<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">National Orientation and Mobility Assessment (NOMA)</span></div><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As you may know the National Orientation and Mobility Assessment (NOMA) is a two part assessment: (1) a Screening inventory used to determine if a referral for O&M services is appropriate; and (2) the Skills Assessment, which is used to measure progress on the IEP through the service delivery during the year. The NOMA was developed at Louisiana Tech University to assist school districts and O&M instructors in determining if a student can benefit from direct orientation and mobility services and what skills need to be addressed in order to promote independent travel. If you need more information about the assessment or would like a copy, please contact Edward Bell, <a href="tel:318-257-4554" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4">318-257-4554</a>, or <a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We are also excited to let you know of a brand new tool to add to your toolkit. After considering the current concerns about needing a method to determine the appropriate amount of time that is recommended for direct service minutes in the area of O&M, Sheena Manuel, Outreach Specialist, has designed the NOMA Direct Service Scale. If you would like to add this tool to your professional toolkit, please email Sheena at <a href="mailto:smanuel@latech.edu">smanuel@latech.edu</a> for a digital copy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">SManuel<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="mailto:smanuel@latech.edu" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="8">smanuel@latech.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Director, Professional Development and Research<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Institute on Blindness<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://10/1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="address" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10/1">210 Woodard Hall</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://10/1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="address" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10/1">PO Box 3158</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://10/1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="address" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10/1">Ruston LA 71272</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Office: <a href="tel:318.257.4554" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10/2">318.257.4554</a> Fax: <a href="tel:318.257.2259" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10/3">318.257.2259</a> (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-width: medium medium 3pt; border-style: none none dotted; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a> <a href="http://www.pdrib.com/">www.pdrib.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">**************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-- Stephen Jay Gould</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>