BRS Rehabilitation Techniques & Mobility Training 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When training a client who is deafblind to use a long cane, which modification to the sighted guide technique is most commonly implemented?
- The guide taps the client's shoulder to signal direction changes
- The client grips the guide's wrist rather than the elbow to feel hand signals (Correct answer)
- The guide uses verbal commands at a higher volume
- The client trails behind the guide holding a tether
Correct answer: The client grips the guide's wrist rather than the elbow to feel hand signals
For deafblind individuals, holding the guide's wrist allows the client to feel hand movements and direction changes through tactile feedback, replacing auditory and visual cues.
Question 2: A client reports consistently veering to the left when walking in open spaces. The BRS should first assess for:
- Spasticity in the right lower extremity
- Unequal stride length or a dominant step pattern (Correct answer)
- Hearing loss on the left side
- Inappropriate cane length
Correct answer: Unequal stride length or a dominant step pattern
Unequal stride length or a dominant side step pattern is the most common biomechanical cause of consistent veering and should be assessed first before other factors.
Question 3: In the context of O&M training, 'drop-off protection' refers to:
- Protecting the cane tip from wear on rough surfaces
- Using cane technique to detect sudden elevation changes such as stairs or curbs (Correct answer)
- Lowering the client slowly to a seated position when fatigued
- Preventing the cane from being dropped in transit
Correct answer: Using cane technique to detect sudden elevation changes such as stairs or curbs
Drop-off protection is the function of proper cane technique that alerts the traveler to sudden downward elevation changes, such as steps, curbs, or ditches, before a fall occurs.
Question 4: A client is learning to navigate a revolving door independently. Which instructional sequence is most appropriate?
- Have the client enter at full walking speed to match door rotation
- Practice with a stationary door first, then a slow-speed revolving door (Correct answer)
- Teach the client to wait for another person to hold the door panel
- Avoid revolving doors entirely and use alternative entrances
Correct answer: Practice with a stationary door first, then a slow-speed revolving door
Beginning with a stationary or manually controlled door and progressing to a slow-speed rotating door allows the client to build skills sequentially without overwhelming them.
Question 5: When conducting a route analysis for an O&M lesson, the BRS identifies a construction detour. The most appropriate instructional strategy is to:
- Postpone the lesson until construction is complete
- Pre-walk the detour, then teach the client the alternate route with landmarks (Correct answer)
- Have the client ask construction workers for guidance each time
- Only teach the original route and note the hazard in the client file
Correct answer: Pre-walk the detour, then teach the client the alternate route with landmarks
Pre-walking the detour allows the BRS to identify landmarks and hazards, then systematically teach the alternate route as a client skill rather than avoiding the situation.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of 'familiarization' in indoor O&M training?
- Memorizing the exact layout of a building using floor plans
- Systematically exploring a new environment to build a mental map through direct experience (Correct answer)
- Labeling all rooms in Braille for future independent navigation
- Watching a sighted person demonstrate the route first
Correct answer: Systematically exploring a new environment to build a mental map through direct experience
Familiarization is a systematic, guided exploration of a new space that allows the client to build an accurate cognitive map through their own sensory experience.
Question 7: A BRS working with a client who has retinitis pigmentosa notices the client has difficulty with glare but retains central vision. The most appropriate cane technique recommendation is:
- Standard two-point touch with no modifications
- Constant contact technique to compensate for reduced peripheral field (Correct answer)
- No cane; use optical low vision aids only
- Diagonal technique for indoor use only
Correct answer: Constant contact technique to compensate for reduced peripheral field
Retinitis pigmentosa causes progressive peripheral field loss, making constant contact technique valuable for detecting obstacles that fall outside the remaining central visual field.
BRS Rehabilitation Techniques & Mobility Training 4
When training a client who is deafblind to use a long cane, which modification to the sighted guide technique is most commonly implemented?