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Outreach orientation and mobility service

Orientation and mobility Training provides services to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired students about purposeful movement and provides an understanding of the environment in an age and developmentally appropriate manner.

Students can learn a variety of skills and techniques that will assist them to find their way around independently and safety. Programmes are developed to help improve gait, posture, and a general freedom of movement with both large and fine motor skills.

Referrals for Orientation and Mobility services will be referred onto BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand) with BLENNZ’s Orientation and Mobility teams assessing and undertaking this work.

Values

Our practice is guided by:

  • Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand school values
  • A strong commitment to Deaf bi-lingual and bi-cultural practice
  • Valuing Deaf cultural norms
  • Provide students with an environment where they can Belong, Grow, Choose, Excel
  • Access to resources and services students need to be happy and engaged learners
  • To have opportunities to be their best and become confident leaders of their own lives

Ko Taku Reo School Values

How to access this service

  • If anyone from a learner’s existing team has noticed that they need help to support the learners independence and safety to do with their vision, then the learner can be referred to the Orientation and Mobility Service. The learner or Teacher of the Deaf can send the referral to us. This can be done by filling in a referral form and sending it to the Integrated Services referral email: Integratedservices@kotakureo.school.nz
    Referrals can only be accepted if whānau has given consent for the referral.

  • You will receive an email receipt of your referral and a team member may contact you to gather more information if needed. The referral will be accepted or declined, and this will be communicated to the referrer and their team.

  • A team member will contact the learner’s team, including whanau and the learner, teachers and other professionals.

  • Assessment will be carried out using formal (e.g. tests) and/or informal (e.g. observation) methods. Whānau and team members are central to this process.

  • Assessment findings will be used to determine the level of support for the learner and their team. The Orientation and Mobility service will then work with the learner’s team, including teaching staff, their whānau and the learner, to co-construct a Support Plan. The Support Plan will have clear learning goals and an agreed time frame. The time frame will include review points for the support being given.

  • At review meetings, the team will decide on criteria that will show that the learner’s Support Plan is complete.

    When the criteria have been met, or the team has agreed that the Support Plan is complete for a different reason, then the team will organise a Next Steps meeting.

    At the Next Steps meeting, progress will be reviewed, and final recommendations will be discussed before the learner’s Support Plan is closed.

    The learner may be re-referred to the Ko Taku Reo orientation and Mobility service in the future, if anyone from the learner’s team (existing or new) identifies further need.