LWSB-Personal Adjustment

Personal Adjustment

The foundation of healthy personal adjustment is comprehensive training and counseling provided on an individualized basis.

Drawing from the vast array of services at LWSB, a training schedule for each person's needs is designed to achieve a well-rounded and healthy personal adjustment to visual disability.

COMPREHENSIVE PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT SERVICES

Psycho-social services
Techniques for daily living
Communication
Orientation and mobility
Vision rehabilitation
Electronic aids
Manual dexterity
Vocational evaluation
Social, leisure, recreation abilities

The philosophy of LWSB training maintains that effective and total rehabilitation can only be achieved in a therapeutic, multi-disciplinary environment that is found in a comprehensive residential rehabilitation center.
Training and counseling is provided by professionally-qualified

personal adjustment counselors
rehabilitation teachers
orientation and mobility instructors
consulting psychiatrist and psychologist
service program directors and coordinators

Psycho-social services

These services yield an emotional comfort zone which lays a foundation for development of independent living skills and vocational objectives.
Counseling

Individual attention from a personal counselor and two consultants
Small group sessions with 8-10 peers
Large group meetings for information sharing
Tests and examinations by a psychologist and a psychiatrist

Vision Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology

State-of-the-art electronic and optical devices make up a large inventory of adaptive aids for people with low vision.

Training to read with magnifiers, closed circuit televisions, and other instruments
Training to use personal computers with large print displays for people with low vision, and voice or braille for persons who are totally blind

Manual dexterity

Hand dexterity and coordination is strengthened.

Craft and workshop facility for training and leisure.

Social, Recreation, Relaxation

Class and after-class activities incorporate stress reduction and development of self-confidence toward meaningful leisure activities.

Techniques for daily living

Tactual techniques are taught to perform numerous daily activities safely and efficiently. Included are cooking, housekeeping, table etiquette, clothing care, grooming, and overall home management.

Communicative skills

Tactual and auditory modes of communication are taught to compensate for the loss of visual techniques. Included are braille, typing, handwriting, handling money, talking calculators/watches/clocks, abacus, and tape recorders.

Orientation and mobility

Systematic training techniques develop spatial concepts and kinesthetic awareness. Training includes:

Orientation to environments
Using the long cane to walk residential areas and busy streets
Experience with travel aids-telescopes, colored glasses
Use of public transportation
Accessing transportation routes

Vocational Evaluation

Aptitudes, interests and academics are evaluated through tests and work samples.

The Structure

Professional staff and two consultants conduct a 30-day evaluation of each person as the primary step in LWSB program design.

Functional skills assessment in all areas of services
Examination and testing by the consulting doctors of psychiatry, psychology, medicine and ophthalmology.

The team reviews the evaluation results and customizes the rehabilitation program that meets the total needs of each individual. Daily evaluations of individual training progress further individualizes each trainee's program with modifications in training where needed.