[nfbwatlk] New to NFB

Mon Dec 1 00:37:03 UTC 2014

Hi,
Oh dear! I've heard similar stories through the years. We had students at
the school for the blind who they called "sight-saving students" who were
higher partials who had trouble reading and got headaches etc, because they
weren't taught braille. Some of them really wanted to learn braille, too,
when they saw how well it worked for us. 
Thanks
Lauren

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-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Becky
Frankeberger via nfbwatlk
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2014 4:00 PM
To: 'Kristina Sawyckyj'; 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] New to NFB

Please please don't be a parent like mine, too embarrassed to fully get the
help there child needed. I was always behind in reading, thus felt and was
horribly teased as dumb, my child's interpretation. I could read slowly
large print, but it gave me a headache if I read more than a few pages. I
was never allowed to walk on my own. I had to be led by another child or
adult. Thus other children were more capable then I was, my child's
interpretation. Thus I learned how to manipulate the system. I graduated
from high school barely reading at a fifth grade level. The school system
just passed me through as they thought I was dumb, my young adult
interpretation. 

So I sat at home with no self-esteem, no abilities. No hope.

My eight year old grandson walks to the mailbox a quiet street away to get
the mail. He learned how to wash his own clothes, wash dishes, load a dish
washer, feed his dog and change the dog's water. He dresses himself picks
out his own clothes, plays chess, loves to learn. By the way his dad watches
him walk those two blocks to the mailbox. Let's not get irresponsible here.
He is supervised washing dishes, needs help making his bed.

So you have a lot to teach her to set your expectations high of her and
yourself. 

At eight I sat in front of the TV, as my parents had no expectations.

I should have been learning how to use a long white cane. I should have with
supervision walked to the store around the corner from me, bought the small
groceries, paid and walked home with my cane keeping me safe. I should have
learned the skills of blindness, including Braille. I should have learned
other techniques to keep up with my peers. 

If you are not interpreting things around you like steps, when to cross a
street, you may need a cane as well. Your interpretation because of the head
injury might be blurring what is safe and what isn't safe walking down the
street. So a long white cane might be a good option for you, not sure. There
is a gal on another list who has fine vision, but because of how her brain
processes, she will fall down the steps without her long white cane. This
condition is pretty rare, but I thought I would put it out there anyway. 

So good job momma for getting the eye evaluation. Good job getting her and O
and M assessment. Good job for getting a good solid IEP.  

Becky, college graduate,  former Commissioner HRC, who owns her own business

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kristina
Sawyckyj via nfbwatlk
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2014 1:18 PM
To: Kaye Kipp; portillo.jim at gmail.com; nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbwatlk] New to NFB

My daughter and I are visually impaired. Mine was a result of a massive head
injury on active duty in 1988. I have 7 living kiddos and my youngest,
Sarahrose, was born with double and blurry vision since birth. She is 8 and
goes to First Place Scholars charter school for homeless families in
Seattle- Raineir Valley.  She is struggling to read and is at a kindergarten
level. I am hooked up with. Ms. Janet with the services for the blind in
Seattle. I am waiting for the school for the blind to figure out how to
access her, as she is in washington's very first public charter school.
She does see Dr. Hamilton at Swedish in 2 weeks for her first comprehensive
vision exam.

Being partially sighted seems to make life harder as she tries so hard to be
sighted but that is not working for her.  I am working with her to teach her
to rely on her other senses but we are new to all of this.

I would love to connect with other WA parents and others. 

Kristina

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