Overview

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the team members involved in planning and conducting the assessment.
• Name four indicators that an assessment is needed.
• Explain three areas an orientation & mobility assessment examines.

Contributors:

• Mary Ball-Swartwout, M.A., is an Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Ohio State School for the Blind, where she has served since 2005. She holds a Master’s degree in Orientation and Mobility for children from Western Michigan University and has over two decades of experience supporting students with visual impairments. Mary has served as a guest lecturer at both The Ohio State University and Shawnee State University, sharing her expertise in O&M practices in subject areas of intersection analysis, introduction to O&M and O&M services for students who are deafblind. In 2018, she was honored with the O&M Citation for Excellence for Direct Service from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER). Mary is dedicated to advancing the field through direct service, professional development, and collaborative educational efforts.
• Heather Geiser, PTA, COMS, has over 24 years of experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant before expanding her expertise into the field of Orientation and Mobility (O&M). She earned her Certificate in Orientation and Mobility from The Ohio State University and has spent the past five years applying her physical therapy background to support students with visual impairments in meaningful, functional ways.
  
  Heather completed her O&M internship through the S.O.A.R. program in St. Louis, Missouri, and transitioned directly into the school setting, where she continues to educate students from preschool through seniors in high school. She was recently honored with a nomination for the Franklin B. Walter Outstanding Educator Award by State Support Team 7, recognizing her dedication and innovation in the field.
  
  A strong advocate for collaboration and community, Heather has partnered with regional vision providers to launch a multi-district “Vision Day”—an event that brings students with visual impairments together to build skills in the Expanded Core Curriculum, explore adaptive technology, and foster peer connections.
  
  Heather is also featured as a character in her student-authored book The Adventures of Marshmallow and Peter. She is especially passionate about working with older students, empowering them through ECC instruction to become confident, independent individuals ready to navigate their futures.