[blindkid] Sarah Dallis
Jessica Kovacs
jessica.kovacs979 at gmail.com
Sat Dec 31 04:39:57 UTC 2011
Hi Sarah:
My son Thomas (age 2) was born with bilateral PFVS (or PHPV), one eye is micro and glaucoma. He is blind but has light perception in both eyes now due to a couple vitrectomy surgeries. He is doing great. He was also born with hypertone and couldn't raise his arms higher than his shoulders when he was small. Now he's jumping and dancing and climbing the stairs at 27 months. He is such a cool and wild little man. He challenges everyones expectations because he is the first blind child that most of my friends and family have met. Even though it is hard now, don't lose hope. Have the highest expectations of your little girl. She may need more time and some creative motivators but have faith. She will get it.
If you don't have confidence in your child's therapist then change them. We had a super nice vision therapist but as Tom got older she didn't really challenge him so we decided to say goodbye. It was a good move. We have an O&M certified instructor now that is also working on pre-braille skills. I am really pleased with the progress we are making and we even stepped it up to vision therapy 2x a week. Though I am now working on getting him to teach Tom cane skills and he thinks he's too young!!! It's always something, right! (And yes, he has a cane and is signed up for Early Explorers) Follow your instincts. My son gets PT, OT, speech, nutrition (he has a g-tube for failure to thrive/almost total food refusal) and vision through our early intervention. I know I'm the pain in the butt mom that is always asking questions and reading articles and I am OK with that.
Just keep asking questions. Eventually you will find the answers you need. Good luck!
Jessica Kovacs
http://thomasmarshalldoesitall.blogspot.com/
On Dec 30, 2011, at 1:00 PM, blindkid-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
> Send blindkid mailing list submissions to
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> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of blindkid digest..."
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. texting app for i Pod Touch (SUSAN POLANSKY)
> 2. Re: texting app for i Pod Touch (David Andrews)
> 3. Re: texting app for i Pod Touch (Dr. Denise M Robinson)
> 4. Re: texting app for i Pod Touch (Kayleigh Joiner)
> 5. Hello (Sarah Dallis)
> 6. social skills (Zunaira T. Wasif)
> 7. Re: Hello (Deborah Kent Stein)
> 8. Re: Hello (Barbara Hammel)
> 9. Re: Hello (DrV)
> 10. Re: social skills (Penny Duffy)
> 11. Re: Preserving memories (DrV)
> 12. Re: social skills (DrV)
> 13. Re: Hello (Richard Holloway)
> 14. HOME (Donna McNew)
> 15. Re: Hello (Dr. Denise M Robinson)
> 16. Re: social skills (hpscheffer at aol.com)
>
> From: SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>
> Date: December 29, 2011 4:11:40 PM EST
> To: "blindkid at nfbnet.org" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blindkid] texting app for i Pod Touch
> Reply-To: SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
>
> Does anyone have a texting app for their iPod Touch or other device? We have looked at several on the app store and wonder which one if any is the most assessable for the blind.
>
> Susan T. Polansky
>
>
>
> From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 4:53:36 PM EST
> To: SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] texting app for i Pod Touch
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> One source of information on accessible apple and iDevice apps is
> http://www.applevis.com
>
> Dave
>
> At 03:11 PM 12/29/2011, you wrote:
>
>> Does anyone have a texting app for their iPod Touch or other device? We have looked at several on the app store and wonder which one if any is the most assessable for the blind.
>>
>> Susan T. Polansky
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Dr. Denise M Robinson" <deniserob at gmail.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 5:09:32 PM EST
> To: SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] texting app for i Pod Touch
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> ia writer
> notes
> pages
> are the most accessible
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 1:11 PM, SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>>
>> Does anyone have a texting app for their iPod Touch or other device? We
>> have looked at several on the app store and wonder which one if any is the
>> most assessable for the blind.
>>
>> Susan T. Polansky
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/deniserob%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Denise
>
> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
> CEO, TechVision
> Virtual Instructor for blind/low vision
>
> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons all done with
> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>
>
>
>
> From: Kayleigh Joiner <kayleigh281 at yahoo.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 5:33:02 PM EST
> To: SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] texting app for i Pod Touch
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Here is a link that talks about an app that is fully accessible with
> Voiceover.
> http://www.applevis.com/ios-app-directory/social-networking/textfree-unlimited-send-text-messages-sms-free
> If this app isn't quite right you can go to the link below and the link
> that says "see our advanced search
> You can also go to this link to check about other apps and their
> accessibility with Voiceover in general.
> http://www.applevis.com/apps
>
> I hope that this helps.
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 3:11 PM, SUSAN POLANSKY <sepolansky at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>>
>> Does anyone have a texting app for their iPod Touch or other device? We
>> have looked at several on the app store and wonder which one if any is the
>> most assessable for the blind.
>>
>> Susan T. Polansky
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/kayleigh281%40yahoo.com
>>
>
>
>
>
> From: Sarah Dallis <sarah.dallis at gmail.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 9:12:59 PM EST
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>
> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
> can roll.
>
> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her daycare
> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy. They
> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>
> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
> from you all!
> --
>
> Sarah Dallis
>
> Pampered Chef Consultant
>
> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis
>
> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
> From: "Zunaira T. Wasif" <zwasif at fau.edu>
> Date: December 29, 2011 9:55:18 PM EST
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blindkid] social skills
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Do any of your visually impaired children have trouble socializing? I have a four year old in pre-school who has miner difficulties with inniciating conversations and so forth with other children in her class. Do you know of any interventions for the mainstream class room setting that work?
> Thanks
> Zunaira
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817 at att.net>
> Date: December 29, 2011 10:13:56 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: Deborah Kent Stein <dkent5817 at att.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
>
> Dear Sarah,
>
> You might explore the work of Dr. Lilli Nielsen, a Danish educator who
> developed an approach called Active Learning for working with young blind
> children, particularly those who have additional disabilities. The idea is
> to place the child in an environment that encourages movement and
> exploration, rather than physically moving the child. For instance, Dr. Nielsen
> surrounds the child with objects that make sounds when they are touched or
> bumped. If the child moves a foot and accidentally makes a sound, he may be
> inspired to move again and eventuallly to explore and find out more about
> that intriguing noise. Because the child herself initiates the learning
> process there is much less resistance to overcome. You can learn more about Active Learning at www.lilliworks.org.
>
> Debbie
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Dallis" <sarah.dallis at gmail.com>
> To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 8:12 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] Hello
>
>
>> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
>> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
>> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
>> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
>> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
>> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
>> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
>> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>>
>> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
>> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
>> can roll.
>>
>> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
>> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her
>> daycare
>> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
>> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy.
>> They
>> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
>> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
>> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
>> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>>
>> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
>> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
>> from you all!
>> --
>>
>> Sarah Dallis
>>
>> Pampered Chef Consultant
>>
>> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis
>>
>> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/dkent5817%40att.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 10:25:28 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> My suggestion would be to try a form of Lilli's little room for her. Make the space she plays in small. If she feels more comfortable in a playpen, put her there and give her lots of toys that make noise. Figure out a way to hang things from the sides or over the top of it. Anything in any way so that however she moves she'll contact something that will crinkle or rattle or jingle or play music. If you don't have a playpen, just use a big box or some of those plastic play areas that you can adjust the size by how many panels you use.
> When we brought our twins home from China at almost 3 years, one of them loved to be in a car seat box because it was a close place and his toys couldn't get away from him.
> If you try this idea, it should make her want to move because it makes something happen if she does.
> Good luck.
> Let your mother's intuition rule here. If you think the therapists you have now aren't working for your child, try someone else.
> Barbara
>
>
>
>
> Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.--John F. Kennedy
> -----Original Message----- From: Sarah Dallis
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 8:12 PM
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blindkid] Hello
>
> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>
> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
> can roll.
>
> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her daycare
> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy. They
> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>
> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
> from you all!
> --
>
> Sarah Dallis
>
> Pampered Chef Consultant
>
> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis
>
> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn.com
>
>
>
>
>
> From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
> Date: December 29, 2011 10:49:46 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Hi Sarah,
> Welcome.
> You may want to check out the DVD at www.babymilagro.org/DVD & try to
> contact Milagro's mom Grace -> Grace are you out there?
> Eric V
>
> On 12/29/11 6:12 PM, "Sarah Dallis" <sarah.dallis at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
>> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
>> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
>> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
>> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
>> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
>> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
>> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>>
>> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
>> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
>> can roll.
>>
>> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
>> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her
>> daycare
>> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
>> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy.
>> They
>> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
>> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
>> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
>> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>>
>> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
>> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
>> from you all!
>> --
>>
>> Sarah Dallis
>>
>> Pampered Chef Consultant
>>
>> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis
>>
>> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Penny Duffy <pennyduffy at gmail.com>
> Date: December 29, 2011 10:51:23 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] social skills
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Zunaira,
>
> I think its very common for blind and visually impaired children to have
> issues socializing with peers. My daughter became blind last year.
> Sometime before she ended kindergarten and she is in second grade right
> now. Its been an adjustment for my daughter socially. She has always
> been a very social and kind child. One issue she has is finding her
> friends during recess. How we handled this was we gave her ideas and we
> had her come up with her own solution. She will try and pre-plan who she
> will play with during recess and set up a spot to meet the friend she is
> playing with. Her friends are well 'trained' They still say who they are
> when they come up to her even though she knows who it is most of the time
> by voice. Abby has some of her peripheral vision but in a crowd of
> people she can't pick anyone out. She has a very understanding group of
> friends that have learned that she can't find them on the playground.
>
> She has a very hard time with those temporarily friendship situations.
> Like meeting someone new at a park you may never meet again or going to
> camp for a week. She miss all visual clues like smiles and waves. It
> takes her longer.
>
> Does the school facilitate social interaction with her peers? Like
> breaking them down into pairs? It may help her if you arranged 1 on 1
> playdates with peers. There is so much going on that sometimes large
> group situations can be overwhelming. Little bites and take it slow. My son
> is not blind but he has struggled life long with speech issues. He has
> always bonded more with adults. He has slowly started to make friends with
> peers. I realized that it was the adults that had more patience deal with
> is difficultly talking.
>
> There is no quick and easy answers. Its hard to see your
> child struggling socially. I will say i know a lot of blind children who
> are true social butterflies.
>
> -
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 9:55 PM, Zunaira T. Wasif <zwasif at fau.edu> wrote:
>
>> Do any of your visually impaired children have trouble socializing? I
>> have a four year old in pre-school who has miner difficulties with
>> inniciating conversations and so forth with other children in her class.
>> Do you know of any interventions for the mainstream class room setting
>> that work?
>> Thanks
>> Zunaira
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/pennyduffy%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
>
> --
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
> From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
> Date: December 29, 2011 11:09:27 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Preserving memories
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Hi Jennifer,
> My kids are older now, but since about preschool or so they have been
> recording things on their BrailleNotes.
> They have recordings of toys from their childhood that in real life no
> longer work; they have recordings of conversations with relatives &
> friends.
> When we travel they will record the sounds they hear. My son was recently
> reorganizing files & found some from kindergarten or 1st grade -> for his
> birthday that year he wanted to go on a train adventure, so we drove down
> to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles & hopped on a train for a
> spontaneious day trip to Santa Barbara - what an adventure! He has
> recordings of the train from inside & out, of the conductor, & a bunch of
> other memorable sounds - a trip that we all still cherish.
> All the best,
> Eric V
>
> On 12/26/11 4:10 PM, "Carol Castellano" <carol_castellano at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Jennifer and welcome to the list.
>>
>> We started making recordings for our daughter when she was
>> little. The first ones we made were the voices of her favorite
>> people--mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents--and
>> recordings of her birthday parties, etc. Then we began to get
>> creative :-). When we went on a day trip or on vacation we would
>> give a little verbal intro and/or description and then record
>> characteristic sounds. For example, we'd record the sound of the
>> waves crashing or the crickets and bullfrogs calling at
>> night. Eventually we got pretty good at it--any time we were going
>> to take a photo, we found a way to record a memory for Serena,
>> too. She took over the recorder when she got to eighth grade or so
>> and instead of having her yearbooks signed, she asked her friends and
>> teachers to record their words. Very precious memories for all of us!
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> Carol Castellano
>> President, Parents of Blind Children-NJ
>> Director of Programs
>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>> 973-377-0976
>> carol_castellano at verizon.net
>> www.blindchildren.org
>> www.nopbc.org
>>
>> At 04:20 PM 12/26/2011, you wrote:
>>> Hi everyone, this is my first time posting to this listserv, but I
>>> have been reading it since our son Hudson was born in July of this
>>> year. Hudson's eyes did not develop correctly in utero w999hich
>>> caused his blindness. It has definitely been a roller coaster of
>>> emotions since his birth, but we have found acceptance and are
>>> enjoying our sweet funny boy. We have services in place for him, and
>>> he seems to be thriving.
>>> In looking back over our pictures from Christmas today, it struck me
>>> that Hudson won't be able to see them (I'm still getting used to how
>>> things like that just catch me by surprise). We did record a few
>>> videos, but I didn't think about doing something specifically for
>>> him so he can listen to it later. I have always made photo albums
>>> for our older daughter, and she loves to look back at them and talk
>>> about past events. I would love to hear your ideas about how I can
>>> preserve memories for Hudson. Maybe videos where we talk about the
>>> events of the day? Or some sort of box with tactile items related to
>>> the special occasion? I'm sure you all are a wealth of knowledge, so
>>> please share it with me and help ease my "mommy guilt"! Thanks so much!
>>>
>>> Jennifer Weisner
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindkid mailing list
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> for blindkid:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/carol.joyce.castell
>>> ano%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
> Date: December 29, 2011 11:38:54 PM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] social skills
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Hi Zunaira,
> A few additional thoughts:
> We brought in fun modified games for our kids to play with their
> classmates in preschool through 1st grade or so. My wife put together one
> that was a "sorting game" that was really popular with the kids.
> Aides are a touchy & emotional subject on this & other listservs, but in
> our case the aide facilitated socialization.
> Through 5th grade we created a handout for our kid's classmates' parents
> that we would pass out at the beginning of the school year that had info
> about our sons & on suggestions on how to encourage interactions. I
> included some kid-friendly websites & also photos of each of them doing
> fun age-appropriated activities like rock climbing, surfing, skiing,
> snowboarding etc. The parents really appreciate this & it opens up
> opportunities to talk with parents & to be invited to birthday parties &
> such. I can email you a copy if you like.
> In California playdates are popular & are a really nice way to foster
> social interactions.
> My younger son really benefited from the social interactions in the speech
> therapy group sessions.
> Best wishes.
> Eric V
>
> On 12/29/11 7:51 PM, "Penny Duffy" <pennyduffy at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Zunaira,
>>
>> I think its very common for blind and visually impaired children to have
>> issues socializing with peers. My daughter became blind last year.
>> Sometime before she ended kindergarten and she is in second grade right
>> now. Its been an adjustment for my daughter socially. She has always
>> been a very social and kind child. One issue she has is finding her
>> friends during recess. How we handled this was we gave her ideas and we
>> had her come up with her own solution. She will try and pre-plan who she
>> will play with during recess and set up a spot to meet the friend she is
>> playing with. Her friends are well 'trained' They still say who they are
>> when they come up to her even though she knows who it is most of the time
>> by voice. Abby has some of her peripheral vision but in a crowd of
>> people she can't pick anyone out. She has a very understanding group of
>> friends that have learned that she can't find them on the playground.
>>
>> She has a very hard time with those temporarily friendship situations.
>> Like meeting someone new at a park you may never meet again or going to
>> camp for a week. She miss all visual clues like smiles and waves.
>> It
>> takes her longer.
>>
>> Does the school facilitate social interaction with her peers? Like
>> breaking them down into pairs? It may help her if you arranged 1 on 1
>> playdates with peers. There is so much going on that sometimes large
>> group situations can be overwhelming. Little bites and take it slow. My
>> son
>> is not blind but he has struggled life long with speech issues. He has
>> always bonded more with adults. He has slowly started to make friends with
>> peers. I realized that it was the adults that had more patience deal with
>> is difficultly talking.
>>
>> There is no quick and easy answers. Its hard to see your
>> child struggling socially. I will say i know a lot of blind children who
>> are true social butterflies.
>>
>> -
>> --Penny
>> ----------
>> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 9:55 PM, Zunaira T. Wasif <zwasif at fau.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Do any of your visually impaired children have trouble socializing? I
>>> have a four year old in pre-school who has miner difficulties with
>>> inniciating conversations and so forth with other children in her class.
>>> Do you know of any interventions for the mainstream class room setting
>>> that work?
>>> Thanks
>>> Zunaira
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindkid mailing list
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blindkid:
>>>
>>>
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/pennyduffy%40gmail.
>>> com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> --Penny
>> ----------
>> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>
> Date: December 30, 2011 12:33:47 AM EST
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Welcome Sarah,
>
> I expect you'll find many good suggestions here on the blindkid list.
>
> Our daughter is 9 and has no light perception, effectively since birth. Like you, we didn't know if there was a bit of residual vision for a while. In fact she had a bit of vision for a few months, but all indications were that she had no vision at all after about 6 months. Strange though it seemed at the time, I too found it relieving when we learned there was probably no vision at all. Like you, we hoped for some indication of vision to reappear, but there is comfort in knowing where you stand and not guessing. "Okay, this is where we are, now what do we do?" Once we began to learn that our daughter could do pretty much anything she wanted even without vision, things got even better. That is where the journey to learn alternative methods of doing things begins. The NFB is a great place to learn all about that.
>
> We were told to expect all kinds of delays but we really didn't have any major ones. The thing is, had we accepted these comments and not pressed our daughter to stay on track with her sighted peers, we likely WOULD have been behind-- possibly WAY behind.
>
> My wife, Stephanie, has written quite a few nice articles that you may find useful. Here is a good place to start, if you're interested. This was written when our daughter, Kendra, was 26 months old:
>
> http://nfb.org/legacy/fr/fr16/fr04sp04.htm
>
> When people take approaches that aren't working well for our kids, it may be useful to take a step back and ask what is different. Why won't your child do the thing you want? Maybe even turn it around and ask why a sighted kid WILL do the thing. Sighted kids want to get to things that are interesting; most often things they can see. Crawling, walking, and standing are hard work. Who wants to do hard work without a reason? Babies are nearly always doing these things to get to something they want, or to make something happen that they enjoy.
>
> Older kids have more information to work with. You can tell a blind 6 or 10 or 12-year old there is a braille book to read on the table and they'll go get it. A blind baby isn't going to do a thing just because a PT or an OT tells her to do it, or probably even because Mommy asks. That all comes later. Same thing for a sighted child, right? What is missing for the blind child is information or feedback to motivate.
>
> One thing that I think helped with or daughter was wearing shoes called Pip Squeakers. Put them on and when you step on them, they squeak. (They sound like a doggie chew toy.) Pick your child up and put some weight on her feet and suddenly there is a reward for trying to stand a bit, and walking makes even more fun sounds.
>
> You can see more about the shoes here:
> http://www.pipsqueakers.com/
>
> Maybe they helped our daughter, or maybe they just helped us to find a new way of thinking outside of the visual "box", so to speak.
>
> So, what would be motivating to a child with no vision in place of the things sighted kids see which makes them want to reach things? I think most would agree that the answer is mainly sounds and perhaps the occasional smell for things out of reach. Touch is also interesting, but the child has to know there is something there to touch, and that brings up one other important point: A blind child which does not move has a VERY small world-- just what arms and legs can reach.
>
> A-frame toys over a blind child are a nice place to hang small toys with interesting sounds or textures, but remember make the world larger as soon as you can. Give your child a white cane (available free from the NFB, by the way) that will first be used to explore from where she is sitting or laying, and the will be getting used to having a cane in her hand (she's going to need to use it a lot later on!), and at the same time (or even before that) if you haven't already, put a wooden spoon in her hand or any safe object to extend her reach, and then put some things just in range that make sounds when she finds them.
>
> Maybe a metal pot would make a nice clank when struck with a spoon. Maybe it is a tambourine, or something with bells on it. Give her reasons to explore. Let her tap one pot and then you tap another one further away and see if she wants to find that too. She may roll towards a sound and suddenly find herself in a crawling stance, for example. It may be a slow start, but it will come, and once it starts, the speed of progress may surprise you.
>
> Something else that motivates sighted kids is trying to copy what they see a "big person" do. A sighted baby may react and try to copy your expression or movements. By now, a sighted child has been watching parents stand and walk for 16 months. A blind baby has no idea that walking or standing is even a thing to attempt at first. Maybe your PT's and OT's don't exactly "get it" as far as the missing information. If they seem like good people to work with, maybe get them more info before you change and have to start from scratch. Unless you find people who have already worked with blind babies, you may be making it harder to start over again.
>
> One extremely useful resource for us was the work of a fellow names Joe Cutter. There are probably other links others can find, but here is one to a book by Joe--
>
> http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/product.asp?product=852&cat=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=
>
> Carol, here on the list also has some excellent books published, but correct me if I'm wrong Carol, I'm remembering your books start a bit older than Joe's, right?
>
> I'll stop there for now as you're probably already overwhelmed with info. Feel free to contact me on or off list i you have more questions. When we were first starting off with this journey, we could never seem to find as much information as we wanted, so I'm always happy to share whatever I'm able in hopes that it will be of at least some amount of help to other parents.
>
> Best of luck to you, and again, welcome to the list!
>
> Richard Holloway, Vice President
> Georgia Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> www.gopbc.org
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 29, 2011, at 9:12 PM, Sarah Dallis wrote:
>
>> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
>> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
>> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
>> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
>> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
>> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
>> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
>> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>>
>> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
>> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
>> can roll.
>>
>> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
>> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her daycare
>> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
>> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy. They
>> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
>> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
>> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
>> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>>
>> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
>> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
>> from you all!
>> --
>>
>> Sarah Dallis
>>
>> Pampered Chef Consultant
>>
>> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis
>>
>> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/rholloway%40gopbc.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Donna McNew <dlmcnew at wwestsky.net>
> Date: December 30, 2011 2:07:20 AM EST
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blindkid] HOME
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Thanks to all of you for your kind and encouraging words while we were in China. We are now home and those not so great behaviors are being shed faster than you can blink, steadily being replaced by great behaviors. She is soaking up loving touches like a sponge - making up for lost time for the first 6 1/2 years of her life! She is learning English rapidly and loves to help out around the house. Her only "blindism" that I can ID so far is swaying/rocking her head back and forth when she is bored. When she is tired she kind of chews on her tongue, but I wouldn't think that that would be a blindism - just a quirk like many children have to soothe themselves. She still squeals loudly when she gets excited every now and then, but that is diminishing. She loves rubbing her little hands across the braille when I read the girls their stories, but has no interest yet in "braille".
>
> I am very busy with three 6 year old girls along with two late teens still at home, so I am still lurking on the board - thanks for putting up with me - I am learning a ton from you guys!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Donna
>
> mcnewfamily.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
> From: "Dr. Denise M Robinson" <deniserob at gmail.com>
> Date: December 30, 2011 10:09:00 AM EST
> To: Deborah Kent Stein <dkent5817 at att.net>, "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Hello
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
> Sarah
>
> Putting a %150 in nod to what Debbie says here. Lilli Nielsen also has
> excellent videos out so you can really see what she does with the
> children...just incredible results. You could give them to the people who
> are caring for your child also to help them
> Denise
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 7:13 PM, Deborah Kent Stein <dkent5817 at att.net>wrote:
>
>>
>> Dear Sarah,
>>
>> You might explore the work of Dr. Lilli Nielsen, a Danish educator who
>> developed an approach called Active Learning for working with young blind
>> children, particularly those who have additional disabilities. The idea is
>> to place the child in an environment that encourages movement and
>> exploration, rather than physically moving the child. For instance, Dr.
>> Nielsen
>> surrounds the child with objects that make sounds when they are touched or
>> bumped. If the child moves a foot and accidentally makes a sound, he may
>> be
>> inspired to move again and eventuallly to explore and find out more about
>> that intriguing noise. Because the child herself initiates the learning
>> process there is much less resistance to overcome. You can learn more
>> about Active Learning at www.lilliworks.org.
>>
>> Debbie
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Dallis" <sarah.dallis at gmail.com>
>> To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 8:12 PM
>> Subject: [blindkid] Hello
>>
>>
>> Hi. My daughter, Ellie, is almost 16 months old and completely blind. She
>>> had a VEP two months ago and it came back inconclusive. She may have had
>>> her eyes closed or she's completely blind with no light perception. It
>>> helps me to go ahead and think she's completely blind, I'd rather have the
>>> surprise then to have to lose an expectation, if that makes any sense.
>>> Anyway, she has other health issues (septo-optic dysplasia, optic nerve
>>> hypoplasia, hypo-pit, diabetes insipidus, so on and so forth). Those are
>>> all back seat drivers to her vision in the sense of development.
>>>
>>> She doesn't walk, crawl, or stand. She likes laying on her tummy but more
>>> for sleep so we're working on her pushing up and reaching for things. She
>>> can roll.
>>>
>>> My husband and I are both active duty Air Force so she goes to daycare
>>> about 10 hours a day. I'm having problems with my confidence in her
>>> daycare
>>> and therapists. I'm debating on whether or not I should switch my
>>> daughter's OT and PT. She is always unhappy and crying during therapy.
>>> They
>>> force her hands and body into positions and make her stay there or do
>>> something. She's not quite 16 months and her PT session lasts 45 minutes.
>>> What do you all think? She also receives feeding therapy but she's showing
>>> more progress withth at then she is with OT or PT.
>>>
>>> In my signature block the second link is to Ellie's blog if you want to
>>> read more about her. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing
>>> from you all!
>>> --
>>>
>>> Sarah Dallis
>>>
>>> Pampered Chef Consultant
>>>
>>> Order 24/7 Online: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/**sarahdallis<http://www.pamperedchef.biz/sarahdallis>
>>>
>>> Mom to Ellie: http://elliesgrace.blogspot.**com<http://elliesgrace.blogspot.com>
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> blindkid mailing list
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/**listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org>
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blindkid:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/**options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/**
>>> dkent5817%40att.net<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/dkent5817%40att.net>
>>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/**listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org>
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/**options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/**
>> deniserob%40gmail.com<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/deniserob%40gmail.com>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Denise
>
> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
> CEO, TechVision
> Virtual Instructor for blind/low vision
>
> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons all done with
> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>
>
>
>
> From: hpscheffer at aol.com
> Date: December 30, 2011 11:42:40 AM EST
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] social skills
> Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>
>
> Dr.V
> in reading your suggestions to Zunaira I´m courious about the introduction handout you created for your sons. If you don´t mind sharing it with me I would really appreciate it, my e-mail is hpscheffer at aol.com I always thought about it but I´m not sure how to do it.
> Thank you
> Heidi
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children) <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:39 am
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] social skills
>
>
> Hi Zunaira,
> few additional thoughts:
> e brought in fun modified games for our kids to play with their
> lassmates in preschool through 1st grade or so. My wife put together one
> hat was a "sorting game" that was really popular with the kids.
> ides are a touchy & emotional subject on this & other listservs, but in
> ur case the aide facilitated socialization.
> hrough 5th grade we created a handout for our kid's classmates' parents
> hat we would pass out at the beginning of the school year that had info
> bout our sons & on suggestions on how to encourage interactions. I
> ncluded some kid-friendly websites & also photos of each of them doing
> un age-appropriated activities like rock climbing, surfing, skiing,
> nowboarding etc. The parents really appreciate this & it opens up
> pportunities to talk with parents & to be invited to birthday parties &
> uch. I can email you a copy if you like.
> n California playdates are popular & are a really nice way to foster
> ocial interactions.
> y younger son really benefited from the social interactions in the speech
> herapy group sessions.
> est wishes.
> ric V
> On 12/29/11 7:51 PM, "Penny Duffy" <pennyduffy at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Zunaira,
>
> I think its very common for blind and visually impaired children to have
> issues socializing with peers. My daughter became blind last year.
> Sometime before she ended kindergarten and she is in second grade right
> now. Its been an adjustment for my daughter socially. She has always
> been a very social and kind child. One issue she has is finding her
> friends during recess. How we handled this was we gave her ideas and we
> had her come up with her own solution. She will try and pre-plan who she
> will play with during recess and set up a spot to meet the friend she is
> playing with. Her friends are well 'trained' They still say who they are
> when they come up to her even though she knows who it is most of the time
> by voice. Abby has some of her peripheral vision but in a crowd of
> people she can't pick anyone out. She has a very understanding group of
> friends that have learned that she can't find them on the playground.
>
> She has a very hard time with those temporarily friendship situations.
> Like meeting someone new at a park you may never meet again or going to
> camp for a week. She miss all visual clues like smiles and waves.
> It
> takes her longer.
>
> Does the school facilitate social interaction with her peers? Like
> breaking them down into pairs? It may help her if you arranged 1 on 1
> playdates with peers. There is so much going on that sometimes large
> group situations can be overwhelming. Little bites and take it slow. My
> son
> is not blind but he has struggled life long with speech issues. He has
> always bonded more with adults. He has slowly started to make friends with
> peers. I realized that it was the adults that had more patience deal with
> is difficultly talking.
>
> There is no quick and easy answers. Its hard to see your
> child struggling socially. I will say i know a lot of blind children who
> are true social butterflies.
>
> -
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 9:55 PM, Zunaira T. Wasif <zwasif at fau.edu> wrote:
>
>> Do any of your visually impaired children have trouble socializing? I
>> have a four year old in pre-school who has miner difficulties with
>> inniciating conversations and so forth with other children in her class.
>> Do you know of any interventions for the mainstream class room setting
>> that work?
>> Thanks
>> Zunaira
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindkid mailing list
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindkid:
>>
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/pennyduffy%40gmail.
>> com
>>
>
>
>
> --
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/icdx%40earthlink.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> lindkid mailing list
> lindkid at nfbnet.org
> ttp://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> o unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:
> ttp://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/hpscheffer%40aol.com
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
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