[blindkid] Independence Check Lists

[DrV]

Hi Debbie,
Thanks for elaborating & for the thoughtful response. It is great to have
you as a resource.
I agree that those are important things to think about & to learn.
Perhaps our definitions of what constitutes ADLs (activities of daily
living) differs a bit.
While learning is certainly intertwined, & while mobility is critical for
independence, my understanding is that in the ECC, ADLs are separated out
from O&M.
The Expanded Core Curriculum is broken down into 9 categories
(www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=44&TopicID=189&SubTopicID=4&DocumentID=2
117):
My opinion of the ECC & who really addresses the components hasn't changed
much over time.
Here's my take on this:
1. Compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication
modes -> something that the whole IEP Team works on.
2. Orientation and mobility -> Hopefully O&M Instructor addresses this,
though by the time many students graduate they still don t really have the
independent travel skills they need. Too often the childhood O&M
instructors don't cover all that needs to be covered to be truly
independent & essentially pass the buck to rehab. The educational systems
largely overlooks the reality that many kids will have traveled in far
more environments & will have covered many more miles with their parents
than with a formally trained O&M instructor.
3. Social interaction skills -> Addressed be parents & hopefully by the
school.
4. Independent living skills -> I still am of the belief that the bulk of
this rests on the parents & summer programs like the Buddy Program (If
this were appropriately addressed, fewer young adults would need to take
6-9 months or so off work on these skills in post-high school programs).
In the school setting an OT is probably better trained to address these
skills than the average VI teacher.
5. Recreation and leisure skills -> This one is mostly the up to the
parents.
6. Career education -> Parents & rehab.
7. Use of assistive technology -> TVI though often only because of the
persistence of the parents - unfortunately many TVIs struggle with
technology, especially the newer stuff, but often even the basics.
8. Sensory efficiency skills (unless one includes echolocation as part of
this skill set, short of a hearing aide or special magnification devises,
I'm not clear to me how often or formally this one is addressed)
9. Self-determination -> This one is again mostly the parents & youth
programs like those put on by the NFB that both role model & foster this.
Obviously the buy-in & attitude of the student is critical, for they are
the most important component, but the reality is that most TVIs don't
really have the time or experience to cover all the components of the ECC.
Given the current caseloads & the limited time: 45-60 minutes with a TVI 2
or 3 times a week, or even daily & 45-90 minutes with an O&M instructor a
week, it is no great surprise that this is not adequately covered. Beyond
that, many (perhaps most) General Ed administrators & teachers have never
heard of the ECC.
A number of the components of The Expanded Core Curriculum are covered
indirectly & superficially, if at all, by the formal IEP process & the ECC
is rarely covered with the same vigor & level of high expectations as the
General Education Curriculum.


I couldn't agree with you more that the input of good blind mentors &
blind peers are an amazing asset for a blind child & their families -
unfortunately I don't know of many IEP teams that actively incorporate or
encourage blind mentors.
I wish things were different, but such is my perspective.
Eric

On 7/28/11 8:31 PM, "Debbie Gabe" <gabe808 at hawaiiantel.net> wrote:

>Well, these are the million dollar questions.....
>
>I would begin with the basics. I don't know how old your child is or what
>he or she can and cannot do, but....
>Just thinking back to when my kids were in school, there were always kids
>from the class who went to the office to deliver things, counted the
>lunch money, delivered messages to the library or school nurse, etc. So
>if your kid needs help with mobility, I would expect him/her to be
>included in the rotation to take on any and all classroom chores, as any
>other kid would do.
>If he's learning about money and food, he should learn how to count
>money, about decimals, identifying coins, how to fold money, how to shop
>with customer service, the layout of most grocery stores, etc. Don't let
>the teacher teach him how to use wallets with a bunch of different
>zippered pockets. Make sure he learns how to fold his currency. So it all
>depends on what his curriculum is. ADL and mobility skills can be fitted
>in in a lot of places in different subjects.
>A trip to the grocery store includes mobility, money, math, percentages
>for sale prices, use of talking calculators, , besides nutrition,
>classifying fruits, vegetables, etc., learning to read nutrition labels,
>math again (percentage of calories from fat, etc), cchemical names of
>ingredients or vitamins and minerals, geography (where is the food grown,
>packaged, bottled, etc), ecology (how did the food get to your store, how
>long did it have to travel, how did it travel, what kind of energy was
>used to transport it, what kind of carbon "footprint" does it leave).
>
>And whatever lessons were being done at school, I would try to do them at
>home as well.  I think a lot of ADL tasks can be taught just as part of
>living. If school is working on math at the store, take the kid with you
>and talk about figuring out costs with the 20% off sale or how much you
>saved at the market when you used your store awards card, what percentage
>does that equal, or what is the family budget for groceries for the week
>and did you make it or overspend, and what happens when you overspend or
>have money left over for the week?  Let him ask for customer service for
>help shopping for, at first, just one or two items, and then increase the
>number. Have him help you unpack the groceries at home, identify them,
>put them away, discuss what they will be used for in what recipes, which
>foods support goodhealth and which are special treat items, which are
>grown locally and which are imported, etc.  Is there a nearby store you
>can walk to so he can get used to that, as well as carrying packages home
>after shopping? Does he know how to listen for parallel and perpendicular
>traffic at street corners and listening to the flow of traffic as the
>lights change?
>
>This is where a good blind mentor might be able to help you.
>
>Don't know if any of that helps.
>
>
>
>
>I appreciate your enthusiasm & passion, & also agree with much of what you
>say, but as far as ADLs, what would you suggest adding to a child's IEP
>that would actually accomplish something of significance?
>How would you phrase goals?
>Young adults may catch on quickly, but many kids require lots of practice
>& repetition to really master ADLs independently.
>Beyond the "lack of time" issue that I hear oh too often in TVI forums,
>the unspoken, but very real reality is that many, likely most, VI teachers
>don't have the experience and training to teach ADLs any better than a
>parent. They also don't have the experience and training to explain to a
>parent how to teach these activities at home. ADLs are a huge deficiency
>gap in their training.
>Respectfully,
>Eric V
>
>
>On 7/25/11 8:29 PM, "Debbie Gabe" <gabe808 at hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
>
>>Hi, 
>>I work with your kids when they get out of high school. I am a personal
>>and
>>home management instructor at an adult blind orientation center in
>>Honolulu.
>>And I'm also partially blind myself.
>>
>>I hope that no one takes what I will say the wrong way. But my primary
>>concern is for the blind kid. My center is built on the belief that
>>blindness can be reduced to a mere inconvenience with the proper
>>training,
>>and we have high expectations for all of our students. We encourage them
>>to
>>problem solve as often as possible in all sorts of situations. We
>>encourage
>>them to strive for independence and self confidence. So what I have to
>>say
>>comes from those thoughts and intentions, not to put anyone down. Because
>>I
>>am also a parent, and I know how hard raising kids is.
>>
>>It's really a struggle for those kids who grew up blind and have been
>>overprotected. They often do not know how to explore. And moving their
>>bodies to explore a countertop or cabinet or floor is really crucial to
>>learning how to sweep, clean, wipe counters, mop, look for items in a
>>closet
>>or cabinet or refrigerator, clean a stove, etc, etc. It's even crucial
>>when
>>trying to teach them how to stir fry, sauté, turn over hamburgers they
>>have
>>placed on a grill, scrambling eggs, ironing.
>>
>>Please, please let them, teach them how to explore, encourage them to
>>move,
>>let them try anything their sighted peers or siblings would try (within
>>reason, of course, like not driving).  Encourage them, no expect them, to
>>do
>>their chores (or face the consequences), to help out around the house,
>>setting the table, clearning the table, cleaning dishes, scrubbing the
>>toilet and tub, loading and starting the washer. Teach them how to label
>>their clothes so they can separate their own clothes for laundry loads.
>>They
>>will need to know how to do this when they go off to college anyway.  Let
>>them help you in the kitchen: chopping, using real chef knives even,
>>stirring, frying, baking, grilling, lighting birthday cake candles. Yes,
>>there are ways to do these things safely. If you are worried about fires,
>>teach them simple first aid and by all means, please teach them how to
>>use a
>>fire extinguisher and let them find out where your are. Speaking of that,
>>teach them how to change the batteries in the smoke alarms and how to
>>check
>>the batteries once a month.  Let them help you mark the microwave and
>>oven
>>controls, washer and dryer controls, iron controls, etc so that they can
>>use
>>these independently after learning how.
>>
>>Believe me, you are hindering your child by not allowing and expecting
>>him/her to learn how to do these simple household/family activities.
>>And if you just don't know how to teach some of these things, or don't
>>have
>>the time, ask to have some of these things put on their IEPs. I have had
>>several school teachers of the blind contact me for suggestions and
>>tip-sharing for teaching these activities.
>>But the most important thing to teach is how to be inquisitive and to
>>explore anything and everything!
>>
>>Sorry to go on so long, but I had to add my 2 cents.
>>Good luck to you all.
>>Debbie
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>Behalf Of Bonnie Lucas
>>Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 4:09 PM
>>To: 'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)'
>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Independence Check Lists
>>
>>That is so cool. I know he won't regret learning these things while he is
>>young. He will be able to truly fit in with his peers.
>>Bonnie
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: DrV [mailto:icdx at earthlink.net]
>>Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 6:40 AM
>>To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>>Subject: [blindkid] Independence Check Lists
>>
>>Hi All,
>>I'm sure most, if not all, of the parents on this listserv can relate to
>>the
>>sentiment of "there is just not enough time to teach my son or daughter
>>everything". While I don't have "the answer", I wanted to share an
>>approach
>>that seems to be working out well for us.
>>As my older son is about to start his freshman year at high school, I
>>keep
>>asking myself "Where has all the time gone? How could it possibly have
>>slipped by so quickly?" In 4 short years collage tuition will be due.
>>It is also becoming increasingly clear that there is still a lot to cover
>>on
>>the non-academic side in order for him (& us) to feel comfortable with
>>him
>>living & getting around on his own, potentially in a new city. There is
>>shopping, laundry, & a host of other stuff he will need to be able to do
>>on
>>his own.
>>My older son really wants be ready on a social level for high school.
>>Those
>>that know him are quite aware he is very talkative & social, but it is
>>all
>>the other skills that need work (independent mobility, organization, more
>>advanced technology awareness, more appropriate table manners &
>>independence
>>so he can confidently, comfortably go out to eat & party with friends,
>>maintain a neat room & bathroom for when friends come over, etc). There
>>is a
>>lot that still needs to be covered - these are things that for many blind
>>kids end up not really getting covered to a truly adequate degree at
>>school.
>>I'm sure some of you have heard of the "Expanded Core Curriculum for
>>Blind
>>and VI Children and Youths" ­ it¹s supposed to be part of every IEPŠ As
>>someone who is slowly becoming a more seasoned veteran (as a parent), I
>>hope
>>no one is holding his or her breath for the educational system to address
>>everything.
>>For years we have been approaching this is in "baby steps" you might say;
>>we
>>sit down several times a year & list out a finite number of things that
>>we
>>want to specifically address with our boys for the next few months (the
>>number varies with what is on the list). If we don't go through that
>>process, then the time just seems to slip by without really actively
>>addressing all but the most pressing issues. In recent years we have had
>>the
>>boys contribute their wishes to that process ­ figuring everyone has
>>different priorities & because they will likely put more effort into what
>>they perceive to be most important. We try to when possible make it fun ­
>>walking to the local minimart to buy a Sunday newspaper involves O&M as
>>well
>>as manipulation of money (& it is amazing what comes up on conversation
>>during those walks where we are not focused on other things). Some things
>>turn in to expected chores ­ the list gradually expands over time. It is
>>never too early to start. Some things like learning to zip a vest or
>>organize a backpack or tie shoes just have to be barreled through. & yes,
>>we
>>too can relate to toothpaste challenges.
>>This summer my younger son is out of town with my wife due to his recent
>>eye
>>surgery; the older one is too old for the Buddy Program & not old enough
>>for
>>the next level up. Since he is motivated & this is an important
>>transition
>>year before high school, we decide to make the most of this summer & our
>>focus is to tackle a longer list of things to address.
>>At the beginning of the summer I asked my older son to generate a list of
>>things he wanted to & he felt he needed work on. I asked him to think big
>>&
>>to be ambitious. That he did!
>>We were pleasantly surprised to get his list ­ much of what was on there
>>were things that my wife & I too felt needed to be addressed, but
>>importantly, it is his list. We sat down & categorized the items on the
>>list
>>& are working through those. He is now downloading books on his own,
>>working
>>on his laptop skills (getting a handle on iTunes & Bookshare are both
>>motivating & empowering). He has been making his own breakfast everyday,
>>working on other meals, & even cleaning off the table. (He did share with
>>me
>>that he is now consciously trying to eat neater, so that there is less to
>>wipe off the table - & it has been totally clean even before he wiped it
>>off
>>a number of times now). ³Kitchen O&M² is a great experience & he now is
>>beginning to realize how much effort is takes to prepare for meals (with
>>my
>>wife out of town, he & I have to go buy everything as well). He has
>>really
>>taken ownership for his list & is enthusiastically pursuing things that
>>my
>>otherwise have been taxing.
>>An unanticipated "side-effect" of being apart for a few weeks is that
>>when
>>the boys talk to each other on the phone, they each are somewhat envious
>>of
>>what the other is doing or learning & now are asking to try things on the
>>other is working on!  :-)
>>We still have about a month to go before the start of the upcoming school
>>year. Both boys will have accomplished & learned a lot of skills by that
>>time. We are making nice progress through the list, taking on items on as
>>seems most natural throughout the course of this summer. They will have
>>mastered some, but not all. We will however at least address each item
>>more
>>than just superficially - to a level that will be their solid foundation
>>for
>>this next year when they can follow through & practice until they reach
>>proficiency.
>>Honestly, the sense of pride & confidence that emanates from each of them
>>the first time they do the task totally on their own is precious. It is
>>very
>>gratifying to see how with time & further practice they refine each new
>>skill until it becomes commonplace. What once provoked anxiety or unease
>>has
>>been transformed into their routine. They actually seem to enjoy coming
>>up
>>with goals to work on.
>>It¹s never too early to start working on things in a more focused
>>fashion.
>>Time flies by oh so fastŠ
>>Eric V
>> 
>> 
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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