[Pibe-division] Is this the way to teach a kindergartener Braille?
Carrie Gilmer
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
Sat Mar 7 00:42:39 UTC 2009
Dear Mindy,
I think the proper use of sleep shades is highly misunderstood. The purpose
of sleep shades is not to teach "not to rely on their low vision at all".
When a child or adult has enough vision to be truly at times functional and
useful for truly and accurately identifying a fair amount of things it is my
experience that reliance on that vision does not need to be taught. It is
automatic, and it is pretty hard or not natural to "shut it off" and rely on
the sense of touch or sound to "over-ride" or correct what may be false
information by the visual. Before a child with low vision, who needs
nearness for identification, even gets to learning Braille also they have
habitually become "lean-ers" due to that strong natural tendency to use what
we have and to see something.
It also seems to be that people "trust" the visual information they get more
automatically. Why is that? Well, we don't know-but sighted people do it.
"that pan didn't LOOK hot!" "the ice LOOKED safe" "that man LOOKED nice"
"the seat didn't LOOK cold!" etc. etc. People with 100% of human vision get
it wrong-how often do those with 10% or less?
Also I think it nearly impossible to separate out the messages these
children get as far as positive messages when they CAN see something or to
TRY and see something. And often a sigh at least and a "well, that's okay,
let's try another way" when they can't. I don't mean to suggest that we
wouldn't want them to see what they can and be happy about it-that is
ridiculous. I am thrilled for what my son can see, that is not the point.
In order to read Braille proficiently by touch, one has to practice by touch
and one has to get through a learning period that one can trust that one can
KNOW a thing by touch, and that in that instance touch is superior in
getting the job done efficiently and accurately. This happens with low
vision children and canes too. They walk and hold the cane up and are still
placing energy on looking just in front, until they can really trust what
the cane can do. They don't get a true "feel" for the cane because they are
not focused on touch and their other senses and they have not come to trust
that the cane will "tell them" when they will bump into something of step
down. I see a massive problem (lack of this) with blind and low vision
children having opportunity and instruction in trusting their other senses
especially touch and in using that sense in a purposeful and methodical way.
Kids at my Saturday school all the time don't trust their sense of touch or
know how to explore something in a methodical way.
I worked at a rehab center which used sleep shades exclusively, and my son
used sleep shade training off and on over a period of six years. It was
extraordinary what I learned and observed. People who "cheated" never
traveled as well or as confidently as those who did not or those who had
nothing to cheat with. People who "cheated" never learned Braille as quickly
or as well. People who could not trust completely their other senses to know
never felt as comfortable with their blindness either or as unafraid as
those who didn't. Those who came to understand and trust their other senses
were able to integrate sight back in and had a better understanding of when
their sight truly was unreliable. My son periodically still chooses (as do
some low vision instructors I know) to practice something with shades on "to
get a real feel for it". He can move seamlessly from the visual to
non-visual most of the time, but that vision is strong. And I can promise
you he gets it wrong sometimes still-he has never gotten it wrong by hearing
or touch, but he still has a tendency at times to think something that he
saw was accurate and it was not. Maybe some of that is just the same as me
when I think something by vision and I am wrong. I think it is a very hard
thing and only comes with maturity and total non-bias about which sense is
superior-for each low vision person to accurately tell when their own vision
is reliable or not.and that is when their vision remains unchanging, add
changing and it is more challenging to learn.
This saying, "to get a feel for it" it is very telling I think. It is one of
a few phrases in our language that recognizes KNOWING by touch. Blindfolded
'training' is not even a new concept, and I don't know I would love to learn
some history but it seems centuries old. In fact the epitome of knowing
something was to be able to do it blindfolded.
I know kids with LP who get scared of the lights going out, scared of the
dark. Where does that come from? Darkness is not scary, it has no
temperature or power or physically harmfulness in itself. But we act as
though it does.
* Sleep shade training is valuable for:
* Building trust in the other senses, getting that "feel" for it
* Speeding up the learning process
* Focusing the mind on the other sensory information
* Taking the fear out of darkness and blindness-learning what can be
done, and known, and being safe and in control does not depend on vision.
* Sleep shades are merely a training tool.
Braille was invented to be a touch method of reading. In the end I do not
understand why you would have a child learn it by vision. If the child can
see well enough to read without any problem or fatigue with their eyes, then
it seems to me they would be a print reader and not need the alternative of
the other tool which would not strain vision.
Sorry I got rambling, but I have met many of those opposing in the last
seven years that you speak of Mindy and it is differently oppositional than
that in my experience. I don't know that it is just two exact opposite
camps, but I do find many who push low vision children to use almost
exclusively their sight. Magnify, bring in light, do anything to change the
environment to enhance the vision, even in travel-and vision is taught and
reinforced as the most primary thing to rely on to these kids. They are bent
over, face up to things, to the point of unreasonableness. I would not say
this was a problem if the vision was truly functionally the best for these
tasks for them-but I know very well in each case I have witnessed for them
it isn't. And these people DO rely on acuity, and can hardly wait for you to
get the next doctor appointment in my experience. On the other hand the many
"sleep shade" people I know never discourage vision except where it truly is
not the best functionally. These people truly believe in multi-sensory and
getting proficient in every tool in the box.
And the question is/was not about the acuity, this kindergartener is three
inches preferred viewing distance. He has only learned 8 letters of the
alphabet in Braille since the beginning of the year. I guess in my few
sentences I gave importance to acuity I did not intend.
Wow this got long, sorry...
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
www.nfb.org/nopbc
_____
From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mindy Lipsey
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 3:43 PM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Is this the way to teach a
kindergartenerBraille?
I wanted to share some thoughts...
I have 2 boys with low vision. My oldest started learning braille in 3rd
grade when his vision was 20/200. He did learn braille visually and then
without looking. I've learned that when partially sighted children has some
useful vision, TVIs tend to take two very opposing approaches.
One will say these children should learn to use their remaining vision and
then compensate using non-visual techniques. Others will use sleepshades to
teach the children not to rely on their low vision at all.
With my oldest son, I was very hung up on the number of his visual acuity.
But it's just a number. It doesn't in any way describe how well your child
functions. I'm glad Matthew started braille at age 9 though, b/c he had
problems functioning with his remaining vision.
Josh, on the other hand, is in 3rd grade and has a visual acuity of 20/220.
I am approaching his IEP differently though. He functions perfectly. Not
one sign of trouble. He smacks baseball out of the park, reads newspaper
print without the slightest bit of difficulty, etc. I decided to hold off
on his services and look at how he functions, not just his visual acuity
number.
Just remember that visual acuity is a number. It's not very useful in most
ways, except by the government when deciding when to declare someone
"legally blind".
Mindy
--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Is this the way to teach a kindergartener
Braille?
To: "'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List'"
<pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Date: Friday, March 6, 2009, 12:59 PM
Thanks Tim!
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
<mailto:carrie.gilmer at gmail.com> carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
<http://www.nfb.org/nopbc> www.nfb.org/nopbc
_____
From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tim Shaw
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 12:04 AM
To: pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Is this the way to teach a kindergartener
Braille?
My vision was roughly the same as this childs when i learned my braille
basics in 7/8th grade. I did start out by learning my braille visually and
then once I knew and udnertood the letters I moved into working on my
tactile skills more and more, but I do not remember ever doing anything
like this
_____
From: carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
To: pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 16:49:14 -0600
Subject: [Pibe-division] Is this the way to teach a kindergartener Braille?
All lines were directed to be drawn and circled by the student. Picture of
it taken by mother is attached.
Six years old, albinism, 20/160-200 measured with correction. Please
everyone comment.
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
<mailto:carrie.gilmer at gmail.com> carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
<http://www.nfb.org/nopbc> www.nfb.org/nopbc
_____
I'm attaching a Braille sheet that came home today. I get these many times a
week. Is it strange that Brian is instructed to circle and draw lines? It
appears that he is being directed to approach Braille visually.
Please tell me if this is normal or acceptable for teaching a low-vision
child Braille. Please tell me if this is so far out of the norm that I
should be very concerned.
Thank you!
:) Carolynn
_____
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meet.
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