[blindkid] Blind/Autistic child school placement/services

[Michele Chauvin]

Melissa,

I recently heard another mom ask a similar question of a school psychologist, who has worked with blind children of all ages at a state school for the blind for several decades.  She indicated that our blind kids might be better served by placement considerations regarding blindness as the main disability, rather than autism, as those skills (Braille, cane, technology, etc.) are highly specific and require trained professionals.  While those who work with autism would do a good job with those issues, they likely would be unfamiliar with guidelines, techniques, and strategies related to teaching blind students.  Regardless, it is generally best to have a team approach, with everyone having equal value - classroom teacher, CTVI, COMS (cane), special ed monitoring teacher (Resource or whoever), school therapists and specialists (speech, OT, PT, etc), and parents.  It truly takes the whole team (it takes a village) regularly communicating
 and working together, to make a blind student's educational experience successful.  We have done both extremes - mainstreaming during Kinder and now placement at a state school for the blind, as our daughter has additional disabilities beyond blindness that are due to prematurity, such as possible anxiety, developmental delays, etc.  If our district had a VI specific Resource Room with opportunities for mainstreaming, increasing the mainstream time as appropriate for each student, that might work well, if the room was lead by competent, experienced CTVIs.  I believe the more options we have as parents, the truly more INDIVIDUAL our children's IEPs become.

Hope this helps!
 
Michele
Mom to Lauren



From: Melissa Bruggemann <melissabruggemann at hotmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 2:02:45 PM
Subject: [blindkid] Blind/Autistic child school placement/services



Hi all,

I have a 5 year old son who is blind and autistic. I am trying to figure out what sort of services/school placement he needs for 1st grade. He has been left behind in preschool for Kindergarten as the district could not find a placement for him. He has no usable vision, is nonverbal, not much receptive language and doesn't have that bad behaviors. He's currently  receiving ABA at home every day but none in school. Any thoughts on what type of program would be appropriate for him?

Thanks,
Melissa

8 yrs blind due to ROP