[blindkid] [Bulk] a mini vent about a summer program.

Brandy W branlw at sbcglobal.net
Mon Sep 12 17:03:26 UTC 2011


I would send her to a buddy camp at one of the NFB centers. This way she 
will be expected to learn all of these things, but get to do normal age 
appropriate activities with out everything being dumped down because she is 
blind. She will be allowed to grow. She is 7 her technique isn't going to be 
perfect, and a heavier cane with rolling tip may help short term, but it 
isn't going to fix the problem. I'm glad they helped her this year, but I 
agree I'd go for a different approach next year. Start planning now. Your 
commission will help fund NFB camps.

Bran



"When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping 
them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative spirit. It's the things 
we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in 
our lives."
- Fred Rogers

Brandy Wojcik
Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team Leader
www.playtoachieve.com
(512) 689-5045

Looking for team members nation wide!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Penny Duffy" <pennyduffy at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 11:54 AM
Subject: [Bulk] [blindkid] a mini vent about a summer program.


>I r
> My daughter Abby if you don't know was sighted with completely normal 
> vision
> a year and a half go.  She is 7 going on 16. She still has a lot of her
> peripheral vision but little if no central vision.  She may be able to see 
> a
> bird flying in the sky but she can't find us if she loses track of us and
> can't read text or do anything visually if it requires any kind of detail.
>
>  So  Abby had a great opportunity to spend a week at Perkins School for 
> one
> of their school age summer programs. Its really the only option her her 
> age.
> She had  great time and got to do so many things that are great for her to
> do.  The PE activities where very valuable to her. She has always been
> sporty and they did so many great things. I just got the 'report' for the
> week.  Its talks about how nice she is, how well behaved she is, how much
> she helps others, how independent she is. It was almost to the point it
> sounded like she was some pod version of Abby. She isn't as organized at
> home as she was there for she.  She always wants to show off to teachers.
> These are all great things. I just became very clear they were comparing 
> her
> to her blind "classmates" (some of which who have other issues ) not where
> she should be if she was sighted.
>
> The only mention about braille was that she liked to borrow books. She is 
> a
> whole year behind in her reading level (though gaining quickly)
>
> Lets not even get into what they thought of Abby's cane.  Everything they
> 'complained about wouldn't be an issue if she was using it right. i don't
> understand how an heavy marshmallow tip, short cane magically
> fixes technique. Much less makes her more independent. Ok I guess I got 
> into
> it but it shouldn't be a surprise.
>
> I really think these are great programs.   Abby has gotten so much out of
> them but I am thinking that they may not be the right fit for her next 
> year.
> The programs are expensive.   They actually called her a visual learner. 
> I
> see her more as a girl who used to be a visual learner and needs
> help realizing that she learns much better using nonvisual techniques.
>
> She is old enough next year to attend some of the camps for blind children
> and it would give her the socialization with other blind children.   Is
> there anything I should watch out for and look for programs like this?
> Other suggestions?
>
>
> -- 
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
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