[blindkid] Leaving classes early

Sun Jan 25 17:14:49 UTC 2009

This is good Carol, and Jordan has done this too. My thing I am trying to
get home is that sometimes this will work and sometimes not--what will they
do when it doesn't work. Lately there has been discussion on the student
list about a professor that would not allow his lectures to be tape recorded
because he was afraid it might get on the internet. We have had refusal of
class lists because of privacy laws. While you might fight it through and
win for reasonable things--there is still the fight and what do you do in
the meantime while the rest of the class or your co-workers are going
forward?

When Jordan was in second grade his accommodations included special
lighting, special writing (large, bold, block) by the teacher, special
seating, special space, identifying, special chances to move and walk up to
the board or to look at things close, special descriptions, extra time,
special safety and exit plans, peer buddies, (all this was given freely by
the blindness professionals-BUT NOT ANY NON-VISUAL) etc. etc., I can hardly
believe it looking back. And some, but MOST not, WERE NEEDED early on as a
young child to get him LEARNING...but I needed help weeding out what was
truly needed and what was nice, and what was I thought nice but really
potentially harmful in the end.

THANK GOD I found the NFB. I learned that in a college lecture hall or
business meeting they were not going to fiddle with the lights for him,
reserve him a special seat every time, feel they had to let him record or
get everyone's names, get him special space or equipment, be his designated
helper reliably and without resentment, give him extra time, allow him to
move close to view, take time to make sure the description was adequate,
change the way they wrote or spoke or gave out materials or even provide
accessible materials or change where they met if it was convenient or not,
maybe or not provide readers or drivers and so he learned to live without
these things or how to get them himself and the "others" did not even
realize what he had to do-he just showed up or turned his thing in like
everyone else-that is what they expect and you know what all the non-visual
was more efficient and more socially acceptable and now he knows what to do
and get it done when all goes wrong and he knows how to use every tool in
the box and at what time and how to switch if the best tool and even second
best is not available.

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 Carol Castellano
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 9:22 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early

Several times we asked for the class lists for Serena so she would 
know who was in class.  Later in high school she started to do this 
herself.  Worked in college, too, both to know who was in class and 
to find readers.
Carol

At 09:02 PM 1/24/2009, you wrote:
>Carrie, you are so right. We learn more each year, so we ought to 
>have it all figured out by the time Winona gets finished with 
>school! <grin> Lunch was tough this year as our school assigns seats 
>in lunch. Where you sit the first day is where you stay. We did 
>finally convince them that the 7th graders having lunch during 6th 
>grade lunch were at a disadvantage, esp. our blind kids who were 
>sent in early to beat the lines, so had no opportunity to find out 
>who was in the room. They did move the kids so they are sitting with 
>a group they were happier with.
>
>We were unsuccessful getting teachers to call names, "there's no 
>time" and they mostly didn't want to be bothered. Classes are more 
>lecture style. Ugh, poor kids! No lockers at our school. There's a 
>classroom set of books at each desk, and each student takes a copy 
>home for the year. No excuses of "I didn't have my book at home," 
>and no excuses of "couldn't get in my locker."
>
>We have to laugh, during the parent orientation evening, we're given 
>the same 3 minutes to get to classes. Wow! To get from the 7th grade 
>hallway, which is upstairs, to the specials (band in Winona's case) 
>or to lunch is a race! Both of my kids have class, run to band, back 
>to class, run to lunch, back to class. It'll be so nice when they 
>hit 8th grade, and are downstairs, and a building closer to the 
>specials and lunch!
>
>Meanwhile, we keep plugging along. Winona learned tons about 
>advocating for herself at Buddy Camp at BLIND, Inc. last summer. 
>Y'know, all those things MOM suggests, but what does mom know? 
><grin> It is harder for the shy, quiet, slow-paced kids that's for sure.
>
>  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/fpobc
>http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" 
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 1:38:28 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>
>Debby,
>You mention one thing we did have in Jordan's IEP, gave teacher's reminders
>of, and in middle school and early high school did put as a shared onus. It
>is the identifying of classmates. On the other hand equal onus was on
Jordan
>and we strongly made it a goal and gradually turned it to his entire
>responsibility which it has been for two years now. Meaning he still needs
>people to identify themselves but he must make the reminders and requests
>and figure out when it is appropriate and to his benefit to do so.
>
>Early on I had some passion and disagreement from some (not all) NFB
>professionals on our request to have some responsibility on school staff.
>But I noticed in every meeting we would begin (NFB), people would introduce
>themselves. I began to take note that in meetings of sighted people where
>they did not all know each other the same thing was done. So we began to
>teach Jordan to learn to use roll call to identify people he knew, to make
a
>conscious effort to learn voices and remember, and simultaneously in the
>first weeks of classes for teachers to name students who were speaking when
>called upon. So if Jenny had her hand raised, the teacher needed to say out
>loud, "Yes jenny" or something like that. For some teachers this was a
habit
>they already did somewhat, for others it was very difficult. Some teachers
>directed students to say their names when speaking just as whenever I go to
>an NFB function people identify themselves when speaking up. This is
>something when they get out in life they will have to remind peers and
>co-workers to do. Again that takes confidence and social skill. It is
>reasonable I believe. He did have trouble when no one identified and it was
>a real discrepancy. He also had a real shyness about asking himself. I
think
>you will recall about my post some months ago about identifying in passing
>and Jordan's continued reluctance to ask "who are you?".
>
>This can be a big deal. It can be important to learn who that classmate is
>to approach or to avoid. Oh that is Jerry who is always not knowing the
>answer or saying something stupid. Oh that is Jenny who always knows the
>answer, maybe I need to get her number as someone to call if I ever need
>something from class or a study buddy. Oh that Fred, he is funny, I like
>him, I think he was in my English class last year. Sighted kids can get and
>sort this information from visual identification. It can be important later
>in business or college or in the community--we all know how an impression
or
>contact can be lost or somewhat damaged when someone thinks you should know
>them and you forgot their name or can't recall how you know them--people
can
>be sensitive to that. You could also lose an opportunity if you fail to
>recognize people and what they may bring in networking.
>
>As far as lunch-our kids have to learn to plan ahead. So if she (Winona-or
>any of our kids) learns who someone is from identification in the
classroom,
>and finds someone whose personality she enjoys, she needs to learn that she
>will often in life need to take the initiative. She can approach say Jenny,
>and make-designate a meeting place at lunch. Sighted people designate
>meeting places all the time! Or she will have to try and pay attention and
>through the context of the conversation or through recognizing a voice as
>she passes a table realize-oh those girls are in my math class, they seem
>nice, and the maybe say hey can I join you or aren't you guys in Mrs.
>Johnson's sixth hour math period-hey can I join you? We did some role
>playing with Jordan on this. Also he learned to often just sit at a table
>and ask anyone there-or meet new people as he sat down, often he found when
>asking he did not know at first something in common. Say he sat down, and
>then from asking and introducing he found the freshman was in band too or
>sometimes a kid who rode the same bus or he had in Spanish last year or
>something or their younger siblings knew each other!
>
>Middle school can be tough for all-everyone has more people they don't know
>than they do know. I have sympathy for the shy. But I always told Jordan-he
>was not a Hollywood star, people were not going to flock to him, or always
>remember to identify themselves he had to ask, and if he wanted friends he
>had to reach out and be one.
>
>It will get better Debby.
>
>
>
>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: Saturday, January 24, 2009 9:55 AM
>To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>
>Sally, we battle this every year. Our middle school is huge, and classes
are
>basically in one hallway, other than lunch and "specials" such as band. The
>week before school we practice the routes. They insist, even though it's
not
>in IEP, that Winona leave early so as not to be late, "since she's such a
>slow mover." My theory is that if they'd EXPECT her to get there on time,
>she'd speed up! She always misses some assignment.  When tthe teachers
>complain to me, I've put it back on them. "You need to tell the O&M that
>Winona is missing work." and I've put it on Winona. "You need to tell him
>that you received a zero because you missed another assignment leaving
>early." This year has been better, and we got them to back off within the
>first weeks of school. It took teacher complaints, me in the office weekly,
>and Winona's complaints to get to this point.
>
>It definitely hurts that peer interaction having an adult hanging around.
>We've seen a huge difference in middle from elementary. Winona hardly knows
>a soul now, because no time is ever spent learning who is in each class, in
>the lunchroom, etc. (They have 3 different lunch periods). Socially, middle
>has been very tough on Winona.
>
>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/fpobc
>http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb
>
>
>
>
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