[blindkid] advice for ARI

[Carol Castellano]

Sounds as if you've got a good thing going over there is 
Missouri!  So...what's the weather like?  :-) :-)
Carol

At 11:17 AM 11/5/2008, you wrote:
>I just have to chime in here although I don't really think I can 
>help you on this.  Every time I read a post like this I just want to 
>alternately cry and pray.  I feel soo strongly for every child who 
>is slighted as I too have two visually impared boys that are in the 
>public school system.  However, I pray and bless whoever is looking 
>out for us that I must have an awesome school district.
>
>   My two boys are the only visually impared/blind kids in the 
> school.  They are also the first that the school has ever 
> had.  This is my first experience as a mother or person for that 
> matter dealing with blindness.  The school sent off a teacher to 
> begin training for VI services, when they learned about my son in 
> preschool.  She finished her schooling and now we have a full time 
> VI teacher in our school.  Yes she also teaches other children as 
> two children are not a full load, but I keep praying that we will 
> get another child in school.  However, even if we don't I am SOOOOO 
> grateful.  My boys get braille instruction EVERY day.  The school 
> has used grants to get loads of equipment for them.  It hasn't even 
> cost them very much.  My sons are expected to participate in 
> everything, even Physical Education.  Granted my sons still have a 
> little vision, but they are still so open to everything.  At IEP 
> meetings they always ask me if there is anything else that I want them to do.
>  Hey, I don't know, I am just as new at this as they are.
>
>   The point is that they took the time to do a little reasearch and 
> find out that blind kids can do almost everything other kids do, 
> they just might do it a little differently.  I recently met with 
> one of my older sons new teachers in a new building this year.  She 
> told me that she was a little worried when they were told that they 
> would be having a blind kid in class this year.  They would get 
> very nervous when they saw him playing on the playground, or even 
> wandering around in the halls.  But they came to find out that he 
> was a very good judge of what he could and couldn't do all by 
> himself.  All kids get careless, that is the nature of children and 
> by which they learn.  If we take that away from them, they will 
> never learn to decide for themselves how to do things.
>
>   Now I am not trying to brag, I just want to say that you have to 
> keep on them.  Also  remind them that children learn by doing.  And 
> if for any reason at all you want to relocate, just let me 
> know.  We (myself, my kids, and even the school) would gladly 
> welcome anyone with open arms to our area and school.
>
>   Children need us to be open to things, they will learn very 
> quickly what they can and can't do.  We don't need to pre set 
> limitations for them.  Society already does plenty of that.  We 
> need our children to grow up to be productive adults, not timid, 
> unsure, reluctant adults that become dependent on everyone around them.
>
>
>   Sorry this is soo long or off topic, I just had to share my 
> experiences with you all.
>
>   Rosina
>   mother of three
>   South Central Missouri
>
>
>
>
>
>
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