Itinerant Services
OSB's School-Age Itinerant Services provide specialized vision and orientation and mobility support for students from kindergarten through age 21.
Selected professionals travel to each student’s school to provide individualized instruction, accessible materials, consultation and technology that help students participate in their educational program with greater access, confidence and independence.
Program Coordinator: Beth Ramella
Specialized Support in their School
OSB provides itinerant services to eligible students attending charter schools, private schools and public school districts in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.
An itinerant Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, travels to the student’s school and works within the existing educational program. The TVI collaborates with families, teachers and school teams to help the student access the general education curriculum.
Support may include:
Individualized Instruction
Accessible and adapted learning materials
Assistive Technology
Consultation with teachers and school staff
Strategies for increasing classroom access and participation
Disability-specific instruction through the Expanded Core Curriculum
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
An itinerant TVI is a specialized educator who supports students who are blind or visually impaired within their local school setting.
The TVI may adapt materials, recommend tools and strategies, provide direct instruction and help school personnel better understand how a student’s visual impairment affects learning.
Instruction may address:
- Braille and other communication methods
- Access to print and digital materials
- Assistive and adaptive technology
- Visual and sensory efficiency
- Independent learning strategies
- Self-advocacy and self-determination
TVIs collaborate with classroom teachers and other professionals so that appropriate supports can be reinforced throughout the student’s school day.
Orientation and Mobility Services
OSB’s Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists, or COMS, provide instruction that helps students understand their surroundings and travel safely, confidently and as independently as possible.
Through a structured and sequential instructional process, students learn to use their available vision, hearing, touch and other sensory information to determine their location and move through different environments.
Orientation and mobility instruction may address:
- Body and spatial awareness
- Safe movement within the classroom and school
- Indoor and outdoor travel
- Street crossings and community travel
- Use of a long cane or other mobility tools
- Route planning and problem-solving
- Public transportation, when appropriate
Instruction is individualized according to the student’s age, abilities, environment and goals.
Expanded Core Curriculum
In addition to the general education curriculum, students who are blind or visually impaired may require direct instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum.
The Expanded Core Curriculum addresses skills that may not be learned incidentally and helps students build access, independence and readiness for adult life. The specific areas addressed depend on each student’s assessed needs and educational goals.
Areas of instruction include:
- Compensatory academic skills, including braille and communication modes
- Orientation and mobility
- Social interaction
- Recreation and leisure
- Assistive technology
- Independent living
- Career education
- Sensory efficiency
- Self-determination
Working Within the General Education Curriculum
The Itinerant Program supports students in accessing the curriculum used by their school.
Rather than replacing general education instruction, OSB’s itinerant professionals provide the specialized materials, techniques and disability-specific instruction students may need to participate in classroom activities.
The goal is to support meaningful participation while helping students develop the skills needed to advocate for their own access.
Support may include:
- Converting materials into braille, large print, audio or accessible digital formats
- Recommending classroom accommodations
- Teaching students to use assistive technology
- Supporting access to diagrams, charts and visual information
- Consulting with teachers about instructional strategies
- Helping students organize materials and complete work independently
Who May Benefit From Itinerant Services?
Itinerant services may be appropriate for students who attend a local school and require specialized vision or orientation and mobility instruction to access their educational program.
Students may benefit when they:
- Participate in general education or other school-based programs
- Use adapted materials, assistive technology or specialized equipment
- Need direct instruction in disability-specific skills
- Require consultation and support across school environments
- Can work toward greater access and independence within their current placement
Eligibility and service recommendations are determined through evaluation and collaboration with the student’s educational team.
Assessments and Professional Outreach
In addition to direct itinerant instruction, OSB offers specialized assessments, professional development and resource support to schools and community organizations.
Available services may include:
- Functional Vision Evaluations
- Learning Media Assessments
- Orientation and Mobility Assessments
- Consultation for instructional teams
- Professional outreach workshops
- Training related to visual impairment and accessibility
- Resource support for the Philadelphia community
These services help educational teams better understand a student’s needs and make informed decisions about instruction, materials, technology and environmental access.
Assessments
Evaluation of visual access, learning media and mobility needs.
Professional Outreach
Training and consultation for teachers, staff and community professionals.
Collaboration With Schools and Families
Effective itinerant services rely on communication among the student, family, OSB professionals and the student’s school team.
OSB staff may collaborate with:
- Classroom teachers
- Special education professionals
- Related-service providers
- Administrators
- Families and caregivers
- Members of the student’s educational planning team
This collaborative approach helps ensure that strategies, materials and technology are used consistently across the student’s learning environments.
Questions About Student Itinerant Services?
For more information about student itinerant services and related services at OSB, please contact Beth Ramella, Itinerant Services Coordinator.