[blindkid] O & M evaluation, FVA

Marie Smith empwrn at bellsouth.net
Sat Apr 4 02:49:25 UTC 2009


Thank you, Leah, for your thoughts. I really have been thinking that cane
use was the way to go for the outdoors. When I said that he appeared to have
balance issues, I meant it more as a way of describing it. He appears as if
he is bracing for a fall or unbalanced. I think he is just kind of just well
doing what the rest of the sighted world does when their eyes are closed
just as you described. I don't truly believe that he has a balance problem.
I think I'll at the very least go ahead and get him a cane as you have
recommended. 

Marie (mother of Jack, 3 yrs old with Apert Syndrome)
http://www.allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
Learn more about Apert Syndrome
http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.org/apert.html
Get information and support at Teeter's page
http://www.apert.org



> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Leah
> Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 5:57 PM
> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] O & M evaluation, FVA
> 
> Marie,
> 
> This is all just opinion from a mom of a just-turned 4-year-old.
> 
> If my child could walk and had the vision you listed, I would actually
> get a long white cane before even requesting the O&M eval. I would
> request the eval, and request services. But, I would be prepared in
> case the O&M instructor felt that my child might not need a cane, or
> should only have it during lessons, etc. If that happened, I would buy
> Joe Cutter's new book and read it and get together with a blind friend
> and watch how they used their cane, and I would give my child the cane
> for use all the time. But that's just me. And my child is currently
> nonambulatory.
> 
> You said it appears that he may be having trouble with balance
> outside. Is there any indication with his diagnosis that kids can have
> any sort of inner or middle ear malformation? A balance problem is
> definitely something to watch out for and get help with. Besides that,
> though, maybe he has his hands up to protect himself or to prepare for
> falling?
> 
> I have a balance problem, and I am sighted. I can't balance in open
> spaces. The way it looks when I go out is: I try to sit/walk where I
> am very close to a wall all the time, or else holding someone's hand.
> I don't know if it is exactly echolocation, but I can balance by
> feeling the sounds bouncing off close objects (and by vision). I don't
> put my arms up in the air, but then kids might do that more than
> adults for balance fear. But, if I am playing a game outside with my
> daughter where I have to walk around with my eyes closed, then I
> instinctively put my hands up in the air.  It's funny, when we went on
> a blindfolded cane walk at the TX state convention, I thought I was
> going to want to put my hands up in the air, but with the cane in my
> hand I felt a lot safer and like I could relax my arms.
> 
> The differences you stated between indoors and outdoors could provide
> some clues for you over time. The cane is such a simple tool, and
> there are so many cane users, that I would just try it and continue to
> evaluate for a balance problem over time. There can be solutions if
> one is found.
> 
> <<Jack has fine motor issues which may make holding a cane difficult.
> His
> fingers don?t bend. His hands are small.>>
> 
> I am guessing you could totally adapt. Get the lightest weight cane,
> and get help to make a handhold that works for Jack's hand. If some
> educational professional feels that the hand issues are something they
> don't know how to deal with with cane use, you can be the expert on
> Jack and try to create something. It would be so nice if the
> professionals were always ready for our complex kids, but in my
> experience, often they're not, and mom has to step in with that
> special motivation and expertise to find a practical answer.
> 
> <<Jack navigates his current preschool environment just fine except
> that he
> needs physical assistance descending stairs and curbs. He needs verbal
> cues
> for going up curbs and surface changes. >>
> 
> This is where the cane helps. He won't have to hold it all the time;
> he will soon find when he is not needing it to set it somewhere where
> he knows where it is.
> 
> Going to state or national NFB convention is the best place to just
> watch and absorb all the different people using their canes. I learned
> so much at our state convention.
> 
> << Since then, I asked for another
> FVA but was told that they are done only every three years or unless
> there
> is a significant change. >>
> 
> There was a significant change because you got accurate data on his
> vision for the very first time, and it was very different from the
> information you had before. I would request one and I would ask for an
> experienced, mentor TVI to do it together with your TVI. One reason
> for this is the comment that you made about the TVI stating that he
> would be a visual learner when the information at the time indicated
> he was legally blind. I would hope for more information than just a
> statement like that. John has had one yearly, even though it is only
> required every three years, and he has had a mentor TVI present each
> time.
> 
> Leah
> 
> 
> 
> 
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