[Pibe-division] [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
Cheadle, Barbara
Bcheadle at nfb.org
Thu Dec 18 21:41:30 UTC 2008
From: Barbara Cheadle, Editor, Future Reflections
Table manners are important, but it is not always easy for parents to
figure out how to use nonvisual techniques to teach or encourage those
skills to their blind kids. Most of the things parents are expected to
teach are things that we already know how to do, and we teach our kids
using the techniques that our mothers and fathers used to teach us, and
so on. Attitudes are certainly key, but beyond that, not everyone is
creative enough or confident enough to comfortably and quickly translate
their visual techniques into nonvisual adaptations--especially if
they've never seen it done, or have had limited exposure to role models
to emulate.
It's like someone who is right-handed teaching skills to someone who is
left-handed. Surely you can do it, but it can be frustrating for both
parties. Often the left-handed child has to figure it out for him- or
herself because the right-handed person's techniques--way of grasping a
pencil, holding a paring knife, and so forth--is not comfortable or
efficient for the left-handed person.
Barbara Pierce wrote an excellent article about table manners for our
Future Reflections readers a couple of years ago. In fact, she has
written a series of articles about social skills in general which we
make available in a hard copy social skills packet, or via online links.
Barbara also wrote some excellent pieces for the Braille Monitor, under
"Ask Miss Whozit." Here are some links:
http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm03/bm0305/bm030513.htm
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr04/Issue1/f040107.html
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr5/Issue1/f050107.html
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr7/Issue1/f070104.html
http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm05/bm0510/bm051009.htm
http://www.nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr18/fr05sf03.htm
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm07/bm0711/bm071112.htm
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm08/bm0806/bm080614.htm
http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm06/bm0601/bm060107.htm
Some years ago, our Maryland Parents of Blind Children sponsored a
program where we matched parents with a blind person or couple who
invited the family over for dinner. The understanding was that the
blind adult/couple did so for the purpose of showing parents how they
managed a household, cooked and served a meal, and handled table manners
and social skills in general. Parents were encouraged to ask frank
questions, ask for demonstations, and share their fears and worries
about those little skills that they either didn't know how to teach, or
had not been successful in doing so at that point. It was a great
program and helped a number of parents.
Just some thoughts and some resources to consider.
Barbara Cheadle
________________________________
From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Andy & Sally
Thomas
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 12:54 PM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
As a parent, I can sympathize with the mom. I tried to get some
guidance on teaching my child to eat neatly starting at a very young
age. I could not find anyone who would offer any guidance. I agree
that it is the parent's responsibility to teach the child to eat neatly
but it would be nice to have some suggestions on how to make things work
smoothly like using a plate with high sides and the hand over hand
instruction. We have managed to muddle along on our own but it's just
another way that I feel like we were ignored by the powers that be.
Sally Thomas
----- Original Message -----
From: bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To: LiveInSpirit at aol.com ; egibbs at brazosportisd.net ;
aernet at lists.aerbvi.org ; pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
Hi,
I totally agree. It may need to be the TVI's role to
point out the problem and point the child's parents to resources for
help.
-----Original Message-----
From: LiveInSpirit at aol.com
Sent: Dec 17, 2008 7:09 PM
To: bookwormahb at earthlink.net,
egibbs at brazosportisd.net, aernet at lists.aerbvi.org,
pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
Well, it may not need to be that the TVI does
the direct teaching, but he/she may need to be the one that says, "Hey,
this child should be doing this" and get things rolling with mom or
cafeteria staff or whomever is going to actually address the deficit.
In a message dated 12/17/2008 4:15:07 P.M.
Central Standard Time, bookwormahb at earthlink.net writes:
Hi,
This is a trend then. When I was in
elementary school in 1990s it was the TVI's role to teach academic
skills and some associated skills like computers since you have to learn
that to do your notes and papers.
Then perhaps Emily should visit the home
and teach the child how to eat with a fork.
But still this is a stretch. You tvis
must think unless there is some underlying fine motor deficit or other
impairment that an 11 year old should know a basic skill by then. We
are talking about someone who is blind not mentally impaired. This is
about age appropriate expectations. You all can't do it all. If you
start teaching and act responsible for living skills there will be no
time for academics.
I have been on the list for a few years
and have not heard of a 11 year old not knowing how to eat? What is
next? Are people so backward that they let such a deficit slip until
the child is 11? Surely cafeteria monitors or someone noticed this
before now. When I was in school we had a few cafeteria monitors.
Of course if you have time teach these
things. Go to the cafeteria and help your students. But Most of you
won't have time. You are stretched thin to teach academics as it is.
Is eating skills part of ECC and social integration? Of course it is.
After all student who eats like a baby or culturally inappropriate ways
and dresses badly will not fit in. These needs should be addressed.
Perhaps an evaluation by a rehab teacher should occur. The RT can cover
eating skills and other living skills. I still contend that the parent
should facilitate this too. After all they are raising the child and
hopefully eating with their kid every night. Another professional will
see a child once a week. So since the parent is with the child more, it
only makes since for the parent to play a role too. Just because a
child is blind does not release the parent from doing their parenting
duty which is to raise their child. My parents covered some basic stuff
like opening cartoons and packages but a rt helped me learn later. Once
my parents saw it was possible they reinforced it. Just say to use
hands on and verbal instruction. Teaching such a skill is not rocket
science. Whatever happens I hope the child learns somehow.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: LiveInSpirit at aol.com
Sent: Dec 16, 2008 10:04 PM
To: bookwormahb at earthlink.net,
egibbs at brazosportisd.net, aernet at lists.aerbvi.org,
pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
While I certainly agree that an OT
and/or parent may be able to/should teach eating skills, surely this is
also reasonable for a teacher of the visually impaired to cover as part
of the expanded core curriculum. And as far as why an 11-year-old hasn't
been shown how to do this up to this point is likely because mom and dad
didn't read the foundations book and do not know that it is reasonable
to expect the child to do this and/or they just weren't sure how to
demonstrate a technique that works well. It truly could be innocent
ignorance rather than oversight/blow it off. But, bottom line, I
definitely think that there are times when teaching such skills are
absolutely the duty of the teacher, whether that means you teach the
student directly or the parent or maybe even an aide in the cafeteria.
Similarly, it is our job to cover other daily living skills such as
dressing, bathing, etc. Others at the school may not realize the kids
with visual impairments can do these things for themselves. Do some
observations in the cafeteria and you may be shocked to see that your
students, even your most advanced ones, may be struggling with eating
skills and need help in this area. Needs could range from not knowing
how to open condiment containers, being unable to salt food, pouring
salad dressing, spreading butter on bread, cutting meat, finding food on
eh plate without using the fingers, opening a milk carton, etc. These
are all things I think we should address with our students as certified,
trained vision teachers.
In a message dated 12/16/2008 8:48:09
P.M. Central Standard Time, bookwormahb at earthlink.net writes:
Hi Emily,
It is not your responsibility as a TVI
to teach students to eat. However you probably should to further her
success. Tell the parent politely she should assist her child too.
Explain that all is needed is some hand over hand guidance. My
reaction is something sounds very very wrong.
Why is an eleven year old not eating
with a fork? Is she multiply impaired? Even cognitively delayed and
intelectually (retarded) impaired children eat with forks. Unless there
is a severe disability why is she not doing this? The parents have
failed terribily in waiting til a child is 11 to address eating. Shame,
Shame! Angel has a good point. Parents need to take more initative and
not baby their children unless they are babies.
That being said, I am surprised the OT
does not have a hand in teaching this too. This requires fine motor
coordination. I am assuming the 11 year old child was seeing the OT to
address motor deficits. Can you tell us more such as what the child's
goals were in OT?
I find it hard to believe the only
concern of the mom was the eating issue. If she had not been eating
correctly, I think there were likely other problems.
So although it is certainly the parent's
responsibility, this IMO falls into OT as well. I think I learned
eating skills at home and it was reinforced by teachers and staff at
school.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: "Gibbs, Emily"
Sent: Dec 15, 2008 3:35 PM
To: aernet at lists.aerbvi.org,
Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: [AERNet] Eating with a Fork
I was just contacted by the OT in my
school district and she is apparently dismissing one of my blind
students from service. She had just discussed this with the parent and
the parent's only concern was the fact that this 11year old can not eat
with a fork. The OT wanted to know if I would be willing to do a home
visit in order to help them teach this student to eat with a fork at
home.
What would you do in this situation?
,Emily ,Gibbs
Emily L Gibbs M.Ed. NCLB
Teacher of Blind Students
586.489.6017
979.730.7155 x11594
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