[blindkid] National Media Reading Assessment

Sat Nov 3 12:00:32 UTC 2012

Wow, what a great conversation!

I was on the team to help create the NRMA and yes, Arielle, part of the reason for creating the NRMA was to 'fix the problem'.  It seemed that the traditional LMA focused on gearing the student towards large print or auditory methods, thus avoiding Braille.  The NRMA focuses truly on the child's ability to see print and his/her behaviors "throughout the whole day" which suggest whether or not print is difficult for him/her, among other things.  It actually looks at the future needs of the child whereas the traditional FMA does not. By including everyone in the process - the NRMA evaluates so much more of the child... thus giving a much better picture of what is going on. The NRMA "has been developed with three purposes in mind: to determine the most appropriate reading medium/media for students who are blind/visually impaired; to ensure that the reading medium is appropriately identified both for current as well as for future need; and to
 ensure that student success is not hampered by incorrect identification of literacy needs." (quote taken off their website) I strongly encourage parents log on to the NRMA at:  www.NFBNRMA.org and assess their own child - it's FREE - to see if it agrees with the services your child is or is not getting.  If it suggests your child needs Braille and he/she is not getting it, then take action. 

Also the NRMA or FMA is not the same as a Functional Vision Assessment (FVA).  These are two different types of tools.  The NRMA is a type of media assessment.  Now, Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can select the traditional, (LONG) FMA or they can select the shorter, yet more accurate NRMA.  The FVA does not truly address "reading" - rather it focuse on lighting, near/far distance in the classroom, tracking of objects, color, contrast, and a bunch more.  Children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) will get a FVA but a child with CVI may not get a media assessment.  

Hope this helps.

Merry-Noel Chamberlain, TVI, NOMC, MA  

________________________________
 From: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org> 
Sent: Friday, November 2, 2012 9:43 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] National Media Reading Assessment

Chantel,
So then does the National Reading Media Assessment fix the problems
you cite with the traditional Learning Media Assessment?
Arielle

On 11/2/12, Chantel Alberhasky <chantel at alberhaskylaw.com> wrote:
> It was my understanding the National Media Reading Assessment is in lieu of
> a Learning Media Assessment.
> Yes an IEP team must consider any IEE presented to it but it doesn't have to
> accept the IEE.  If you request an IEE at public expense (school pays for
> it), the school district must pay for it or file due process to have a
> hearing officer determine whether their evaluation is appropriate and an IEE
> is not needed.  The school district can provide you with a list of
> providers, but you are not required to use anyone on the list.  The school
> district can have a criteria the evaluator must meet - it can not be more
> stringent than that of its evaluators - and the evaluator need only met the
> criteria.
> If a parent has the financial resources to pay for an IEE, I find that is
> usually an easier route to just get the IEE on their own.  Many school
> districts have gone to automatically filing for due process when an IEE is
> requested as a way to deter other families from requesting an IEE.
> Finally, personally I don't think a Learning Media Assessment is a tool that
> should be used to determine whether a child learns Braille.  How a child
> learns has nothing to do with whether a child should be literate in Braille.
>  Many sighted kids are auditory learners, for example, but no one would ever
> then suggest the child should forgo learning print and just listen to books.
>  And yet our children are told this on a frequent basis in re to braille.
> I have a low opinion of the LMA and how it has been used to prevent children
> from being taught Braille.
> Chantel L. Alberhasky, Esq
> 419 Boonville Avenue
> Springfield, MO 65806
> 417.865.4444
>
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> --- On Fri, 11/2/12, Emily <elgibbs at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Emily <elgibbs at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] National Media Reading Assessment
> To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Friday, November 2, 2012, 11:05 AM
>
> Leah,
>
> The National Reading Media Assessment is designed to be used as part of
> Learning Media Assessment.
>
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