[blindkid] School Programs for 3 Year Old Student in Texas

[Richard Holloway]

And Carol, if I might add-- with our daughter, at one point we were advised that the best choice would be a particular school in our county where they preferred to send all of the blind students her age, mainly because of the "resource room" available there.

I could share many details, but save to say we went and saw two blind students our daughter's age in their classroom (her would-be classroom) and we didn't like what we saw. Things were really poorly adapted and managed and the short version of the story is there was no way our child was going to that school. (Long version on request-- just email me off list.)

If there is any opportunity not only to learn how they think they would adapt and work with you, but also to see their plan for a similar child "in action", by all means, have a look. Ask questions-- take a list of them, and ask how they have dealt with this in the past or how they would adapt things now.

We actually went and had tours of a number of schools in our area and asked them all a LOT of questions. After that, for our pre-first grade IEP, we had representatives from three or four different schools at the IEP, trying to persuade the committee why their school was most appropriate. It was a rather bizarre 4-hour-plus meeting, but the results were just what we wanted.

Liz, I'm sure many here could direct you to (or help you freshly prepare) a list of things which you may want to explore in some detail when exploring your options if that might be helpful.



On Apr 11, 2011, at 10:43 PM, Carol Castellano wrote:

> Hi Liz,
> 
> Welcome to the list!
> 
> One thing I would do is this--as you visit the various classrooms, see if you can picture your son in that room joining in activities and taking part in the school day.  I found that helpful when we were looking at preschools for our daughter.
> 
> Another factor to look at is what is emphasized in the classroom.  For example, we saw rooms where the children were being taught to be be quiet and sit still.  This would not have been right for our child who needed encouragement to move around and be curious and active.
> 
> Expectations are important, as others have said.  You--and the teachers--should expect your son to participate in all classroom activities.  Teachers may need to learn how to adapt lessons and materials so that your son can be included in all activities throughout the school day.  If he cannot do this independently yes, the team needs to think in terms of facilitating the development of age-appropriate independence.  If he has serious delays or multiple disabilities, you can think of this as "stage-appropriate" independence.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Carol
> 
> Carol Castellano
> Director of Programs
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> 973-377-0976
> carol_castellano at verizon.net
> www.nopbc.org
> 
> 
> 
> At 02:15 PM 4/11/2011, you wrote:
>> Hi there,
>> 
>> I just found this list and have already found so much helpful information!
>> 
>> I wanted to see if anyone had feedback regarding school programs for a 3
>> year old student either specifically in the Houston, Texas area, or just in
>> general.
>> 
>> We are looking at the options being offered by each school district in the
>> area, as well as private school options with an Itinerant teacher.  Just
>> trying to figure out where to start!  Our son is not quite 2, so we have
>> some time, but wanted any suggestions you all had in terms of what is
>> important to look for, as well as any specifics you might have in our area.
>> 
>> Thanks so much!
>> Liz
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