[blindkid] Teaching toddlers Braille: (blindkid Digest, Vol 58, Issue 27)
Margie & Deryck Smith
deryck at mweb.co.za
Fri Feb 27 11:59:00 UTC 2009
Many thanks to everyone for their suggestions, and also the cool websites.
Really appreciate it and also just getting the daily e-mails. Everything
discussed helps give me a frame of reference for our situation.
Regards
Margie Smith
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of blindkid-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: 26 February 2009 08:00 PM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: blindkid Digest, Vol 58, Issue 27
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
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Today's Topics:
1. parents need to learn braille too (Joy Orton)
2. Announcing the New KnfbReader Mobile Sales Program
(Michael Hingson)
3. Re: parents need to learn braille too (Debby B)
4. Brand New Braille note PK With Blue Logger GPS for Sale
(Don and June)
5. Re: parents need to learn braille too (Carrie Gilmer)
6. Re: Teaching toddlers Braille (DrV)
7. Re: parents need to learn braille too (DrV)
8. Re: parents need to learn braille too (Bonnie Lucas)
9. Re: parents need to learn braille too (Andy & Sally Thomas)
10. Re: can I get the other side? (Leah)
11. Re: can I get the other side? (Carrie Gilmer)
12. Re: can I get the other side? (Steve Jacobson)
13. Re: parents need to learn braille too (Barbara Hammel)
14. Re: can I get the other side? (Dr. Joseph Taboada)
15. Re: parents need to learn braille too (EJ Buhrke)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:04:14 -0600
From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Message-ID:
<265f5e390902251804k9683a3au7b127eee640e92ee at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
The teacher had counted off for spelling.
The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
it--writing it for the teacher to read.
Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
interlining did not show the capital.
Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
Joy Orton
mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:24:19 -0600
From: "Michael Hingson" <info at michaelhingson.com> (by way of David
Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)
Subject: [blindkid] Announcing the New KnfbReader Mobile Sales Program
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <auto-000090457911 at mailfront2.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
Announcing the New KnfbReader Mobile Sales Program
National Federation of the Blind Sales Initiative
Fellow Federationists and Friends:
On last month's presidential release Dr. Maurer
announced the launch of a new program through
which the NFB would be selling the KnfbReader
Mobile. I am excited to announce that the
National Federation of the Blind KnfbReader
Mobile sales program is now under way. Beginning
at the Washington Seminar the KnfbReader Mobile
became available under this program. All
attendees of Washington Seminar had an
opportunity to see the reader and to purchase
it. We got off to a good start at the seminar
with several sales and a lot of demo time.
As you may have heard, the price for the Reader
has dropped significantly over the past few
months. The price for the Reader software is now $995.
By the time you receive this announcement all
readers will be shipping with a new and improved
version of the KnfbReader Mobile software. This
latest edition of the program offers many fabulous improvements including:
? significantly better character recognition,
? a new and improved user interface,
? language translation with the purchase
of an extra language package, and
? Support for the new Nokia 6220 Classic cell phone.
Add the cost of the cell phone for $350, thus
making the cost for the complete KnfbReader
Mobile $1,345 and you have the most affordable
and portable reading system available on the market.
Under our sales program we will also be offering
both Talks and MobileSpeak screen readers for the
KnfbReader Mobile. With either Talks or
MobileSpeak, all of the standard functions of the
cell phones used in the KnfbReader Mobile system
become fully accessible to blind people. We are
excited to be able to offer not only the Reader
but several ways to make the rest of the cell
phone?s functions talk. The price for either
Talks or MobileSpeak is $295. This means that
for $1,640 you can have the latest and most
advanced reading system available on the market
today, as well as a fully accessible cell phone.
After you have purchased your new reader, the
support team and I will be ready to give you all
the technical assistance and encouragement you
need. We're always ready to answer any questions.
You can purchase your KnfbReader Mobile with
MasterCard or VISA or by check. Please contact
me with any questions you may have at (888) 965-9191.
There?s even more great news to share: The
purchase of your KnfbReader Mobile can be
financed under the NFB Technology Loan
Program. If you wish to finance your purchase
under this program, the interest rate for your
loan will be 3 percent (the best rate in
town!). To learn more about the loan program and
to download an application, or to learn anything
else about the NFB sales effort and the
KnfbReader Mobile visit the special KnfbReader
Mobile Web page at
<http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com>http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com.
Finally, I'm pleased to tell you that I will be
looking for some people to help sell the
KnfbReader Mobile. If you're looking for extra
income or something that can turn into a
full-time job and if you believe that you can
sell this product, please call me. I can be
reached at (888) 965-9191 any time from 8:00 AM
to 5:30 PM Pacific Time. If you need to leave a
voicemail, rest assured that I will call you back
as soon as possible. You also may reach me at
<mailto:info at michaelhingson.com>mailto:info at michaelhingson.com.
I look forward to hearing from you and to helping
you with your purchase of a KnfbReader Mobile as
well as to supporting you as you learn to use
your new device. I believe that this is a very
exciting program that promises to be fruitful for
the NFB. We all helped make the KnfbReader
Mobile a reality. Because of the unwavering
commitment of the National Federation of the
Blind and Ray Kurzweil, the dream of a
pocket-sized reading machine has now come to
life. We have the opportunity to make this
revolutionary technology available to blind
people everywhere. I look forward to your help
in making the KnfbReader Mobile the most
widely-used product among blind people in the United States.
Best wishes for your success,
Mike Hingson
The Michael Hingson Group
?Speaking with Vision?
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
<mailto:info at michaelhingson.com>info at michaelhingson.com
www.michaelhingson.com
for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
<http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/>http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com
<http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com/>
http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg
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------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:35:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Debby B <bwbddl at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <549060.75025.qm at web90501.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
We have run into this often, especially in math! My knowing Braille, and
having Winona go over a paper with me when she does poorly usually results
in the proper grade. Often the aides don't know Braille very well, or they
are rushing. Often we discover the problem happened in the Brailling.
Sometimes when they adapt things they neglect to adapt the answer key.
Winona recently received an F on a test. In looking it over we discovered
the questions didn't even match the choices Winona had. We're meeting to
discuss that and show the classroom teacher next week.
Debby
bwbddl at yahoo.com
www.nfbflorida.org/parents
Please support Braille literacy and programs for our youth by sponsoring me
in
the Motor City March for Independence! Better yet, join the team of the FL
Parents of Blind Children!
http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
________________________________
From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:04:14 PM
Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
The teacher had counted off for spelling.
The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
it--writing it for the teacher to read.
Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
interlining did not show the capital.
Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
Joy Orton
mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
blindkid at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindkid:
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------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:36:52 -0600
From: "Don and June" <dnj.galloway at starpower.net> (by way of David
Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)
Subject: [blindkid] Brand New Braille note PK With Blue Logger GPS for
Sale
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <auto-000087361214 at mailfront1.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
For Sale: A Brand New Braille note PK with Blue Logger GPS
This unit has never been used. Asking $2,500 for both
Don Galloway
Please contact @ <mailto:Dgalloway at starpower.net>Dgalloway at starpower.net
Phone: (202) 882-3816
Mobile: (202) 441-6140
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:14:36 -0600
From: "Carrie Gilmer" <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind
children\)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <49a6091e.1d3e400a.1e60.ffff9bd2 at mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Us too Debbie, I am sure it has been over a dozen times in Jordan's school
career that when he failed a test (in fact it was pretty much 100% this was
discovered the answer to a very low grade) it was because either the Braille
was different than the print or the answer key did not match up. Make sure
Braille copies of tests are kept after for this very reason!
Thanks for sharing that Debbie!
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
www.nfb.org/nopbc
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Debby B
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:35 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
We have run into this often, especially in math! My knowing Braille, and
having Winona go over a paper with me when she does poorly usually results
in the proper grade. Often the aides don't know Braille very well, or they
are rushing. Often we discover the problem happened in the Brailling.
Sometimes when they adapt things they neglect to adapt the answer key.
Winona recently received an F on a test. In looking it over we discovered
the questions didn't even match the choices Winona had. We're meeting to
discuss that and show the classroom teacher next week.
Debby
bwbddl at yahoo.com
www.nfbflorida.org/parents
Please support Braille literacy and programs for our youth by sponsoring me
in
the Motor City March for Independence! Better yet, join the team of the FL
Parents of Blind Children!
http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
________________________________
From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:04:14 PM
Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
The teacher had counted off for spelling.
The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
it--writing it for the teacher to read.
Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
interlining did not show the capital.
Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
Joy Orton
mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
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_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
blindkid at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindkid:
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ail.com
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:50:43 -0800
From: "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Teaching toddlers Braille
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <AE8723A0E8E441FF9E6BE2272158AA52 at CSMC.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Hi Margie & Deryck,
This is a great question. There really is no right way to do this.
As Sue describes, you want to immerse your child in braille.
I have an almost 8 y/o & a 12 year old. They read & write in English &
Lithuanian braille.
Kids who are exposed early to braille literally can eventually learn to read
as fast or even faster than their sighted peers. This is a fact.
There are a number of organizations that produce inexpensive print/braille
books for toddlers, including www.seedlings.org, www.nbp.org, & the Braille
Institute in Los Angeles.
It is easy to add braille labels to toys & other items to make them more
interesting & accessible.
I have written about early braille exposure. I wont claim that this is the
right way to do it, but it is one approach & these are things that have
worked for us.
If you want to read more on this for ideas, here are the direct links. I
have included links to specific resources in the articles.
1. "Braille Literacy -- It's A Family Value"
(www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=61&SnID=44365653).
2. "Equal Expectations: A Belief Paradigm or Politically-Correct, Feel-Good
Phrase" (www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr27/1/fr270107.htm)
3. "Enriching Your Blind Child's Life via Foreign Language Braille:
Practical Suggestions for Families and Educators Seeking Out Foreign
Language Braille and Other Foreign Language Resources with a Special Focus
on Spanish"
(http://knol.google.com/k/eric-vasiliauskas-md-drv/enriching-your-blind-chil
ds-life-via/2fo8us37li3cv/1)
Best wishes & Good luck!
Eric V
----- Original Message -----
From: "Margie & Deryck Smith" <deryck at mweb.co.za>
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 23:58
Subject: [blindkid] Teaching toddlers Braille
> Good morning from South Africa
>
> Can anyone give advice on how to begin teaching a toddler Braille, or
> Braille+letters. Is there a published procedure on how to go about this?
>
> Regards
>
> Margie Smith
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.n
et
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:55:17 -0800
From: "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <BD135A0F83024264A7587E005018CE37 at CSMC.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
How true!
This has come up several times this year with each of our boys.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Debby B" <bwbddl at yahoo.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 18:35
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
> We have run into this often, especially in math! My knowing Braille, and
> having Winona go over a paper with me when she does poorly usually results
> in the proper grade. Often the aides don't know Braille very well, or they
> are rushing. Often we discover the problem happened in the Brailling.
> Sometimes when they adapt things they neglect to adapt the answer key.
> Winona recently received an F on a test. In looking it over we discovered
> the questions didn't even match the choices Winona had. We're meeting to
> discuss that and show the classroom teacher next week.
>
> Debby
> bwbddl at yahoo.com
> www.nfbflorida.org/parents
>
> Please support Braille literacy and programs for our youth by sponsoring
> me in
> the Motor City March for Independence! Better yet, join the team of the FL
> Parents of Blind Children!
> http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:04:14 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
>
> Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
>
> Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
> grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
> level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
> The teacher had counted off for spelling.
> The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
> but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
> it--writing it for the teacher to read.
> Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
> interlining did not show the capital.
>
> Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
> Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
> The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
>
> Joy Orton
> mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/bwbddl%40yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.n
et
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:34:01 -0500
From: "Bonnie Lucas" <lucas.bonnie at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <39299A4C90DE40C28470F52D418B87FE at Lucas1>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Wow, Debby, Aubrie has been getting different grades than she thinks she
should in math. I think we are going to innerline her work ourselves to see
if there is a difference.
Bonnie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Debby B" <bwbddl at yahoo.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
> We have run into this often, especially in math! My knowing Braille, and
> having Winona go over a paper with me when she does poorly usually results
> in the proper grade. Often the aides don't know Braille very well, or they
> are rushing. Often we discover the problem happened in the Brailling.
> Sometimes when they adapt things they neglect to adapt the answer key.
> Winona recently received an F on a test. In looking it over we discovered
> the questions didn't even match the choices Winona had. We're meeting to
> discuss that and show the classroom teacher next week.
>
> Debby
> bwbddl at yahoo.com
> www.nfbflorida.org/parents
>
> Please support Braille literacy and programs for our youth by sponsoring
> me in
> the Motor City March for Independence! Better yet, join the team of the FL
> Parents of Blind Children!
> http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:04:14 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
>
> Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
>
> Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
> grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
> level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
> The teacher had counted off for spelling.
> The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
> but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
> it--writing it for the teacher to read.
> Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
> interlining did not show the capital.
>
> Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
> Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
> The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
>
> Joy Orton
> mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/bwbddl%40yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/lucas.bonnie%40gma
il.com
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:40:32 -0600
From: "Andy & Sally Thomas" <andysally at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <9322F57E7FBA4B2384320104D7ACF6AE at andysallyhome>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Yes, parents can make a big difference for their kids when they know
braille.
We continually found errors in our son's braille which the TVI and school
district would not acknowledge. After 3 years of "discussion" with them
denying a problem existed, I created a PowerPoint presentation of the errors
in the homework alone. After 88 pages of documentation and still no change,
we filed a complaint with the Texas Education Agency. The braille my son
receives now is of much higher quality.
Sally Thomas
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joy Orton" <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:04 PM
Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
> Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
>
> Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
> grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
> level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
> The teacher had counted off for spelling.
> The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
> but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
> it--writing it for the teacher to read.
> Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
> interlining did not show the capital.
>
> Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
> Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
> The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
>
> Joy Orton
> mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/andysally%40comcas
t.net
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:00:32 -0600
From: Leah <leah at somazen.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Cc: leah at somazen.com
Message-ID: <C3075093-DCF2-4C6A-B76A-13A1C5F297C4 at somazen.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
Carrie and Bonnie, thank you for replying. That press release is kind
of what I was looking for.
I know I have mentioned this before, but I hear the NFB criticized so
by people in my area. I am always trying to understand what it is like
out there, where the resources are, what is the position of the
different institutions and resources, etc. There is no local chapter
of NOPBC in our city.
People tell me that folks from the NFB never let their cane out of
their hand and force their kids to be like that. People complain that
the local rehab center will only teach things one way - the "NFB way"
and that they aren't exposing clients to alternatives. I don't know
about the rehab program, but I know that I didn't see any cane
extremists at the state convention we attended. I saw plenty of blind
people walking across the room without their canes if they chose to,
and holding print up by their face to see if if they chose to. I also
saw them organizing an enormous, inspiring and useful event using
whatever means worked, because doing it was important. I have read
Carrie's story about trying to get an older child to try, just try the
cane. I have a lot of objections to force, and I didn't see that story
as "forcing."
On the other hand, we have a TVI who has to look on a chart while she
is teaching my son his Braille letters. She personally doesn't believe
that he needs Braille because he has a lot of vision, but she wants to
support our wishes. She comes out every week and works those Braille
letters with him and maintains an open dialogue as much as possible.
When she taught blind kids for the past several years she never had to
use Braille, and still doesn't have any Braille kids in a new teaching
setting.
I just wonder, if my son lives long, or stays in good enough health to
go to school, and if he becomes a skilled enough reader to need the
convenience of Braille, who is going to be there making materials for
him, who is going to be double-checking the Braille quality or helping
him with a formatting issue in a text book? The NFB philosophy seems
pretty straightforward to me, but when I sit in my local environment,
I feel as though I have joined some fringe ultra-conservative religion
just because I think Braille sounds practical. (The good news is, I
can identify about half of my Braille alphabet by feel now!)
Can the challenges of life really polarize people so much? I guess so.
I tend to be naive, and want diplomacy and for sides to work together
for communication and sharing of what does work. I see the anger at
the challenge of blindness, wrongly directed at "the other side."
Isn't the anger really about the frustration of the inconvenience of
blindness, the difficulty interacting with a world that doesn't
understand, and the extra medical problems?
I think I have a lot to learn. I just hope that I will develop a tiny
bit of patience and ability to clearly communicate with others along
the way as I raise my son.
I'm not trying to complain, just put out my thoughts that resulted
from reading about the case. I think, as a parent of a still-young
child, that I still have so much hope when talking to professionals of
all sorts, and that I haven't quite shifted the authority to myself as
parent yet. Sometimes I wish someone else would fix it all, and
sometimes I try to fix it all. I'll bet that maybe the extra energy
for communication and teambuilding might come from letting go of
trying to fix...but that is not really the topic of this list. I'm so
impressed by the maturity and communication ability of people on this
list.
Anyway, thanks again for the comments.
Leah
mom to John, 4, who has visual impairment and severe eye movement
limitations, with multiple other issues, and who is super-smart and
learned to talk this winter!
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:56:40 -0600
From: "Carrie Gilmer" <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind
children\)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <49a6bbbb.1d078e0a.4271.1cc0 at mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Very eloquent Leah. Pretty much all of us who have been in this a few years
have had the same struggle, and sometimes it continues. Especially with the
rumors, myths and innuendo that abound about the NFB, NOPBC, and its
philosophies.
It helped me to learn the history of blind people and organizations in the
world. It helped me to learn about and come to understand: the nature of
prejudice, the tenacity of tradition (whether it is based on fact or
fiction-has no bearing on the tenacity or practice of it), and the
resistance in humans to change, the resistance in humans who are stigmatized
(the trying to fit in and the denial), what happens to the psyche of people
who are oppressed or marginalized, and the idea of people who have a
difference (especially physical) being "damaged goods" who need fixing.
It helped me to realize that once people believed the world was flat. This
belief was in science and religion, and it was fundamental to people's
understanding of the world and the place of humans and the place of God.
People who dared to wonder about roundness, or question the accuracy of the
flatness, and who went so far as to find out for themselves, and then
discovered the INACCURACIES and then dared to talk about it that way-RISKED
THEIR LIVES. People were tried, judged and sentenced to death for saying the
earth was ROUND. Today we know it is! People who at that time thought the
world was flat are seen by us today as na?ve, and just plain wrong. We see
those who dared to question as BRILLIANT, not heretics.
I believe someday people who are doubters about Braille and uncomfortable
with blindness as people who just don't believe yet that the earth is round.
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
www.nfb.org/nopbc
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Leah
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:01 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Cc: leah at somazen.com
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
Carrie and Bonnie, thank you for replying. That press release is kind
of what I was looking for.
I know I have mentioned this before, but I hear the NFB criticized so
by people in my area. I am always trying to understand what it is like
out there, where the resources are, what is the position of the
different institutions and resources, etc. There is no local chapter
of NOPBC in our city.
People tell me that folks from the NFB never let their cane out of
their hand and force their kids to be like that. People complain that
the local rehab center will only teach things one way - the "NFB way"
and that they aren't exposing clients to alternatives. I don't know
about the rehab program, but I know that I didn't see any cane
extremists at the state convention we attended. I saw plenty of blind
people walking across the room without their canes if they chose to,
and holding print up by their face to see if if they chose to. I also
saw them organizing an enormous, inspiring and useful event using
whatever means worked, because doing it was important. I have read
Carrie's story about trying to get an older child to try, just try the
cane. I have a lot of objections to force, and I didn't see that story
as "forcing."
On the other hand, we have a TVI who has to look on a chart while she
is teaching my son his Braille letters. She personally doesn't believe
that he needs Braille because he has a lot of vision, but she wants to
support our wishes. She comes out every week and works those Braille
letters with him and maintains an open dialogue as much as possible.
When she taught blind kids for the past several years she never had to
use Braille, and still doesn't have any Braille kids in a new teaching
setting.
I just wonder, if my son lives long, or stays in good enough health to
go to school, and if he becomes a skilled enough reader to need the
convenience of Braille, who is going to be there making materials for
him, who is going to be double-checking the Braille quality or helping
him with a formatting issue in a text book? The NFB philosophy seems
pretty straightforward to me, but when I sit in my local environment,
I feel as though I have joined some fringe ultra-conservative religion
just because I think Braille sounds practical. (The good news is, I
can identify about half of my Braille alphabet by feel now!)
Can the challenges of life really polarize people so much? I guess so.
I tend to be naive, and want diplomacy and for sides to work together
for communication and sharing of what does work. I see the anger at
the challenge of blindness, wrongly directed at "the other side."
Isn't the anger really about the frustration of the inconvenience of
blindness, the difficulty interacting with a world that doesn't
understand, and the extra medical problems?
I think I have a lot to learn. I just hope that I will develop a tiny
bit of patience and ability to clearly communicate with others along
the way as I raise my son.
I'm not trying to complain, just put out my thoughts that resulted
from reading about the case. I think, as a parent of a still-young
child, that I still have so much hope when talking to professionals of
all sorts, and that I haven't quite shifted the authority to myself as
parent yet. Sometimes I wish someone else would fix it all, and
sometimes I try to fix it all. I'll bet that maybe the extra energy
for communication and teambuilding might come from letting go of
trying to fix...but that is not really the topic of this list. I'm so
impressed by the maturity and communication ability of people on this
list.
Anyway, thanks again for the comments.
Leah
mom to John, 4, who has visual impairment and severe eye movement
limitations, with multiple other issues, and who is super-smart and
learned to talk this winter!
_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
blindkid at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindkid:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/carrie.gilmer%40gm
ail.com
------------------------------
Message: 12
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:37:35 -0600
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <auto-000013730368 at mailback1.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Lee,
You are having to deal with a lot of things that are neither easy or simple.
Some of what you hear about the NFB is not true, but some things you hear
are aresult of
some basic differences among blind people and training facilities.
Sometimes we advocate certain positions because we know the hard way is
really the best way in
the long run.
Your discussion of "cane extremists" is a very good way for me to make this
point. When I went through training at a training facility that was not an
NFB facility, I
was discouraged from using a cane inside of the building. I know for
certain that some schools for the blind have a rule like that. The thought
is that there are too
many blind people too close together to all use their canes. The feeling is
that since blind people don't have their canes, the environment has to be
made safe for
them, the approaches to stairs have to be high contrast and textured, and
nobody should ever, ever, ever leave any types of obstacles in their way.
To me, this
makes no sense. We need to be learning to find obstacles and how to manage
our canes in a crowd of other cane users.
While I don't use my cane around my house, I very rarely go anywhere except
perhaps to the person sitting in the cube next to me at work without my
cane. The
reason isn't that I have some philosophical need to carry a cane as some
would have you believe. The reason is that I believe that it is
irresponsible for a blind
person to expect that nobody will leave a bucket or a garbage can in an
aisle when that blind person has the ability to avoid it as effectively as a
sighted person if
they have their cane in their hand. Frankly, this attitude makes some, and
maybe many, blind persons uncomfortable. They feel they shouldn't have to
use their
cane to walk in familiar places, even if it means that everybody else has to
watch out for them. For me to suggest that they just use their canes causes
resentment.
While I respect another blind person's right to not carry a cane, I tend not
to feel that they have a right to expect society to change so they don't
have to carry their
cane. To them, I am an extremist for thinking that.
here's another example where some would see me as a cane extremist. I often
find it convenient to walk sighted guide with other people, and I sometimes
even
walk using the common "sighted guide" technique with other blind persons.
however, I do it primarily for three reasons. One reason is that I find it
easier to carry on
a conversation with someone if I don't have to concentrate on where they
are. Second, if I am trying to follow, I have a difficult time doing that
when on carpet.
Third, if I am walking with another blind person, it makes it easier to
coordinate our canes. However, what I don't do is walk the obligatory two
steps behind, and I
always use my cane. Again, is this because I have a philosophical need to
do so as some of our detractors would indicate? Not at all. It is easier
to carry on a
conversation with someone if I am walking next to them, even if I am hanging
on to their elbow. I believe that it is unfair of me whether walking next
to them or
slightly behind them to make that person responsible for telling me about
stairs or uneven surfaces when I am able to do that using my cane. This is
again, not
something that is felt by all blind people. Some have become comfortable
expecting that the person with whom they are walking is responsible for
their safety as
well. There is a difference in attitude or philosophy being shown here, and
some resent any suggestion that perhaps they should take more responsibility
for
themselves. I don't think we can completely avoid some such resentments,
even though I would wish otherwise.
As I understand the issue in Iowa, it was complex. There were some initial
disputes as to what the facts really were, but part of the issue, as I
understand it, is
whether a program is required to change what it teaches to comply with
"informed choice." There are some fuzzy areas as to when a course is being
expected to
actually change and when there is an issue of accessibility by persons using
dogs, and my feeling is that a lot of exploration of this issue has gone on
since this court
case began some time ago. From what I have seen here in Minnesota, it just
isn't simple to exchange a cane for a dog if one is taking the entire
training program
because canes are so integrated into other activities and the staff has
expertise in cane travel that they don't have in traveling with a dog. Yet,
I think we all see
that a person who uses a dog can get a lot from our centers and the training
course is long enough that not using their dog at all can be harmful.
My point is that I think it is easy for people to find ways of labeling us
as extremists so they don't have to think about the positions that we take.
On the other hand,
we do take positions that are different than the positions some others take
and those positions make some people uncomfortable. However, positions are
not taken
lightly or without a good deal of thought. Therefore, I hope you continue
to find what you see in the Federation to be helpful, but if you wonder why
a particular
position is taken, be sure to ask. We are all human, and sometimes we're
not going to be consistent. The fact that I try to use my cane, for
example, to avoid
expecting the environment to unnecessarily change for me doesn't mean that I
don't make mistakes or occasionally get frustrated. However, making
mistakes
doesn't mean that the goal is not a worthy one.
Best regards,
Steve Jacobson
On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:00:32 -0600, Leah wrote:
>Carrie and Bonnie, thank you for replying. That press release is kind
>of what I was looking for.
>I know I have mentioned this before, but I hear the NFB criticized so
>by people in my area. I am always trying to understand what it is like
>out there, where the resources are, what is the position of the
>different institutions and resources, etc. There is no local chapter
>of NOPBC in our city.
>People tell me that folks from the NFB never let their cane out of
>their hand and force their kids to be like that. People complain that
>the local rehab center will only teach things one way - the "NFB way"
>and that they aren't exposing clients to alternatives. I don't know
>about the rehab program, but I know that I didn't see any cane
>extremists at the state convention we attended. I saw plenty of blind
>people walking across the room without their canes if they chose to,
>and holding print up by their face to see if if they chose to. I also
>saw them organizing an enormous, inspiring and useful event using
>whatever means worked, because doing it was important. I have read
>Carrie's story about trying to get an older child to try, just try the
>cane. I have a lot of objections to force, and I didn't see that story
>as "forcing."
>On the other hand, we have a TVI who has to look on a chart while she
>is teaching my son his Braille letters. She personally doesn't believe
>that he needs Braille because he has a lot of vision, but she wants to
>support our wishes. She comes out every week and works those Braille
>letters with him and maintains an open dialogue as much as possible.
>When she taught blind kids for the past several years she never had to
>use Braille, and still doesn't have any Braille kids in a new teaching
>setting.
>I just wonder, if my son lives long, or stays in good enough health to
>go to school, and if he becomes a skilled enough reader to need the
>convenience of Braille, who is going to be there making materials for
>him, who is going to be double-checking the Braille quality or helping
>him with a formatting issue in a text book? The NFB philosophy seems
>pretty straightforward to me, but when I sit in my local environment,
>I feel as though I have joined some fringe ultra-conservative religion
>just because I think Braille sounds practical. (The good news is, I
>can identify about half of my Braille alphabet by feel now!)
>Can the challenges of life really polarize people so much? I guess so.
>I tend to be naive, and want diplomacy and for sides to work together
>for communication and sharing of what does work. I see the anger at
>the challenge of blindness, wrongly directed at "the other side."
>Isn't the anger really about the frustration of the inconvenience of
>blindness, the difficulty interacting with a world that doesn't
>understand, and the extra medical problems?
>I think I have a lot to learn. I just hope that I will develop a tiny
>bit of patience and ability to clearly communicate with others along
>the way as I raise my son.
>I'm not trying to complain, just put out my thoughts that resulted
>from reading about the case. I think, as a parent of a still-young
>child, that I still have so much hope when talking to professionals of
>all sorts, and that I haven't quite shifted the authority to myself as
>parent yet. Sometimes I wish someone else would fix it all, and
>sometimes I try to fix it all. I'll bet that maybe the extra energy
>for communication and teambuilding might come from letting go of
>trying to fix...but that is not really the topic of this list. I'm so
>impressed by the maturity and communication ability of people on this
>list.
>Anyway, thanks again for the comments.
>Leah
>mom to John, 4, who has visual impairment and severe eye movement
>limitations, with multiple other issues, and who is super-smart and
>learned to talk this winter!
>_______________________________________________
>blindkid mailing list
>blindkid at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindkid:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40
visi.com
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:10:01 -0600
From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <BAY113-DS5035B93629F2277020505EBAD0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
On the darker side, parents should learn to read Braille so if you have a
child whose personality suddenly changes or things just don't seem right you
can read their diary.
Many a sighted child has been saved that way.
Sorry to be so morbid. And you all are right. Too bad you have to correct
the work of the "professionals" but good for you for spending the time for
something so important to your children.
Thumbs up to you. I'm one of those who wish my parents had learned it.
Barbara
If wisdom's ways you wisely seek, five things observe with care: of whom
you speak, to whom you speak, and how and when and where.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Joy Orton" <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:04 PM
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
> Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
>
> Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
> grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to 100
> level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
> The teacher had counted off for spelling.
> The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in braille,
> but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
> it--writing it for the teacher to read.
> Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
> interlining did not show the capital.
>
> Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
> Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
> The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
>
> Joy Orton
> mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn.co
m
>
------------------------------
Message: 14
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:09:05 -0600
From: "Dr. Joseph Taboada" <jtaboada at vetmed.lsu.edu>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind
children\)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <02c101c99834$ee095480$ca1bfd80$@lsu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Leah,
Kudos for pushing forward and learning the Braille code. We found it very
helpful when Michael was first learning Braille. It became less useful as
Michael charged past us and knew much more about the code than we did
(probably when he was about 7) and I have to sheepishly admit that I have
forgotten most of now that he is almost 16. Sandy kept up much longer than
I did. I was interested in your comment about being able to recognize about
half of the letters by touch and remember when Sandy made a similar comment
to a blind Braille user at an NFB meeting many years ago. Sandy knew the
code by sight but was having trouble recognizing the characters by feel.
This individual thought about her progress and asked her if she could see.
When she said yes he kind of incredulously asked why she was so worried
about feeling it if she could read it by sight. That one comment gave us
permission to worry less about how we acquired the information and more
about actually reading the Braille. A lesson that I have tried to carry
forward in lots of things that we do with Michael.
Joe
?,-._.-,
?\/)"(\/
?(_0_)
?/\--/\
(_'^'_)
? /\_/\
( o?? o )
?> * <
?_ / /
/// o\
/// \_ \
//// (_|
Joseph Taboada, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM
Professor; Small Animal Internal Medicine and
Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs
School of Veterinary Medicine
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA? 70803-8410
225 578-9537 (phone)
225 578-9546 (fax)
JTABOADA at VETMED.LSU.EDU
?
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Leah
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:01 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Cc: leah at somazen.com
Subject: Re: [blindkid] can I get the other side?
Carrie and Bonnie, thank you for replying. That press release is kind
of what I was looking for.
I know I have mentioned this before, but I hear the NFB criticized so
by people in my area. I am always trying to understand what it is like
out there, where the resources are, what is the position of the
different institutions and resources, etc. There is no local chapter
of NOPBC in our city.
People tell me that folks from the NFB never let their cane out of
their hand and force their kids to be like that. People complain that
the local rehab center will only teach things one way - the "NFB way"
and that they aren't exposing clients to alternatives. I don't know
about the rehab program, but I know that I didn't see any cane
extremists at the state convention we attended. I saw plenty of blind
people walking across the room without their canes if they chose to,
and holding print up by their face to see if if they chose to. I also
saw them organizing an enormous, inspiring and useful event using
whatever means worked, because doing it was important. I have read
Carrie's story about trying to get an older child to try, just try the
cane. I have a lot of objections to force, and I didn't see that story
as "forcing."
On the other hand, we have a TVI who has to look on a chart while she
is teaching my son his Braille letters. She personally doesn't believe
that he needs Braille because he has a lot of vision, but she wants to
support our wishes. She comes out every week and works those Braille
letters with him and maintains an open dialogue as much as possible.
When she taught blind kids for the past several years she never had to
use Braille, and still doesn't have any Braille kids in a new teaching
setting.
I just wonder, if my son lives long, or stays in good enough health to
go to school, and if he becomes a skilled enough reader to need the
convenience of Braille, who is going to be there making materials for
him, who is going to be double-checking the Braille quality or helping
him with a formatting issue in a text book? The NFB philosophy seems
pretty straightforward to me, but when I sit in my local environment,
I feel as though I have joined some fringe ultra-conservative religion
just because I think Braille sounds practical. (The good news is, I
can identify about half of my Braille alphabet by feel now!)
Can the challenges of life really polarize people so much? I guess so.
I tend to be naive, and want diplomacy and for sides to work together
for communication and sharing of what does work. I see the anger at
the challenge of blindness, wrongly directed at "the other side."
Isn't the anger really about the frustration of the inconvenience of
blindness, the difficulty interacting with a world that doesn't
understand, and the extra medical problems?
I think I have a lot to learn. I just hope that I will develop a tiny
bit of patience and ability to clearly communicate with others along
the way as I raise my son.
I'm not trying to complain, just put out my thoughts that resulted
from reading about the case. I think, as a parent of a still-young
child, that I still have so much hope when talking to professionals of
all sorts, and that I haven't quite shifted the authority to myself as
parent yet. Sometimes I wish someone else would fix it all, and
sometimes I try to fix it all. I'll bet that maybe the extra energy
for communication and teambuilding might come from letting go of
trying to fix...but that is not really the topic of this list. I'm so
impressed by the maturity and communication ability of people on this
list.
Anyway, thanks again for the comments.
Leah
mom to John, 4, who has visual impairment and severe eye movement
limitations, with multiple other issues, and who is super-smart and
learned to talk this winter!
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:55:38 -0600
From: EJ Buhrke <ej_buhrke at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <BAY116-W7C76AC5678EFF11501A0A9CAD0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
I am often asked if I know Braille. My son is 9 and I have to say that I've
just learned things along with him although as Joe admitted, I too have been
surpassed by my son a few years ago. I always answer people enthusiatically
that I know enough Braille to be able to read notes he may pass back and
forth with a girlfriend someday. :) I am very lucky that Braille is the
only way he will ever read as he is totally blind and so we have been lucky
in getting TVIs along the way who know a little something about Braille.
This year was a different story, but I digress. As a single parent I strive
to learn as much with my son as I can and to advocate strongly in all areas
of his life. Some things I do well and others I need improvement. There are
even days I do well and others I don't. I just have a faith that tells me
God will pick up where I lack as long as I just do my best in that exact
moment. Again we are blessed to be able to live in an area that allows some
very good schools and he is mainstreamed in them. Some days are easier than
others. I just had to right a note today after I learned Isaiah had to wait
on the bus when he arrived at school yesterday because there was no teacher
to get him off. I was taken aback. He gets off at home by himself, gets
himself to the house and into the house by himself and gets his
coat/shoes/backpack off and hung up without any assistance from me. I had to
share with them how surprised I was at the lack of those same expectations
of him at school. And I guess my surprise came out of what a good job
everyone does on the team that is involved in educating my son and the fact
I thought we had gotten beyond things like this. It only goes to show that
we always have to stay on top of things and informed about everything.
Sometimes that is a full-time job in itself. This list is a great
encouragement in having to get up everyday and fight the fight. Thanks
everyone!
EJ
> From: poetlori8 at msn.com
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:10:01 -0600
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
>
> On the darker side, parents should learn to read Braille so if you have a
> child whose personality suddenly changes or things just don't seem right
you
> can read their diary.
> Many a sighted child has been saved that way.
> Sorry to be so morbid. And you all are right. Too bad you have to correct
> the work of the "professionals" but good for you for spending the time for
> something so important to your children.
> Thumbs up to you. I'm one of those who wish my parents had learned it.
>
> Barbara
>
> If wisdom's ways you wisely seek, five things observe with care: of whom
> you speak, to whom you speak, and how and when and where.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Joy Orton" <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:04 PM
> To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blindkid] parents need to learn braille too
>
> > Just a personal experience on why parents need to learn braille...
> >
> > Today I was looking over my daughter's school papers and found one with
> > grade of 75. I was surprised, because most of her work is at the 95 to
100
> > level. ( yes, we are proud of her.)
> > The teacher had counted off for spelling.
> > The first circled word was Minnesota. Ahbee wrote it correctly in
braille,
> > but the transcriptionist incorrectly left out one N when interlining
> > it--writing it for the teacher to read.
> > Another place, Ahbee had correctly capitalized the word Lake, but the
> > interlining did not show the capital.
> >
> > Anyway, I was able to catch these because I can read braille for myself.
> > Ahbee deserved a 95--she did misspell "uper" instead of upper.
> > The teacher will give her credit for it--I'm so glad I could read it.
> >
> > Joy Orton
> > mom of Ahbee, Grade 2
> > _______________________________________________
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> > blindkid at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> > blindkid:
> >
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m
> >
>
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