBook
This activity encourages students with special needs to become aware of and think critically about the accommodations they receive at school.
Talking About Disability-Related Needs
A counselor sits with a student using a refreshable braille display
This activity encourages individuals to learn about and describe their vision impairments and any additional disabilities, as a step toward self-determination.
Tips to Develop Self-Advocacy Skills
Woman speaking on the phone
A young man who is blind shares strategies for individuals with visual impairments to promote the development of advocacy skills.
Personal Task Management Using a Schedule Board
Schedule board
This activity introduces students with visual impairments to personal task management, which includes skills in a variety of areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC), such as self-determination, independent living, and compensatory skills.
Making Choices and Taking Ownership
Tactile subway map
In this activity, students who are blind or visually impaired develop self-determination skills by making choices about participating in an activity and then taking responsibility for planning the actual activity.
Self-Determination: "If I Were In Charge Of the World"
two hands side-by-side with an image of the Earth printed on them
An activity that provides an opportunity for students who are visually impaired to articulate who they are and what matters to them.
45 Teaching Strategies in 60 Minutes
A young girl is putting objects into a blue bin.

Educational Consultant Donna McNear shares easily implementable methods to manage and deliver services to students with visual impairments.

Loading the Dishwasher
A teenager dries dishes.
Many skills can be taught to youth with visual impairments and additional disabilities when loading the dishwasher
45 Teaching Strategies in 60 Minutes
A girl is putting objects into a basket.

From student evaluation to specialized instruction to accommodations to progress...these 45 strategies provide teachers with easily implementable methods.

Packaging Snacks
snacks
Students work together to complete the process while developing multiple skills!
Encouraging Independent Living Skills in the Science Lab
A student is wiping down the lab table.
This blog is designed to describe how to easily incorporate independent living skills into instruction in the science lab.
Concept Development for Independent Living Skills
Young man cooking on stove
Tips for teaching concept development through independent living skills to transition-age youth who are blind with additional disabilities
Indoor Modified Football: Activity 5 Passing Play
2 students standing on either end of a football carpet
The following is part of a series of 6 different activities related to football. These activities have been completed by students at Perkins School.
Indoor Modified Football: Activity 4 Running Play
student prepared to "hike" the ball on green carpet
The following is part of a series of 6 different activities related to football. These activities have been completed by students at Perkins School.
Indoor Modified Football: Activity 3 Field Goal Kick
students kicking football on carpet
The following is part of a series of 6 different activities related to football. These activities have been completed by students at Perkins School.
Indoor Modified Football: Activity 2 Kickoff Return
football green carpet with two cones on the end
The following is part of a series of 6 different activities related to football. These activities have been completed by students at Perkins School.
Transition to College
A young man walks with his cane among other students on college campus.

There are 2 webcasts included in this training module that discusses college preparation with parents and educators.

Tips to Help Students with Visual Impairments Succeed in a Job Interview
An adolescent who is blind is interviewed.
Tips to help individuals who are blind or visually impaired to succeed in a job interview.
Sensory Processing (Part 2 of 2): Techniques to Address Sensory Processing Difficulties
A graphic that reads, If you're feeling upset, say "I need a break".

In this tutorial participants will learn to distinguish between typical processing function, processing dysfunction, and processing disorders.

Tips for Your Students On Talking About a Disability with an Employer
Transition-age youth who is blind meeting with employer in work setting
Tips for youth who are blind or visually impaired to address their disability with a potential employer
Sensory Processing (Part 1 of 2): Sensory Processing and Dysfunction
Middleschool girl with glasses and coach on balance balls.

In this tutorial participants will learn to distinguish between typical processing function, processing dysfunction, and processing disorder.

Sensory Processing (Part 2 of 2): Techniques to Address Sensory Processing Difficulties
A graphic that reads, If you're feeling upset, say I need a break.

Amanda Martinage continues her discussion of Sensory Processing, presenting techniques to address sensory processing difficulties.

Community Involvement: A Vital Tool for Success
Tim Vernon sitting on bench
A look at the importance of community involvement for people who are blind or visually impaired
Tips for Teaching Your Student How to Talk about a Vision Impairment
Teenage boy wearing food service cap
Youth who are blind or who have low vision need to learn how to discuss their visual impairment
Transition, Beginning At Home
Youth carrying laundry basket
Tips for families of children who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired to develop independence through chores, household routines and social situations
Sensory Processing (Part 1 of 2): Sensory Processing and Dysfunction
Middleschool girl with glasses and coach on balance balls.

Webinar provides an overview of Sensory Processing and distinguishes between typical processing function, processing dysfunction, and processing disorder.

The Skill of Self-Advocacy
Woman with headphones using refreshable braille display
Advice from an adult who is blind on helping transition-age youth with visual impairments to develop self-advocacy
Mail Delivery
Student opening the school mailbox
Students practice basic vocational skills in this hands-on activity.
Student Store
student waiting on customer in the student store
Students who are blind or visually impaired practice math, literacy, communication, motor, and social skills working in a student store
Leisure through Technology for Students with Visual Impairments and Additional Disabilities
Tutorial - Leisure Through Technology.

This tutorial suggests activities, applications, and teaching strategies for using technology to teach leisure and recreation skills.

Real-Life Learning
Tutorial-Real Life Learning.

This tutorial focuses on real-life learning & strategies that can be used to capture the essence of an activity

Transition
Tutorial-Transition.

This training discusses how vocational rehabilitation services vary between students and adulthood

Designing a Playground for Children Who Are Blind
Playground
Design suggestions and guidelines for creating an accessible and fun playground for kids who are blind or visually impaired
Real-Life Learning
An example of calendar with activities.

The presentation includes ways to capture and share a stduent's experiences - an integral part of building skills and concepts.

Alternate Routes: Adapting Orientation and Mobility Techniques
A boy is holding a cane.

Explore theories and best practices for adapting orientation and mobility techniques for students with additional disabilities.

Infusing the Expanded Core Curriculum into Physical Education
Infusing the Expanded Core Curriculum into Physical Education.

Discover the purpose and specific components of the ECC, as well as goals and strategies for infusing the components into physical education.

Preparing Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired for Success in College
A young woman is reading a document with the refreshable braille display on her braille notetaker.

In this webcast, Mary Alexander discusses the "Five Pillars of Student Success" as it relates to students and their success in college.

Infusing the Expanded Core Curriculum into Physical Education
Young child is running in a gym.

This webinar covers the purpose and specific components of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) and how to infuse EEC into physical education.

Independent Living Skills
Tutorial - Independent Living Skills.

This self-guided tutorial provides approaches for instruction on clothing care, cooking and mealtime skills to students with visual impairments.

Curriculum-Universal Design
Tutorial-Curriculum UDL.

This tutorial examines three principles of Universal Design for Living, strategies for incorporating all the senses into an activity, and more.

Measuring Dry Materials for the Student Who is Visually Impaired
Kate demonstrates dry measuring using measuring spoons and measuring cups.

In this video, Kate Fraser demonstrates strategies for teaching students with visual impairment to measure dry ingredients.

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