[blindkid] blindkid Digest, Vol 60, Issue 4
Lisa Moon
lmoon66 at yahoo.com
Mon Apr 6 13:21:29 UTC 2009
Jessica,
Thanks for sharing the story. Ian our 10 year old is being groomed for the goal ball team at the MN State Academy for the Blind. The team is made up of older kids at the school, but they are including Ian in all of the practices and home meets so that he can build his skills. This game, plus the swim team at the academy have made a huge difference for Ian. In his words, "I finally feel like I belong. Nobody ever tells me I can't play and they always find ways to include me."
My husband just told me of an article in one of his cycling magazines about a teenager that had vision as a young child, but is now blind secondary to a medical condition. This young man rides his bike on mountain bike trails, using a cane that is attached to the front of the bike and he steers using the auditory information that he gets from the cane. Talk about O/M skills! Maybe we should include bike riding in the O/M IEP Goals just to drive the TBVIs crazy...lol!
Lisa Moon
________________________________
From: "blindkid-request at nfbnet.org" <blindkid-request at nfbnet.org>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Sent: Saturday, April 4, 2009 12:00:15 PM
Subject: blindkid Digest, Vol 60, Issue 4
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Today's Topics:
1. Story about GoalBall in a Salt Lake City Newspaper (Jessica Trask)
2. Re: O & M evaluation, FVA (Leah)
3. Re: O & M evaluation, FVA (Marie Smith)
4. Invitation to Cross the border (Jan Wright)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:29:48 -0400
From: Jessica Trask <jess28 at samobile.net>
Subject: [blindkid] Story about GoalBall in a Salt Lake City Newspaper
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <20090403212948.15920.14023 at web1.serotek.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format="flowed"
Hi,
I figured that I would share this story.
http://deseretnews.com/article/print/705293661/Goalball-is-the-game-of-choice-for-visually-impaired.html
--
Jessica Trask
www. samobile.net/users/jess28
Facebook Jessica Trask
private email jessica.trask.reagan at gmail.com
Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit
www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 17:57:23 -0500
From: Leah <leah at somazen.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] O & M evaluation, FVA
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <57808EA3-452F-4EE4-944D-8264357390AF at somazen.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
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
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 21:49:25 -0500
From: "Marie Smith" <empwrn at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] O & M evaluation, FVA
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind
children\)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <022f01c9b4cf$f87e5a70$6602a8c0 at your4dacd0ea75>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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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> th.net
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 12:44:25 -0400
From: "Jan Wright" <jan.wrightfamily5 at gmail.com>
Subject: [blindkid] Invitation to Cross the border
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <012b01c9b544$9f3712c0$2f01a8c0 at homez385jh4h44>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi all,
My son and I are going to Detroit for the convention.
We have decided to get our passports and go to Canada.
(note: you will need a passport and not just identification, as you might have needed before).
I'd rather go with a group of parents and children than go by myself.
Anyone up for a trip to Canada?
I have contacted the "travel and tourism" division of the NFB (more than once) and have gotten no response.
I would like to get a group together to go.
Anyone game for crossing the border?
Cement new friendships by sharing new experiences.
Jan and family
"Bonds of the Heart should never be broken!"
"Dil kay rishton kay bandhan kabhi naheen tootnay chahiay hain!" -- Urdu translation
------------------------------
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