[blindkid] service time?

Fri Aug 20 13:30:18 UTC 2010

I'm reading a fair amount about parents not allowing kids to miss  
class time but all the discussions seem to be about TVI (not O&M)  
services. We have found that certainly our O&M needs to involve some  
pull-out time. Depending on where Roman is with O&M, that may be a  
need which requires time outside the classroom and perhaps during  
classes (or before / after school when the halls are not full of  
rambling kids).

TVI services do often seem possible during classes but every situation  
is different. When our daughter was just learning braille skills to  
start with, she needed to be outside of the distraction of the  
classroom for some lessons but those pull-out needs have pretty much  
gone away for now (second grade). By your son's age, I'm assuming he's  
pretty far along with his braille but I don't know how long he's been  
working on what or which areas are needing the most work, and there  
are doubtlessly always new areas to work in-- again, every situation  
is going to be somewhat unique.

I do think it may be hard to work out all services outside of class  
and not during school, especially if you were hoping to maintain, what  
was it, 7.5 hours a week? And then to factor in possible after school  
activities? Sounds like maybe it is time to regroup and decide what  
the order is for the importance of your wish list. This is possibly a  
time when the entire IEP team's input can be valuable. (Maybe it is  
time to call for an IEP?)

As far as the doctor, I would not anticipate a problem, and if you  
were to find that your doctor would interfere in that decision based  
on vision concerns alone, it would simply be an indication that it is  
time to change doctors.

Good luck.

On Aug 20, 2010, at 8:54 AM, Doreen Frappier wrote:

> Couldn't the TVI come into the classroom and work with Roman on his  
> assignments
> while in class? For instance, if the other kids are writing their  
> paragraph in
> writing or social studies, Roman could be writing his in braille and  
> working on
> skills that way while getting instruction from the TVI. In math,  
> maybe she could
> work with him in class or do the after school tutoring as mentioned  
> below. There
> should be a way to incorporate his lessons into his regular schedule  
> in the
> classroom without removing him for services. I do not allow my  
> children to be
> pulled from classes for services because they miss stuff that is  
> sometimes
> difficult to make up or understand.
>
> Doreen
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kim Cunningham <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
> To: (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Fri, August 20, 2010 5:55:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] service time?
>
> Rosina,
> I agree that Roman should not be pulled from his classes for  
> services. We
> managed to have services after school, so you might try pushing that  
> issue if
> you have the stamina. Does his time with the TVI include adapting  
> all of his
> work? Or is there additional time added to his IEP for this? What  
> would Roman be
> doing with his TVI during this time? Could this be done at home? If  
> he is having
> trouble with math, maybe he could attend after school math tutoring  
> if it is
> truly just understanding "concepts". Could Roman accumulate time and  
> work with
> his TVI during "teacher in-service days"? I am trying to think of  
> some other
> ways he could receive services and manage to stay in his classes  
> with his peers.
> Pull-out services are harder to manage as our children age.
>
> Good luck
> Kim Cunningham
>
> --- On Thu, 8/19/10, Rosina Solano <colemangirly at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: Rosina Solano <colemangirly at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [blindkid] service time?
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Date: Thursday, August 19, 2010, 12:18 PM
>
>
>
>
> Okay, Roman has been receiving 90min a day with his TVI doing  
> braille and
> getting help with his math assignments and generally anything else  
> that he needs
> help with.  He has always gone to her during his time block for  
> Reading and for
> Language Arts.  Roman is starting 7th grade and told his teachers  
> that he wishes
> to be in the regular classroom for Reading this year as he thinks he  
> is reading
> much better now and he feels he is missing out and being in the  
> group.  Okay, so
> they (school) is willing to try this on a trial basis and see if he  
> is ready, I
> think he will struggle at first, but will succeed.
> Problem?  Well, when to get service time.  We tried to see if he  
> could come in a
> little early or stay a little late, but that didn't fly.  Next  
> solution was to
> use his 7th block rotation.  Let me explain, they have 4 classes a  
> day and
> change every other, so day A would be Reading, Math, P.E., Band;   
> then day B
> would be Science, Social Studies, Athletics, and 7th block  
> rotation.  Then it
> just repeats back to day A and so on.  7th block rotation changes  
> every 7 weeks,
> right now he has an extra P.E./Health next time it will be  
> Keyboarding, then
> Choir/Art, and so on.
> Well Roman opted for the 7th rotation to get his services.  However  
> that means
> he will now only get services for 90 min every other day instead of  
> every day.
> And when the rotation turns to something he needs, like Keyboarding,  
> how is he
> supposed to do both?
>
> My question for all of you is how do you get your services, when do  
> you fit them
> in, how much do you get and is it enough?  Also what services do you  
> think are
> REALLY important after just learning braille?  Roman can read at  
> approx 60 wpm
> at grade level.  I really want to kick it up to 80-100 but I know it  
> will just
> take practice which we do, but now what should we really be trying  
> to get?  He
> needs to type and to learn technologly, but what do we shoot for?   
> He is tired
> of dragging large braille textbooks to class and his perkins  
> brailler.  School
> has a Pacmate but it seems so difficult and he has trouble just  
> learning simple
> things on it.
>
> Also Roman Has decided he wants to run Cross Country this year as  
> well as
> track.  The school is willing to work with him, but they say he has  
> to get a
> physical before he can even practice.  The doctor surly wouldn't not  
> give him
> one just because of his vision, would he?
>
> Trying to work through this transition time, any input on options  
> would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank you in advance;
> Rosina and Roman
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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