[blindkid] Hello (Sarah Dallis)

[Richard Holloway]

 I agree that some educators understand that and are wonderful. Others still don't "get it" and could also use some of the same pointers. 

Sarah,

It is not always an option, but we often found that therapies worked better at home for that very reason (especially when Kendra was young). I setup a heavy duty mount for most of the needed swinging equipment in our playroom, and we duplicated a lot of what they already were using and bringing over to have more time with similar forms of movement at home, for example. I always found the most valuable part of all the therapies were parts we could duplicate throughout the week as well. 

Much as with O&M services, if the times of direct contact with the therapists are not supported and many of the activities duplicated to some degree throughout the week at home (and in school, daycare and so forth), progress is going to be slow at best. If you read Joe Cutter's materials, you'll see that by his own observation, he started off not understanding what he really needed to be doing, but before he was finished he understood very well indeed.

Ideally, find someone who has worked with blind kids before. Apart from that, some of the materials we have all mentioned may help explain the situation better if you can get these people to take the time to read them. Maybe print out some articles that would be faster to read than entire books and present those? There are lots of things to read in Future Reflections, (on line).

This link will take you to huge amounts to browse from the NOPBC's magazine, Future Reflections:
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/future_reflections.asp

One huge problem with a large number of professionals (all kinds) is they want to come across as "experts" even when they have no idea how to deal with certain aspects of working with blind kids. Sure, they may be experts in their field(s), but if their expertise is being lost due to matters of blindness and limited communicative and interactive skills with our kids, what is the point?

It is sometimes like people speaking two entirely different languages trying to communicate. Therapies without meaning to a child (or anyone) aren't going to be terribly useful or helpful as far as I'm concerned. The goal is not to have kids work better in therapy so much as it is to have therapies lead to more appropriate (happier, etc.) behavior in life-- at home, school, etc. These people need to be seeing the big picture...



On Dec 30, 2011, at 2:26 PM, Denise Mackenstadt wrote:

> When I work with OT and PT personnel it is hard for me to convince them that they need to give the blind child time to understand what is needed of them.  You are all correct when you say that the blind child needs to be given the opportunity to find what can motivate the child to move.  Therapists are very clinical.  Educators understand better that we need to be "with" the child first.  I like to observe and play before requiring actions of the child.  It is not only showing the movement which is important but giving a meaning for the movement.  Lilli Nielsen philosophy is that we set up the environment and then let the child explore the environment.  It is hard in a 30 to 45 minute therapeutic time to allow for this self initiated activity.  
> Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC
> Orientation and Mobility Specialist.