[blindkid] cane storage and braille for low vision

[Joy Orton]

Hello fellow parents,

I read this list in digest form, so I have comments for more than one topic.

On cane storage, we use velcro on the cane and the desk. The "sticky"
part of the velcro is on the desk, and the soft part of the velcro is
on the cane--don't want to snag clothes. It's a velcro strip, not a
dot. If the cane is hanging by the door, what might happen in a fire
drill? I want my child's cane to be close to her all the time.

On braille for a child with low vision, Eliza, I second the
encouragement to teach braille and print. Remember that the eye
doctor's job is not to make educational decisions.

Kathy, you write that your daughter walks slowly and not in a straight
line. The two are connected. Merri Noel taught me that as you walk
faster, you are more likely to walk straight. Maybe she needs more
practice walking with the cane and finding things with the cane--not
her nose--so she will build confidence. It has been really hard for me
as a mom to make my child walk without holding my hand (she's 10 now),
but her cane confidence builds when she is not in touch contact with
me. So my suggestion--practice, practice, practice. ;)

Just my two cents.
Joy