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

[Penny Duffy]

I would love to send her do buddy camp.   I got the school district to pay
for her program at Perkins I just don't know if they would pay for buddy
camp but I imagine she would get a lot from it.  We don't have a commission
in NH.  School age is done through the department of education.  I guess if
I could convence them to pay the almost 3000 dollars for the Perkins School
I  can find a way to have see the buddy program as valuable. I just worry
she is too young.  I would miss her so much.  She may never want to come
home.

She actually only had her NFB long cane for a few weeks when she went away.
    Her TVI did a great extend school year program with her three students
for three weeks.   She made it fun but educational.  There are three blind
students in our district.  Three elementary aged girls.  I really hope they
do that again next year.

On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 1:03 PM, Brandy W <branlw at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> 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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>
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-- 
--Penny
----------
A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com