Which professional should be consulted to support orientation and mobility skills for a blind student when considering placement options?

Which professional should be consulted to support orientation and mobility skills for a blind student when considering placement options?

• A. TVI
• B. Orientation and mobility specialist
• C. School psychologist
• D. Speech-language pathologist

Answer: (B)

Orientation and mobility skills cover how a student who is blind learns to locate themselves in space and move safely and independently through various environments. When making placement decisions, you need a professional who can assess and teach the actual navigation and travel skills the student will use in school and the community. An orientation and mobility specialist is trained to evaluate routes within a campus, plan safe travel between classrooms and facilities, teach cane techniques and other mobility strategies, and collaborate with families and school teams to ensure the chosen placement supports independence and safety in real-world settings. Other professionals have essential roles—teachers of the visually impaired focus on access to academics and instructional materials, school psychologists handle assessment and overall placement considerations, and speech-language pathologists address communication. However, none specializes in teaching and assessing how a student moves through space and navigates environments the way an orientation and mobility specialist does.

Orientation and mobility skills cover how a student who is blind learns to locate themselves in space and move safely and independently through various environments. When making placement decisions, you need a professional who can assess and teach the actual navigation and travel skills the student will use in school and the community. An orientation and mobility specialist is trained to evaluate routes within a campus, plan safe travel between classrooms and facilities, teach cane techniques and other mobility strategies, and collaborate with families and school teams to ensure the chosen placement supports independence and safety in real-world settings.

Other professionals have essential roles—teachers of the visually impaired focus on access to academics and instructional materials, school psychologists handle assessment and overall placement considerations, and speech-language pathologists address communication. However, none specializes in teaching and assessing how a student moves through space and navigates environments the way an orientation and mobility specialist does.