State Resource Centre for Visually Impaired, Schleswig
The State Resource Centre for Visually Impaired, Schleswig (LFS-Schleswig), Germany has been selected as the case study for Germany. (It changed its name from State School for the Visually Impaired to the new name in August 2008.)
LFS-Schleswig offers support and training to families and professionals serving blind and low vision children and young adults, including those with additional disabilities throughout the Land of Schleswig-Holstein. It is a ‘school without students’ – a resource centre that supports about 850 students from birth to adult life in different schools in Schleswig-Holstein. Every student receives instruction and guidance from staff who have been specially trained to work with children and young people with visual impairments. The students visit their home schools (all types of regular schools) to be able to live and learn in their least restrictive environment.
The profile of the site fulfilled the criteria mentioned in the project plan. The centre’s concept was to provide special services in the least restrictive environment and the centre’s main focus was on inclusive settings. It covered all schools in the Land of Schleswig-Holstein and provided services to students, teachers, parents and other professionals dealing with the education of visually impaired students. It functioned as a resource centre by providing special knowledge and special material in the area of visual impairment to foster inclusion in the home environment of the children, students and young adults.
Host Country Team
- Ute Hölscher, Case Study Representative, hoelscher@lfs-schleswig.landsh.de
- Anette Hausotter, Host, Assessment Project Expert, Agency National Co-ordinator at the time of the project, a.hausotter@t-online.de
- Christine Pluhar, Representative Board Member, Project Advisory Group Member, Christine.Pluhar@mbf.landsh.de
Focus of the Case study site in Germany
In relation to the assessment project case study sites, the key topic LFS-Schleswig was interested in investigating was developing multi-professional assessment procedures in co-operation with mainstream schools, pupils, and their families.
Essentially the team wanted to develop general and specialist assessment procedures and tools that they could use as a multi-disciplinary team, as well as with parents and pupils themselves. They did not want to develop new 'tools' and assessment methods (i.e. IEPs) rather they wanted to use what they already had but more effectively.
More information about the LFS-Schleswig can be found on the website.
Please use the links below to access the different materials used during the case study sites in Germany:
Presentations from the LFS-Schleswig team:
- Orientation and Mobility Assessment
- Orientation and Mobility Tool
- Pupil and Parent Participation
- Weekly Plans
- Working Group Europe
Presentations of the experts regarding country approaches to assessing social skills and autonomy/decision-making: