[blindkid] Middle schoolers

Tue Nov 24 00:26:25 UTC 2015

Hi Traci. I commend you for being so involved, and for having such
good intuitions about what is best for your daughter now and in the
future.
As you know, I feel quite strongly that "helping" students too much
(especially on exams) not only prevents them from learning but also
robs them of opportunities to accomplish things they can be proud of,
plus it violates the integrity of the education for the rest of the
students. It sounds like you may have compelling reasons to leave the
resource school.
While it was twenty years ago, I recall that the main support I needed
in middle and high school was Braille transcription. This is
important, but can happen almost entirely out of the classroom. So one
key factor may be whether she will have reliable Braille transcription
of class materials at the new school? I don't think push-in for math
is necessary in most cases. It sounds like Olivia is bright and
adaptable, and could learn just as well from a tutor or a family
member who knows how she learns best.
I switched from the Perkins to a Braille notetaker for math once
things changed from arithmetic to pre-algebraic equations. By that
point, the work was much less voluminous and more conceptual than
computational, so the physical alignment that the Perkins helps
provide was less critically important. For me this transition occurred
toward the end of the sixth grade. Some math classes might switch to
pre-algebra as soon as early sixth grade or as late as eighth. I don't
remember being pulled out for testing, even back when I was using a
Perkins. I think folks simply tolerated the noise. But I could be
wrong about that. Any chance Olivia could get a Braille notetaker from
the school?
Arielle

On 11/23/15, Traci W via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks Carol, I do have those books and will refresh my mind with them!
> Right away!!  I also have a fellow blind adult helping with the NVDA
> skills, although she is a bit too fast and I have to remind her we are not
> experts!  :)
>
> She has great independence skills (her and I have butted heads since birth!
> ha! ) and she has my math brain, its just when new concepts are introduced,
> she sometimes freaks out, but then she gets it quickly.  Our kids in the
> middle (resource school) do not have any assistance moving about, etc, but
> our braille kids have push in with math, which I'm questioning as well, is
> this really necessary in the class to have someone sitting there with
> them?  Is this normal?
>
> I'm realizing all this support isn't really helping these kids, but
> creating a crutch ......  :(
>
> Thank you so much!
> Traci
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 9:05 AM, Carol Castellano via blindkid <
> blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Traci,
>>
>> You bring up a lot of issues in your message.  It's great that you are on
>> it!
>>
>> I would definitely put independence at the top of the list.  You can add
>> specific independence goals to her IEP.  It's so easy to put off the
>> child's becoming independent, but the years go by fast and you want her to
>> be ready to go off to college or work ON HER OWN!  If you need ideas for
>> all this, please do check out my books Making It Work: Educating the BVI
>> Student in the Regular School and Getting Ready for College Begins in
>> Third
>> Grade, both available from NFB at
>>
>> https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=
>> .
>>
>> It seems odd to me that she is at a VI school but they do not have the
>> ability to teach VI technology, ie, JAWS.  Is she getting some other
>> extraordinary benefit from being there?  If not, I'd look at the regular
>> school.
>>
>> Regarding what services she might need in the regular school, it would
>> probably be someone to be in the background preparing materials, visits
>> from a TVI perhaps to teach new Braille signs for math or science when
>> needed and to check on materials, visits from a tech specialist to teach
>> her JAWS and any other VI-related technology she might need, and visits
>> from a mobility instructor to work on independent mobility skills in
>> school
>> and in the community.
>>
>> I would definitely NOT have a personal aide.  I would want her to change
>> classes on her own in the same amount of time as peers.  If she doesn't
>> have the skills for that, I would make sure she gets the training.
>>
>> For math, maybe she needs someone to tutor her, as any child might who
>> finds learning math challenging.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> Carol Castellano
>> Parents of Blind Children-NJ
>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>> 973-377-0976
>> carol_castellano at verizon.net
>> www.blindchildren.org
>> www.nopbc.org
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 8:24 AM, Traci W via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Okay, my oldest will move up to middle next year and I'm really trying
>> > to
>> > prepare her but I'm getting way too much pushback from her TVI in
>> preparing
>> > her and I"m really getting peeved.  I work in the middle as a braillist
>> so
>> > I see what she needs to know, etc.  The kids come up with out enough
>> > computer experience, as I've expressed before, she will not teach laptop
>> > with Jaws ( I think due to her own inabilities) and solely relies on the
>> > iPad which my daughter is very good at luckily.  The school email is
>> > inaccessible and now they are saying she can't use gmail (this came up
>> when
>> > we moved to the school iPad and away from using our own iPad, which we
>> have
>> > for the last 3 years, I'm guessing we are moving back to our personal
>> > iPad.)
>> >
>> > I'm starting to think there is too much support in this school system.
>> The
>> > over helping is driving me nuts.  I'm wondering how I can amend her IEP
>> to
>> > alleviate all this helping where it is more the TVI's work and not the
>> > child's.  The kids grades are not a reflection of what they know, but
>> what
>> > the TVI does.  I'm even considering pulling her out of the VI school and
>> > letting her go to her base school, she definitely would not have a TVI
>> > everyday hovering over her if she wasn't in a VI resource school.  She
>> > would be left to her own devices for the most part.  My only concern is
>> > math, but I'm good at math so I could help out there (as I would
>> > probably
>> > quit my job if she went to another school, so that I could help her
>> > more).   And I have already started working with her personally with
>> > NVDA
>> > at home, since her TVI won't teach her and doesn't seem to think they
>> need
>> > it for middle.  Ackkkk
>> >
>> > Anyways, I know I've kind of rambled, but I'm wondering what is the
>> variety
>> > of level of services your child received in Middle - Olivia is very
>> > smart
>> > and independent and can't stand all the "help"' she is getting right now
>> in
>> > 5th as it is.  The only place I really see support needed is in math
>> > when
>> > she struggles with a new concept, then she totally gets it once they
>> > review.  Do most middle schoolers test outside of the classroom for
>> math, I
>> > know the braille writer can be distracting to the other kids?
>> > Unfortunately, math is where there is too much helping going on, on
>> tests,
>> > and I've talked to Olivia about it but she doesn't want to be rude and
>> say
>> > anything, it really puts the kids in a bad spot.
>> >
>> > Thanks everyone!
>> > Traci
>> >
>> > --
>> > Traci Wilkerson
>> > Cell – 919-971-6526
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>
>
>
> --
> Traci Wilkerson
> Cell – 919-971-6526
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