[Blindtlk] this one aide is driving me crazy? how should ireact?

[David Evans]

Dear All,

I think that the best approach is to tell the aide that you need to talk to 
them about a problem you are having.
Have a sit down talk with them and ask them to just listen and let you 
explain before they answer.
Be polite but firm.
Explain that when you travel it is important for you to encounter objects 
along your path of travel as they act as landmarks and navigational aids as 
you travel.
That you need time to process the information you get from your cane and to 
react.  Interrupting you and your train of thought, does not help you in the 
processing and he such wait until you ask for help or clearly demonstrate 
that you are in a situation you can not handle.
He is not going to be around all of the time in your life and that you need 
the practice in overcoming your own problems, in your own way.
Tel him that you appreciate his concern for your safety, but constant 
corrections from him, before you even have a chance to locate and deal with 
a problem, does not help your ability to travel and problem solve on your 
own.
You need a chance to fail or succeed before he intervenes.
I think that a real sit down talk with him is the best first step in getting 
this problem solved.
If it does not work, then take the next step and go to his supervisor and 
talk to them about the issue.
Going over his head to his supervisor, first, pretty much are burning the 
bridge behind you with this person.
Your handling of this sensitive situation needs to be progressive and step 
by step.
Never make an enemy, if you can help it.  It is always better to make a 
friend instead.
You do not need to let this person walk all over you, but you do need to use 
a sensitive touch in dealing with this person.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
MV Transit Consumer Advocate

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] this one aide is driving me crazy? how should 
ireact?


Sounds to me like you're just going to have to get all in his face and 
bluntly tell you to leave you alone.  If he won't listen to you when you try 
to be nice about it, just get right in his face and tell him to leave you 
alone.  If your school has consequences for what he's doing, make him 
understand that those consequences will be visited upon him.


Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!

Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!

Skype name:
barefootedray

Facebook:
facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1



On Mar 6, 2012, at 6:50 PM, vejas wrote:

> Hi,
> The person I am writing about is not my aide, it's another guy.  This guy, 
> Gregory, helps out with other kids, I think maybe the ones who are 
> autistic?
> Anyway, when I've seen him recently he has been ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING.
> For example, for no other reason than the fact that I was travelling on my 
> own, he said he was proud of me.  But I didn't do anything! I'm just 
> traveling, exactly as I should!
> On a second incident, when I was outside a classroom, I had to call my mom 
> for something, and he came up.  After being told that I was on the phone, 
> I was just about to leave the message when he began talking again in his 
> loud voice, and I had to call her again.  When somebody knows you're on 
> the phone, they should seriously JUST LEAVE.
> And maybe the worst was today.  He followed me the WHOLE ENTIRE last 
> quarter of my math class.  He would tell me to turn left, even if I knew I 
> had to.  And the weirdest thing was that when I was walking, I felt a 
> trash can with my cane and went around it just as I was supposed to.  Then 
> a couple seconds later he said, "There's a trash can." Yes, I know.  I 
> went around it a couple of seconds ago.
> I really need help.  He really bugs me.  I'm assuming he might just be 
> uneducated in blindness, as he is so used to working with 
> learning-disabled and autistíc people and probably has to do a lot with 
> them.
> I've considered telling my aide, but they're sort of friends and knowing 
> who he is (I've had this aide for three years, same one I talked about 
> about getting lost a week ago), I'm assuming he's probably going to make 
> some excuse for Gregory (they're on friendly terms.)
> How can I get the message across to Gregory? Seriously if he doesn't 
> listen to the fact that I'm about to send my mom a message, how am I going 
> to expect him to listen if I talk with him firmly?
> Thank you so much.
> Vejas
>
>
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