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

Mon Sep 12 17:36:54 UTC 2011

I'd start now so you can get it in her IEP. I think NFB may also have some 
scholarships.

"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 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] [Bulk] a mini vent about a summer program.

>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
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