[NFB-DB] Family to Family Connect

[Catherine Miller]

Friends,
Your points are well taken.  I completely agree.  The focus of such groups is children, and therefore it is natural they should have a custodial, protective view of their charges; their focus is not deafblind adults, and so they gear their language to each other.

It is healthy to consider myself as a valid member of a family in which deafblindness is a factor.

Let's be clear:  this is not my group; I did not create the flyer, and I do not perpetuate the problem.  I am simply there to assist in their development of a concept of a future for their children.  

My background is not education nor special education.  My background is psychology and mental health counseling.  I experienced first hand the competition and the relegation to inferior status among my colleagues.  They have no motivation to change.

But if you are interested in participating asa family memberamong other family members affected by deafblindness, and the language of the flyer stops you, self-advocacy demands that you bring the language of the flyer to their attention.  And if you want to go further, tell them when you register what type of accommodations you need.  The moderators are quite resourceful and will help you to feel comfortable.

But special education, parenting, and particularly deafblindness are dynamic fields.  Knowledge about them is growing, and paradigms are shifting rapidly.  The thing that remains constant is "us," the deafblind people themselves, who have the ability to tell them when they're wrong.  Do them a favor and inform them what's wrong with their flyer.  They really do need our help.

By the way, this is a great discussion.  Thanks to each of you for offering your insight.

Cathy



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