[nabs-l] research paper assistance

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi, Nathan,

A lot of the things blind people do for self-stimulation are similar
to what people with Autism do as well (Rocking, hand flapping, etc.  I
think you could break your research down into researching the
different blindisms and possibly link them to other issues like Autism
or intellectual delay, especially since they stem from the same need
to self-stimulate.

The more specific blindisms to blindness are probably eye poking and
the droopy head (A lot of blind people don't hold their heads up to
face in front of them and talk down to the ground).  Those might be
harder to find information on, but perhaps looking at the specific
behaviors will be helpful instead of just searching specifically for
blindisms.  Articles on social interaction for children who rock might
address issues concerning the blind and children with Autism, which
would still give  you credible sources.

Good luck,

On 10/20/15, Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Nathan,
>
> Wow, what an interesting project! And, you are pretty near me as I'm in
> northern va and graduated years back from Marymount University.
>
> Anyway, great topic, but I believe it will be hard to find sources. I hope
> you don't need many scholarly sources as there are few discussing
> specifically blindisms on interaction. Many studies have been done on
> socialization in general though.
>
> The one scholarly source I can think of is the Journal of Visual Impairment
> put out by AFB.
> I do not know  how you'd access the journal though as it is subscription
> based; my advice would be to read abstracts and perhaps purchase individual
> articles if needed. Other sources could be interviews, if you are allowed to
> use them, with blindness professionals such as teachers of the vision
> impaired and O&M teachers. Most professionals recognize the negative impact
> of blindisms and discourage it among students.
>
> I also think you could use sources about conformity to social norms in
> general and the negative consequences of failing to conform. Certainly
> blindisms are abnormal and are not conforming to social norms.
>
> In terms of websites
> here are some ideas off the top of my head.
>
> Texas School for the blind www.tsbvi.edu
> I've seen many articles on there about teaching kids, and surely there is
> bound to be some on social interaction
> Hadley School for the Blind www.hadley.edu
> Overbrook School for the blind
>
> Also, I highly recommend Future reflections put out by NFB.
> This publication is for parents of blind children grounded in NFB
> philosophy; it has tons  of articles  about social interaction.
>
> Here are some articles with their direct urls that you might find helpful.
> Note, there is a whole issue of the magazine about extra curricular
> activities. While not addressing blindisms specifically, it does address the
> interactions in a sighted world and how important learning social norms are.
>
> Here they are.
>
> Future Reflections Fall 2015
> Manners Matter
>
> “We are all impressed when we meet children who are well-behaved and
> well-mannered. It's easier to like children who conform to our social
> expectations. They seem less strange to us.”
>
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr34/3/fr340304.htm
>
> Standing on My Own Two Feet
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr34/3/fr340316.htm
>
> Special Issue 2015 Extra Curricular Activities
>
> Cheering Blind
>
> Good luck, and if you need more ideas, I'll look around and ask my TVI from
> senior year who I keep in touch with.
> Ashley
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nathan Clark via nabs-l
> Sent: Monday, October 19, 2015 9:13 PM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Nathan Clark
> Subject: [nabs-l] research paper assistance
>
> Dear Nabs,
> My name is Nathan Clark and I am a junior at the University of Towson
> in Towson, Maryland. For my Sociology Social Problems class we have to
> research a social problem in society. I have selected my topic to be
> how blindisms negatively impact blind people in terms of social
> interaction with their sighted peers. I am writing my paper from a
> social interactionists perspective. I was wondering if anyone could
> give me some website or sources that I could use to base my research
> on. Thanks for any help that anyone could provide me.
> Sincerely,
> Nathan Clark
>
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton-Music Therapy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present
Secretary, The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts
Division 2015-2016

"You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"