Low Vision Student In The Regular School: A Challenge To The Teacher? [o Aluno Portador De Visão Subnormal Na Escola Regular: Desafio Para O Professor?]

Purpose:1) To check self-knowledge and needs for orientation among regular class teachers working with low vision students; 2) To gather information to assist the training on visual deficiency of regular class teachers. Methods: A survey was conducted for the academic year of 1999 among those teachers working in public schools, Campinas/SP/ Brazil, of which 11 were municipal and 9 state schools, respectively 79.0% and 90.0% of these schools. A self-administered questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. Results: The sample was composed of 50 teachers with a regular class experience averaging 20 years. Most of them, 94.0%, said that they had no specific preparation in the area of low vision. Only 18 teachers declared to have received some kind of information/ orientation in order to work with their low vision students and of those only 15 teachers mentioned the kind of orientation received. The whole group of 50 declared interest in receiving information. From the information/orientation requested 66.0% mentioned extended working class materials, 50.0% visual performance and eye disease of their students and 46.0% visual acuity/visual field. Conclusion: It was detected that teachers of regular classes received none or little information about their low vision students but demonstrated interest in its obtention. It was also shown that those teachers are not prepared to work with visually impaired children.6414551Carvalho, K.M.M., Gasparetto, M.E.R.F., Venturini, N.H.B., Melo, H.F.R., Pedagogia em visão subnormal (1994) Visão Subnormal, pp. 155-163. , Castro DDM, editor. Rio de Janeiro: Cultura MédicaCorn, A.L., Visual function: A model for individuals with low vision (1983) J Vis Impairment Blindness, 77, p. 373José, R.T., (1988) Vision Subnormal, , Madrid: ONCE(1995) Subsídios Para Organização e Funcionamento de Serviços de Educação Especial: áRea de Deficiência Visual, , Brasil. Ministério da Educação e do Desporto. Secretaria de Educação Especial, Brasília: MEC/SEESPGasparetto, M.E.R.F., (1997) A Criança Com Baixa Visão e o Desempenho Escolar: "Caracterização do uso do Resíduo Visual [tese], , Campinas: Universidade Estadual de CampinasPiovesan, A., Temporini, E.R., Pesquisa exploratória: Procedimento metodológico para o estudo de fatores humanos no campo da saúde pública (1995) Rev Saúde Pública, 29, pp. 318-325Temporini, E.R., Percepção de professores do sistema de ensino do Estado de São Paulo sobre o seu preparo em saúde escolar (1988) Rev Saúde Pública, 22, pp. 411-421Hill, J.L., Mainstreaming visually impaired children: The need for modifications (1990) J Vis Impairment Blindness, 8, pp. 354-360Gama, A.S., (1999) Avaliação da Educação Inclusiva de Deficientes Visuais Nas Escolas Municipais de 1a a 4a Séries das Cidades de Campinas/SP e Recife/PE [Tese], , São Paulo: Universidade de São PauloGuerreschi, M., Poggi, G., Colombo, E., Scotti, G., Castelli, E., The education of low vision children: Our experience in Italy (2000) Vision Rehabilitation: Assessment, Intervention and Outcomes, pp. 464-467. , Stuen C, Arditi A, Horowitz A, Lang MA, Rosenthal B, Seidman KR, editors,New York: Swets & ZeitlingerMcLinden, D.J., Beliefs about effective education among teachers of visually impaired children (1990) J Vis Impairment Blindness, 84, pp. 465-469Carvalho, K.M.M., Venturini, N.H.B., Melo, H.F.R., Venturini, T.B.P., Shiroma, L.O., Buono, C.L., Eficácia das condutas de um serviço de visão subnormal (1998) Arq Bras Oftalmol, 61, pp. 684-689Oliveira, R.C.S., Kara-José, N., Sampaio, M.W., (2000) Entendendo a Baixa Visão: Orientação Aos Professores, , Brasília: Ministério da Educação: Secretaria de Educação EspecialGasparetto, M.E.R.F., Kara-José, N., (2000) Entendendo a Baixa Visão: Orientação Aos Pais, , Brasília: Ministério da Educação: Secretaria de Educação Especia