[blindkid] go for braille!
Brandy W
branlw at sbcglobal.net
Fri Jun 11 02:21:47 UTC 2010
Hi, I couldn't agree more. Just keep that thing in her hand and let her
figure it out with your guidence. If it is moving infront of her back and
forth and back and forth and it is helping her than that is just fine for
now. Let me tell you how often I use diaganal, Never or next to never.
Please explain to me when holding my cane way out infront of me at an angle
where where only my cane is finding the things that happen to be at the
point of reference is keeping me safe? It is not! The only time I do that is
when standing on a moving side walk, or when someone is guiding me. Keep
with the constant touch, and read the wonderful material and demand your
daughter does it. You are her parent. You have watched her fall and get
hurt, and you will watch her grow up successful and confadent with her cane.
Not this man with poor blindness skills.
Bran
"Families that play together learn together!"
Brandy Wojcik
Discovery Toys Educational Leader
Check out our new spring line perfect for spring time learning and Easter
baskets and more...
www.playtoachieve.com
(512) 689-5045
Discovery Toys wants to be a part of your family's learning success and here
are a few ways we can help:
* Join my team and recieve 18 award winning products for $125
* Host a fun get together with friends and earn free Educational products,
* Purchase award winning educational materials on my webpage,
* Purchase or get free gift baskets for children of all ages
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Castellano" <blindchildren at verizon.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] go for braille!
Another important tactic, I believe, is to
acknowledge that yes, she does use her vision
quite well, doesn't she, and yes, we're very glad
she does have some useable vision; we are sure it
will serve her well. However, for full literacy,
a full education, and a full life, she will need
to add some nonvisual skills for when her
impaired vision is not adequate or not efficient for the task.
This may help.
Re O&M techniques--it is my experience that kids
need to practice a lot between lessons. THis is
where a trained para and the parents come in. So
if she is to "master" the diagonal technique,
she'll need to use and practice it a lot between
lessons. Personally, I would not expect a
preschooler to master much of anything--their
learning future is largely before them! I would
go ahead and teach her constant contact with a
nice, light NFB cane (I think someone mentioned
you can get one free from the NFB).
My gut tells me not to wait till
October. Doreen, will you be at convention this year?
Carol
At 08:55 PM 6/8/2010, you wrote:
>Sue Actually the ESE director has been in our last 3 meetings - the ones
>after our mediation. He has also been copied on all of these emails. He
>doesn't jump in much, except he did say to "let the O&M work" so I am
>trying to do that, except I have questions which need clarification. Â I
>have the Cutter book and got an "update" for O&M instruction at the state
>convention of NFB over Memorial Day. That has helped. I am having my
>daughter use the longer NFB cane (her ambutech is at least 1-2 inches too
>short) and am having her do constant contact instead of the diagonal
>technique. I know she is safer with constant contact and she will need that
>for kindergarten next year. (I also have both of Carol Castellano's books,
>as well as other resources). The O&M did answer me on diagonal and
>indicated that she had not "mastered" the easier diagonal technique and she
>cannot "move on" to constant contact. So he is admitting that the diagonal
>is not as safe, but wants her to master it better before moving on. With
>the little bit of time he is spending on the cane instruction, it is hard
>for her to "master" anything. SO now I am very confused! Â As for Braille,
>I will give them the 9 weeks, but I will also be doing braille at home over
>summer. I do believe that the teacher will be the one pressing it for me,
>instead of me pressing it. The teacher will be the one seeing that Torrie
>cannot and will not be able to keep up. I have a meeting already scheduled
>for Oct 25 -- that will be the 6-month mark for "progression" in her goals.
>If she doesn't show progression, all kinds of things will break loose. Â
>Both our TVI and O&M continue to believe Torrie has "good vision" and that
>is why she doesn't need services. We've had 2 functional vision
>assessments, which don't "support" one another in all areas, and we've had
>the independent eval for O&M. But the TVI keeps telling me how well she is
>doing .... I am trying to let it all go until the Oct 25 meeting. It is
>hard though. I am hoping her kindergarten is much different ... the ESE
>person/LEA at least "sounds" like she is more interested in doing things to
>HELP Torrie that may not be "in the box" and I told her I am all for that!
>Â I will be keeping everyone posted on this ... but please keep all
>suggestions coming! Â Thank you. Doreen support Torrie in the Race for
>Independence; go to www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF Â Â Â Â Â
>Â Â Â --- On Tue, 6/8/10, Susan Harper
><sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org> wrote: From: Susan Harper
><sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org> Subject: Re: [blindkid] go for braille!
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
><blindkid at nfbnet.org> Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 3:06 PM Your O&M person
>has a supervisor. Send a copy of all your emails and letters to the
>supervisor and ask that person to respond. Don't expect much, but you may
>be pleasantly surprised. Don't wait on the Braille. It is too important
>and we found our TVI had very low expectations like not being able to even
>read words until 3rd grade. You are your child's best teacher anyway. I
>had to learn the O&M techniques to teach our son, as the O&M was insisting
>on skills that were counterproductive to Independence. *â?oIndependent
>Movement and Travel in Blind Children, a Promotion Modelâ? by Joseph
>Cutter is a great book!* *Blessings,* *Sue H.* On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 9:26
>AM, Doreen Franklin <theconelady at yahoo.com>wrote: > > > > Joy and
>Mery-Noel, > > Thank you for your encouragement!!! We knew that Torrie
>would need braille > and "accepted" that back in 2007, but trying to get it
>passed our district > has been a big fight. (I got lambasted by the O&M at
>one meeting when I > asked for braille). We had the option of what "fight"
>to pursue in 2009 -- > that of cane or braille as I could only handle doing
>one at a time. Since > Torrie was banging into our furniture all the time,
>and then she had a low > vision eval done which indicated a loss of
>peripherals in all 4 quadrants, > we knew she needed the cane instruction.
>It took a year, and an IEE for O&M > which blew the socks off of our
>district, and so we have instruction > (although I am using that word
>loosely). > > Our daughter is receiving the diagonal technique only and I
>cannot get a > "timeline" from the O&M for when he will move to constant
>contact and/or > two-touch. (District director asked for timeline to be
>sent to us on 5/27; I > followed up on 6/2 to director - he did another
>email - and I still have > nothing. I have just done an email myself about
>diagonal technique and her > not being safe as she is not reading things in
>front of her whole body, just > to the left side of her with that
>technique. I have also asked for a > timeline for when he will be teaching
>constant contact to her). Right now, > he is doing sighted guide with the
>teachers, bus drivers and himself with > Torrie (school is done this
>Friday), but David and I have NO INSTRUCTION in > it! (I learned it as an
>emergency evacuation of blind adults when I was at > the Lighthouse for the
>Blind back in 1987. It is fuzzy and I don't have all > the ins and outs and
>certainly not the "cues" he is using). This has > been an unbelievable
>battle for us ... and unfortunately our O&M is > legally blind so the
>district believes his word as "gospel" as he lives it! > And they are not
>looking anywhere "outside" of what HE says! > > As for braille and other
>services, I started in the visual disabilities > program at FSU in January,
>and will have braille. I have pre-braille things > for her to do right
>now - her fingers are too stiff so I will be working > with her over the
>summer for pre-braille things as well as teaching her > braille letters to
>match her printed letters. I have not geared up for the > braille fight yet
>... I am letting them hang themselves and I believe the > kindergarten
>teacher will finally "see" that she cannot and will not be able > to keep
>up with her sighted peers. In pe-k, she only read one letter at a > time
>instead of actual words and sentences. Once that begins in August in >
>kindergarten, she will quickly fall behind and the braille will be pushed >
>from the school -- and that is what I am waiting for, on one hand. I also >
>wanted the TVI to hang herself with her font size .... Torrie has
>supposedly > been referred to the low vision initiative (I filled out my
>paperwork but >Â am unsure if she was actually referred by the TVI) to use
>magnifiers, > which I am okay with also. But I will be teaching her braille
>now so that > she doesn't have to do the "catch up" that I am fearing could
>happen. (we > have a 14-yr old and 2 yrs ago, she had to do oral
>presentations on her > reports. I wondered how would Torrie be able to give
>an oral presentation > and address her audience and look at them when the
>paper would be on her > nose for her to read!) I have not even pulled out
>the IDEA federal law > yet!!! > > I don't think our district much cares
>.... I still have heard nothing from > our superintendent about her not
>using the cane at her graduation. They are > too concerned with the FCAT
>reports not coming out due to a glitch with the > scoring. So Torrie just
>gets lost off to the side. I am not sure where I > will be going with it
>.... it has been suggested to do a letter to the > editor. I may call the
>DoE and talk to the person I've talked to before. > > I am glad I am
>getting everyone's suggestions and words of encouragement! > It just
>reinforces what David and I have "known" as necessary tools for > Torrie
>for her tool box. Too bad the district doesn't get it yet! I don't > know
>how I can do this for another 13 years! > > Please keep any suggestions
>coming ... they are certainly helping!!! We are > most appreciative of
>everything!!!! > > Doreen > support Torrie in the Race for Independence; >
>go to www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF > > > >
> > > > --- On Tue, 6/8/10, Merry-Noel
>Chamberlain <owinm at yahoo.com> wrote: > > > From: Merry-Noel Chamberlain
><owinm at yahoo.com> > Subject: Re: [blindkid] go for braille! > To: " (for
>parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List" < >
>blindkid at nfbnet.org> > Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 6:52 AM > > > Doreen, >
>I second what Joy said about Braille. Enlarging only can go so far.Â
>It's > great for the child to learn the shapes of print letters so they can
>read > raised signs (ie:Â Ladies, Men) but when it comes to learning and
>reading > for pleasure - Braille is the answer! If Braille becomes a part
>of the > child's life early - it becomes a part of the child's life
>forever! As a > Teacher of Visually Impaired Children, I have had several
>older students > move into my district who didn't know Braille and it is
>much harder 1) for > them to learn it and 2) for them to accept it. Often
>times, they would much > rather lug a huge CCTV from classroom to
>classroom - NOT! They end up > having to go to a special room where their
>CCTV is located - leaving their > classroom and peers in order to read an
>assignment. Wouldn't it be > better for the child to be able to stay with
>their peers?   Plus, as they > are learning Braille (mostly because they
>have lost more vision and > can't see the large print any more) they often
>fall behind and struggle to > keep up with their peers. The best gift you
>can give your child is the > opportunity to learn Braille as soon as
>possible. I sure wish I had that > opportunity myself! Frankly if I
>received a student who's IEP stated the > child needed 26 point font - I
>would start teaching Braille RIGHT AWAY! > > Merry-Noel > > --- On Tue,
>6/8/10, Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: Joy Orton
><ortonsmom at gmail.com> > Subject: [blindkid] go for braille! > To: "NFB
>Blindkid list" <blindkid at nfbnet.org> > Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 3:29 AM
> > > > Hi Doreen, > > I'm so sorry you had a painful experience with the
>pre-K graduation. I've > had to do my own advocating (I hope modeling for
>my daughter) for proper > mobility help with dance recitals, talent shows,
>and so on (as in, "don't > drag or push her, please"). There are lots of
>opportunities as your child > goes through school. > > You mentioned that
>your child was uncomfortable with the type that the TVI > has chosen for
>next year, 26 or so? That is much bigger than "large print." > > If your
>child is unable to read 14 point type, then I would strongly urge > you to
>go ahead and ask for braille instruction. In kindergarten or first > grade,
>24 or 26 point type is probably a matter of enlarging the papers, > but >
>if the student can only read at 26 or larger, what will you do when she has
> > to read 20 pages (or more) for a history assignment in middle school, or
> > 100 > pages for a literature assignment in high school ... If she has
>braille > instruction and the skills to read braille, she can keep up with
>reading > assignments. > > I am sure there are oher parents who can address
>how difficult it is to > learn braille during high school, rather than
>early on. If your daughter > can > see the huge print, then let her be a
>"dual reader," but please give her > the > opportunity to learn braille. >
> > It sounds like you have an uphill battle in getting what you want from
>the > district, but remember that it is not just what you want, but what
>your > child needs in order to be successful, and also what the law
>requires. Hang > in there. > > Sincerely, > Joy Orton >
>_______________________________________________ > 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/owinm%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/theconelady%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/sueharper%40firstchurchgriswold.org
> >
>_______________________________________________ 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/theconelady%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/blindchildren%40verizon.net
Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org
_______________________________________________
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/branlw%40sbcglobal.net
More information about the BlindKid
mailing list