The Vision Specialist provides specialized vision services to students at Kennedy Day School through direct instruction, consultation, assessment, and collaboration with students’ educational teams and families. The Vision Specialist supports the development and generalization of skills related to functional vision and the Expanded Core Curriculum, including within community-based settings. This role conducts functional vision and learning media assessments, contributes to the development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and provides ongoing education and consultation to staff and families.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
- Provides direct, indirect, and consultative vision services to an assigned student caseload.
- Conducts functional vision and learning media assessments to support eligibility and re-eligibility determinations and evaluate changes in student needs or status.
- Develops measurable IEP goals, objectives, and benchmarks in collaboration with the student’s educational TEAM.
- Collects and analyzes student data and prepares quarterly progress reports.
- Ensures IEPs, assessments, documentation, and other required activities are completed accurately and within established timelines.
- Provides training, consultation, and materials adaptation to students, staff, families, and educational TEAMs, and contributes to program-wide training as needed.
- Supports instruction and skill development related to functional vision and the Expanded Core Curriculum, including generalization of skills in community-based settings.
- Ensures students are registered with the Accessible Instructional Materials Library and, when appropriate, the New England Consortium on Deafblindness.
- Collaborates with the Educational Trainer and other team members to support compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements.
- Participates as an active member of interdisciplinary educational teams and collaborates with staff and families to support student goals.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Education and Experience
- Master’s degree in vision education, deafblind education, special education, or a closely related field required.
- Massachusetts DESE licensure as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, or eligibility to obtain required licensure.
- Minimum of one year of experience providing direct and/or consultative vision services to students or young adults with extensive support needs required.
