[blindkid] IEP question re Braille and other

[Leah]

This is a small part of some larger IEP questions I've been working on.

John just turned 4, and is visually impaired with several eye  
conditions. His estimated vision is 20/200 and 20/100 though he also  
has nystagmus, field limitation and eye movement limitations. Also  
gross and fine motor impaired, speech impaired (just learned to talk  
after taking a new med), mild PDD, and energy-related disorder not yet  
diagnosed (metabolic or mito). He is non-ambulatory for all practical  
purposes. He crawls or uses a wheelchair. IF he does attend PPCD next  
year, he will probably be on an energy-conserving protocol and  
possibly a limited classroom day and week because of the energy- 
related medical issue. Cognition seems normal but has had no testing.  
He is interested in learning.

Note: our district does not currently have a PPCD teacher. They have  
the PPCD students in a pre-kindergarten class because of lack of a  
PPCD teacher. Given what I saw when I visited the PPCD classrooms when  
they did have teachers, lack of teacher may be a blessing in disguise,  
even though it is probably not legal.

In May of 2008 we had an IEP with one service: services of TVI. John  
was not attending the district preschool. He could have had school  
district therapies but we already had too many private therapies at  
the time so did not use those services.

The IEP had three goals for TVI service:

1. follow a multistep handwashing routine. Result: little work on this  
item and no measurement. Our TVI was initially very interested in  
implementing intensive use of daily routines because they are used at  
TSBVI, but I haven't been very interested - I still find it hard to  
understand how they help outside of institutional settings.
2. assemble several objects from home environment to complete an  
activity. Result:this has been done 2-3 times. He's able to locate  
things if he knows where they are.
3. John will identify 100% of Braille and print letters 100% of of the  
time. (I requested this goal.)

Services provided for goal #3: The TVI visited one hour per week. For  
about 4-6 months she did not do Braille instruction, and then she  
began using about half of each service time on Braille instruction.

I've also worked with him on print and Braille, of course more than  
the TVI because I am with him all the time.

Result on goal #3 as of March 2009:
John can identify 22  PRINT letters 100% of the time, 4 most of the  
time, and 2 are still not sure. I have done the measurements and  
provided them to the TVI on different dates.
John can identify maybe 2 Braille letters, and no one has done a  
measurement.

===============
First question: Given the progress on goals, how many hours of direct  
Braille instruction would be appropriate for the new IEP? And should  
it be different if he is in PPCD vs at home? The TVI offered to spend  
5 hours total per week with him next year for all needs, but I'm not  
sure if that was meant to be only for a 5 day school week.

I'm starting to understand how over the past year, I didn't provide  
the immersion in Braille that he has in print at home, and that being  
naturally very excited about print and just getting acquainted with  
Braille, I accidentally provided much more home exposure and work with  
print. That can and will change, and if we lived on a desert island, I  
could probably get him up to speed in a few months with his Braille  
alphabet at least conceptually, if not with normal-sized Braille.

Second question: What else should I be requesting?

I'm planning to request a Mountbatten brailler, slate and stylus,  
Braille paper and index cards. We already have two swingcells and a  
set of Tack-Tiles on loan.

Example: I would really like to request social facilitation through  
adult-directed play with 2-3 children in groups, and this is because  
of the combination of visual impairment, PDD and speech delay. I don't  
know where to begin to find research to prove that this is beneficial,  
or what programs like this are called, and I'm pretty sure it will be  
a completely new idea to the district. I don't mind being the first  
person to request it (John was the first VI student served in this  
district) but I need to know more about what I'm requesting.

Third question: Carlton mentioned asking for a Braille teacher who was  
NLB certified. At what age or ability level would this be appropriate  
for a student?

Our TVI is really nice and we have a lot of discussions. She has  
really stretched to work with him, her first preschooler with literacy  
goals, on Braille when I insisted. She has also worked a lot on  
relationship building with John. Compared to private professionals who  
treat John, I would say she underestimates him a bit. John and she  
really like each other. Compared to the school district's evaluation  
of him, she has a more accurate understanding of his abilities and  
needs than the other evaluators, who grossly underestimated him in  
providing sample goals. (I guess that is a nice way of saying they all  
underestimate him but she tries not to?) She does have the standard  
belief that people who can see letters don't need Braille. I'm hoping  
to provide her with some articles. She had no Braille readers in her  
former 7-year career in another setting as TVI, and in her new  
position with our district, also does not teach any Braille readers. I  
joked with her in a friendly manner that once I know my alphabet well,  
I will challenge her to race each other to become proficient. She was  
not offended, but again she doesn't believe that actual reading in  
Braille is necessary. I have no question in my mind that he needs to  
learn and use Braille in the classroom until the point when he can  
read 20 or 100 pages of 12 point print and say, "Really, Mom, I can  
read this fine, it's not hurting my eyes or giving me a headache, and  
I don't need Braille."

I would appreciate any specific suggestions on appropriate potential  
IEP items and on how to be diplomatic (I need remedial study in this  
area, smile).

I am really looking forward to any feedback this list has. Thank you!

Leah