By Monica Turner and Kerry Isham Field Services Representatives

American Printing House for the Blind

and

Before you use ToAD and

TADPOLE…

REMEMBER: Proper lighting and positioning of the individual being tested is of utmost importance.

Proper Alignment Allows a Child to See

Proper support allows Marilinda

to use her energy and musculature to concentrate on

the visual task.

These conditions must be met before using ToAD or TADPOLE: • Background lighting should be dimmed; avoid use of very bright lights • Avoid use of black light as a therapeutic aid, as this is very harmful to the retina • Make sure the individual is positioned and stabilized so that all of his or her energy can be used for vision • There should be no sensory distractions in the testing environment (See ToAD and TADPOLE Guidebook Introductions)

Make sure to use lighting that is “warm white.” Lamps should have a Kelvin unit measurement of 3500 or below. Do not use lamps that are labeled cool white, daylight or full spectrum. They emit large amounts of blue and ultraviolet spikes, which are harmful to the eye.

Use the “hand-under-hand” technique as you work with the individual. Let the individual’s hands rest on top of yours so that she or he is able to feel what you are doing in a secure, non-threatening way. Here is a link that explains more about this technique: http://www.wsdsonline.org/deafblind/huh/huh-overview.html

Let the individual be your guide for how long you spend on an activity. Allow the student enough time to process the stimuli at hand, while also being aware of signs that he or she is becoming over-stimulated. Such signs might be: hiccupping, fading in and out of responsiveness and acting “fussy.” In most cases, spend no more than 20 minutes on an activity. (From ToAD Guidebook, p. 14 and TADPOLE Guidebook, p. 14)

ToAD: Tools for Assessment and Development of Visual Skills

Rationale for ToAD ToAD is designed to provide materials used in functional vision evaluations and/or vision development activities. Whether it is used for assessment or development depends on the way the practitioner decides to use the materials.

Per Elaine Kitchel, ToAD project leader: “Toys and lights developed by toymakers come and go… If APH made [an] array [of] materials, they would not go out of style or become unavailable. The array would also be available on quota. An array of objects and print/graphic materials was developed and field tested along with a practitioner’s guidebook.”

ToAD

This set of standardized tools aids in performing functional vision evaluations or visual skills development activities. The ToAD kit provides tools, toys, and puzzles that assist the educator as he or she performs assessments or activities.

In addition to its uses for assessment and for vision development skills activities, ToAD serves as the VISION MODALITY for the Sensory Learning Kit.

ToAD

The practitioner should make a decision before working with a child whether the ToAD Kit of tools and materials is to be used for assessment OR vision development purposes.

The materials in ToAD increase in complexity as students make progress, but the materials are also developmentally appropriate for use with students at the sensory learning level (The materials can be used with APH’s SLK).

Most ToAD materials are designed to be used with APH's Invisiboard in a very softly lit environment.

ToAD components include:

• ToAD Teacher's Guidebook • SQUIRE ToAD's Puzzle Book • Match 'n Sort Cards • ToAD Flashlight and Attachments • String Light with Cricket Attachment • ToAD LED Keychain Lights • ToAD Foam Puzzles • Mylar Pompon

ToAD components include (cont’d):

• Tangle Toy™ • Billy Bird Puppet • Unbreakable Mirror • Bowls and Balls • Swirly Mats™ • Slinky™ • Lucite Puzzles • Cup, toothbrush, spoon, • and many other kit materials

ToAD Teacher’s Guidebook

• Introduction • Definitions • Suggested

Activities • References

Effective use of ToAD can be made clearer and easier through the Skills and Tools matrix (found in the puzzle book) which helps the practitioner match kit components with skills categorized as physiological, perceptual or cognitive.

Here is someone matching ToAD Bowls and Balls with the skill of Shape Discrimination in the category of Perceptual Skills.

Squire ToAD’s Puzzle Book 1. Smiling Face Photo 2. Spoon Photo 3. White Spoon Drawing 4. White Spoon Puzzle #1 5. White Spoon Puzzle #2 6. Butterfly Figure/Ground Puzzle 7. Snow Scene Seek-and-Find

Puzzle

8. Elephant and Dog Missing Pieces Puzzle

9. Frog Pond Seek-and-Find Puzzle 10.Boy and Dog Figure/Ground,

Seek-and-Find Puzzle 11.Cat and Girl Missing Pieces

Puzzle 12.Zoo Figure/Ground, Seek-and-

Find Puzzle

Match ‘n Sort Cards

Lights

• 1 LED Flashlight • 1 Amber Light-Up Sphere • 1 Red Light-Up Cube • 1 Clear/White Light-Up Wand • 1 Aqua String Light • 2 Amber LED Keychain Flashlights • 1 Cricket Sound Module

Foam Puzzles & Squares

Mylar Pompom

Tangle Toy

Billy Bird Puppet

Unbreakable Mirror

Bowls & Balls

Swirly Mats From the Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Set

From the Functional Vision Assessment (FVA)Set

Lucite Puzzles

Common Objects • 2 Small Metallic

Gift Bags • 1 Plastic Slinky • 1 Blue Mug

with Handle • 2 Stainless

Steel Teaspoons • 4 Vials with

Safety Caps • 2 Bell Bracelets • 2 Toothbrushes

What’s on the ToAD CD? The ToAD CD contains the guide book and the puzzle book in these formats: • Web • Text • DTB • Braille

Additional Equipment for ToAD

(ToAD Guidebook page 11)

• Invisiboard • Mini-Lite Box • ISAVE Grid • Eye patch from SLK • Occluder Pop Pack

For Important ToAD Definitions, see

Pages 21-24 of the Teacher’s Guidebook.

Important The ToAD Kit and materials may be used for both assessment and training purposes. However, because children respond differently to tests after they have been exposed to materials used in the tests, the ToAD Kit of materials should not be used for both purposes with the same student.

TADPOLE Kit: Tools and Activities for the Development

of Visual Skills

TADPOLE Tools and Activities for the Development of Visual Skills (TADPOLE) is an array of activities, materials, and tools for use with 0-2 level learners. TADPOLE is a set of standardized tools that helps practitioners perform functional vision evaluations or visual skills development activities. It is similar to APH's Tools for Assessment and Development of Visual Skills (ToAD) kit, but is geared for younger learners. TADPOLE is a natural precursor to APH's ToAD Program.

Why was TADPOLE developed?

Per project leader Elaine Kitchel: “…to provide teachers of students with low vision and other disabilities with a standardized array of classic tools, strategies, and graphics to conduct functional vision assessments and visual development activities with learners of the developmental ages of 0-2 yrs. Guidelines for the uses of the tools and materials are included.”

Just like ToAD, TADPOLE materials can be used for assessment or visual development activities – it’s up to the practitioner to make that decision.

A Brief History of TADPOLE

During the field test stage of ToAD, teachers working with students with severe multiple disabilities commented that the ToAD activities, as well as the two-dimensional graphic materials, were not appropriate for this population.

They also commented that many of the tools were very appropriate, but needed to be used in a simpler and less-complicated way. Therefore, a sequence of activities and visual materials for use by this special population was developed, along with activities to accompany Tasha Tadpole’s Puzzle Book.

Additional activities were developed as a result of field testing. Editing was also completed on a practitioner’s guidebook of activities for multi-handicapped students, to accompany the ToAD array of tools. Tasha Tadpole’s Puzzle Book was also edited and completed, and additional images were added. More TADPOLE cards were also developed, as was a report form.

Documentation and specifications were then completed, and finally TADPOLE went into production.

As with the ToAD Kit, effective use of TADPOLE can be made clearer and easier through the Skills and Tools matrix (found in the puzzle book) which helps match kit components with skills categorized as physiological, perceptual or cognitive.

Practitioners should purchase the ToAD kit prior to use of the TADPOLE kit, since items from ToAD are needed when a student's personal items are not available. Items from the ToAD Program are used with TADPOLE because they embody visual characteristics of objects that are typically helpful to students with low vision and cortical visual impairments.

Some of these characteristics are: – Simple, single color backgrounds – Simple design – Shiny or metallic objects – Objects or materials colored red, yellow, and blue – Familiarity of objects

Some Thoughts on Playing “For a 0-2-year-level learner, play is the most powerful teaching method and in no way compromises the functionality of the outcome,” says Millie Smith, a well-known expert on education of children with severe disabilities.

TADPOLE Components Include:

• Practitioner’s Guidebook, Large Print • TADPOLE Mini-Lite Box overlays • Object Cards • Black & White Coloring Cards (5-pack) • Report of Visual Skills (10-pack) • Tasha Tadpole's Puzzle Book, Large Print

Note: Both the Practitioner's Guidebook and

Tasha Tadpole's Puzzle Book are available separately in braille versions.

Suggested uses for TADPOLE

• As the Vision Modality for the Sensory Learning Kit by APH

• For the creation of fun, yet simple functional activities for students who are multiply disabled

TADPOLE does not provide a formal assessment - there are several excellent assessment tools available. TADPOLE provides materials that assist the educator as he or she performs vision assessments or activities. Note: TADPOLE also functions as the Vision Modality section for APH's Sensory Learning Kit (SLK).

Mini-Light Box Overlays These are the same pictures contained in

the kit. Use with a lighted background may help some individuals attend better to

these pictures.

Object Cards

Black & White Coloring Cards

Tasha Tadpole’s Puzzle Book

The TADPOLE Practitioner's Guidebook is a collection of suggested activities, primarily for use with students who are very young (0-2 level), or who have communication and/or cognitive delays. These activities are functional, uncomplicated, and natural to the learner's environment.

What’s on the TADPOLE CD?

The TADPOLE CD contains the puzzle book in these formats: • Read me • Web • Text • DTB

Other Available TADPOLE Parts: Soft Snap Puzzles are useful with both the TADPOLE and ToAD activities. Each smooth-top puzzle is an image taken from Tasha Tadpole’s Puzzle Book, on a firm, yet spongy material. Many children who are tactually defensive will be able to use the Soft Snap Puzzles. Each puzzle is made of six, large pieces housed within a sponge frame. They are great for assessment or practice on the following concepts: – parts of a whole – visual closure – shape discrimination – eye hand coordination – figure ground discrimination – scanning – object identification – cross of the midline plane

Soft Snap Puzzles, cont’d

Some images included are: spoon, cup, banana, face, toothbrush, ball, bowl, and apple.

The background colors of these images vary. Not every image is represented in each pack of puzzles.

For Important TADPOLE Definitions, see

Pages 20-22 of the Practitioner’s Guidebook.

With ToAD and TADPOLE, you can be on your way to providing vision development and assessment for individuals who are

considered difficult to test.

Who do you know who could benefit from these tools?

Kerry Isham – kisham@aph.org

Elaine Kitchel – ekitchel@aph.org