[nabs-l] We know about college but think back to high school

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi, Bridget,

Academically, I had great support from my family and teachers.  I was
an AP/Honors student in high school, and managed to test out of my
introductory psych course.  I also was supported in taking my high
school's music theory class which, although wasn't available for AP
credit, helped me learn the basics of what I would come across in
college music theory courses my first year.  This course did not get
me out of taking theory classes at my college, but it made the first
two in the sequence a breeze because I had done the exercises before.
I also learned enough in this theory course to test out of my piano
requirements, and I was also encouraged to study guitar before hand so
I was able to test out of guitar more quickly than my peers.

My family has been really great about teaching me independence skills
for the most part, but there were times when my mother, who primarily
took charge of that, was worried enough that her fear got in the way
of my learning.  I really didn't know many blind role models at the
time, so I didn't learn how to do a lot of independent living things
before I was forced to do them in college.  This was fine my first
year, because I had a meal plan and there was nothing unsafe about
doing laundry that would have prevented my mom from teaching me that,
but in my second year it was clear how much I really didn't know.
Cooking was a huge issue, and so was cleaning.  I didn't have to worry
about cleaning too much while in a dorm room, but once I had a
bathroom to clean and a kitchen sink to clean out the garbage
disposal, I had no prior experience doing these things.  I'm somewhat
embarrassed to say that I learned these things through trial and
error, and googling instructions because I didn't really know who else
to ask.

While learning these things by trial and error can be done, it isn't
the most enjoyable experience.  Cooking was especially hard for me, I
think because everyone had always told me it was dangerous.  I didn't
use the oven for the longest time because I was afraid of getting
burned and not having much room to pull away like I would when cooking
on the stove.  My high school did have a cooking course like many do,
but it was hard to get into.  Moreover, I doubt I would have had the
support to learn how to independently do things in that kind of
setting.  Undoubtedly, my braillist would have come with me to that
class to act as an aid, and I probably would have been given the
simple tasks like mixing ingredients and measuring rather than
actually working with the cooking.

I also know that my high school offered a "life skills" program, but
this would not have suited me.  It was for the kids in the resource
room, and they were always given simple tasks like washing the lunch
trays in the afternnon, using the vaccum, etc.  For me, there would
have been no focus on what I actually needed to learn, or identifying
alternative techniques to accomplish those goals.  I already knew how
to vaccum and wash dishes, so that idea was nixed.  The other problem
was that the resource room kids did practice cooking and other home
management tasks like that, but I would have needed to miss important
classes I was taking in order to fall into their schedule.  It seemed
really tricky to get independent living skills I needed to learn
outside the home, while being a very successful student in the top 10%
of my class.

I know this is a huge problem facing those who are blind without other
disabilities; we don't quite fit in with the typical AP or honors
kids, but we need extra training that is sometimes taught to students
with developmental disabilities in a segregated resource room, and
what AP kid is going to want to miss out on a chance to test out of a
college class early, even if it is to learn life skills they don't
already know?

On 12/13/14, Roanna Bacchus via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Bridget thanks for your message.  My name is Roanna Bacchus.
> For me the transition from high school to college was pretty
> easy.  My dbs counselors made sure that everything was in place
> for me to start college in the Fall of 2011.  In the Summer
> before my Freshman year of college I spent two weeks at a Summer
> camp for visually impaired college students.
>
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-- 
Kaiti