Education
Academics and Beyond
Our philosophy regarding the educational development for students who are visually impaired, supports all aspects of the “Whole Child”. This includes areas that impact social skills, physical mobility and more.
To get help or find out more, get in touch with us today.
NEW
NH Educational Guidelines
For Vision Professionals, Educators and Parents
Infants and Toddlers

We also assist families with the following:
- Attendance at eye doctor appointments
- Assistance in interpreting eye exam results
- Resource information for children’s services
- Groups and education for parents and families
- Counseling services for parents and families
Connecting with us is easy! Simply call Education Services at 603-565-2405, or 1-800-464-3075, or email educationservices@futureinsight.org
School Age Children (3-21)
Our Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, along with our Orientation & Mobility Specialists, provide specialized instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) for students who are blind and visually impaired. The ECC is comprised of necessary knowledge and skills for students with vision loss to be successful in schools, as well as postsecondary pursuits, due to their unique disability-specific needs. Our team is highly experienced in all nine areas of the ECC:
- Compensatory/functional academic stills
- Sensory efficiency skills
- Orientation & mobility
- Social interaction skills
- Independent living skills
- Recreation and leisure skills
- Career education
- Use of assistive technology
- Digitally accessible materials
- Self-determination skills
Our staff collaborates with case managers, classroom teachers, other service providers, and families to develop and implement the highest quality Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students who are three to 21 years old.
Connecting with us is easy! Simply email educationservices@futureinsight.org
Transition Youth to Adult (16-21)
We provide workshops and individual sessions around transition for blind or visually impaired students in high school. Our goal is to increase successful transition outcomes by addressing the skills most often requiring direct instruction for students with visual impairments, including social skills for interviewing and for the workplace, independent living skills, orientation & mobility and self-advocacy and self-determination.
Connecting with us is easy! Simply email educationservices@futureinsight.org
For School Districts

- Functional vision, learning media, and orientation & mobility assessments
- Assistive technology assessments
- Occupational Therapists with expertise in vision loss
- Specialized assessments and services for children with cortical visual impairment (CVI), multiple disabilities, and/or autism
- Collaboration with Teachers of the Deaf and with Speech Pathologists in program development for children with dual sensory impairments, or deaf-blindness.
- Braille and braille technology instruction, including training for school staff
- In-service training for school teams on students’ specific visual impairments, implementation of accommodations, and use of low vision technology
- Transition services for students between the ages of 14-21, such as intensive instruction in the ECC and partnership with New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation
- Summer programming and Extended School Year services.
- Counseling and support for parents through our Social Services team
For more information please contact us by email at educationservices@futureinsight.org, or by phone at 1 (800) 464-3075.
Empowering the Whole Child
We believe in providing a comprehensive approach to educating and supporting blind or visually impaired children of all ages. The nine areas outlined below are important components that have a significant impact on overall wellness.
Whole Child Wheel
Click on each section of the wheel for more information.

Social Cues & Interaction

Much of our ability to understand and relate to others depends on seeing and interpreting facial expressions and body language. When a child cannot access this information, it becomes more difficult to bond with family members as infants, make friends with peers, and behave in appropriate ways in social situations.
Sports, Recreation & Leisure

Many of us find much joy in leisure time, from participating in sports to pursuing hobbies. For a child with impaired vision, these activities might seem out of reach. With appropriate safety precautions, however, children can participate in much more than we might realize. Imagine a game of "beep baseball", for instance, where the ball and the bases make sounds so that players can practice and participate using their hearing rather than sight.
Self Determination & Self Advocacy

For children and youth with a visual impairment, finding the right balance of asking for help, asserting their needs and wishes, and forging their own destiny is a critical skill for them to develop - and for the adults who support them. The goal is the development of unafraid young adults with the confidence to ask for assistance when needed, the curiosity to explore the world, and the determination to find their own path.
Career Readiness & Exploration

What does a child like to do, and how can they leverage their interests and strengths into a career as they get older? The array of careers available to adults who are blind or visually impaired is much larger than we might think, especially if they develop the basic behaviors that build success in the workplace. How can we give children with a visual impairment the gift of opportunity, and connections with adult mentors who are visually impaired themselves?
Independent Living Skills

Choosing a matched set of clothing in the morning. Making a meal when you can't see labels, or read stove or oven controls. Grocery shopping when you can't see items on the shelf. Buying anything when all paper money feels the same. These are just a few of the challenges that students with a visual impairment will need to master to live independently as adults.
Orientation & Mobility (safe movement)

Understanding where they are and how to get somewhere else are critical skills for children and youth with a visual impairment. Safety on stairs, in parking lots, crossing streets and avoiding obstacles are basic skills that require training in the use of a cane, a guide dog, a human guide, and/or technology.
Academic Learning & Compensatory Skills

Without effective vision, the development of conceptual understanding of a topic in school can be more difficult for a student. Conversion to larger print, digital media, auditory formats, or braille - and instruction on how to best understand and use these formats - is essential to ensuring that students with a visual impairment receive the same classroom content at the same time as their sighted peers. The development of literacy for a child with a visual impairment is as important as the development of literacy for any child.
Effective Uses of All Senses

Children typically learn so much about the world around them through vision. When vision is impaired, children need to make the best use of their other senses, including their remaining vision, hearing, sense of touch, and even smell. Imagine different scents being added to paints, for instance, so that a young child can distinguish colors even without seeing them!
Use of Technology

Much of the technology on our phones and computers was initially developed as an accessibility feature for people with disabilities. The combination of mainstream technology in phones, tablets and apps - with additional specialized equipment and software as needed - can introduce children with a visual impairment to learning in and out of the classroom at the same time as their peers.
Nine Areas of Development
Click on each section of the wheel for more information.
Get Help
Services we provide and programs we offer
Ways to Help
Your time and funding that helps change lives
Refer Someone
For eyecare professionals or friends & family
Workshops
Technology, skill building & professional training
