[blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas

[Susan Harper]

Thank you all for your input.  Much of this was what I was thinking and what
my husband and I have talked about.  We also have a report from out child
psychologist, who recommends more stepping back and letting our son learn,
as he feels he has good instincts and skills already in place.  However,
that said, I have to work with what I have.  But my gut tells me I am on the
right path.  Thank you so much for all the different perspectives.
Blessings,
Sue H.

On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 10:50 PM, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:

> Ask the O and M instructor to write with his or her left hand! In other
> words, the guy or gal is nuts! If your child is using the cane properly, he
> won't have to trail walls! That's a good way to get vinched fingers if a
> door is opened and little fingers are in the wrong place while diligently
> trailing the wall!
>
> Mike Freeman, President
> NFB of Washington
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Susan Harper <sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <
> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>  Date: Thursday, Oct 15, 2009 12:29:24
> Subject: [blkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas
>
> >
> >
> > Hi All,
> >
> >      I know I am probably going to sound uneducated here, but I have a
> > question for those whose children use canes and mental mapping, okay, two
> > questions.  Here goes.
> >
> >      My son learned to use his cane in his right hand.  He has done a
> > remarkable job of adapting to cane travel for a 3 year old.  He also does
> > extremely well with echo location and mental mapping.  Now the O & M
> > instructor (I might add that we got a new O & M instructor on the first
> day
> > of school.) wants him to switch cane hands.  He is right handed and the O
> &
> > M want him to use the cane in his left hand, so he can trail with his
> right
> > hand and then cane diagonally.  He is not really happy or cooperative
> with
> > this change.  Is this something others have had experience with?  Is this
> > something new?  Every picture I have seen of a child or an adult with a
> > cane, it has been in their right hand.  I get the reason that he should
> be
> > able to use both hands and walk on the right, but it seems a little bit
> like
> > trying to make a lefty learn right hand stuff, only in this case it is
> > making a right handed person into a lefty.  I also understand that the
> can
> > is an extension of your hand.
> >
> >      Second issue.  My son is learning trailing in the classroom.
>  However,
> > he was headed straight for his cubby to get his coat and his aid
> interrupted
> > him to go back and trail.  I thought it was quite remarkable that he has
> a
> > mental map and knows where his coat is.  I should say that I am an
> advocate
> > of discovery learning techniques.
> >
> >      Help, what am I missing?
> >
> > Blessings,
> > Sue H.
> > _______________________________________________
> > blkid mailing list
> > blindkid at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blkid:
> >
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sueharper%40firstchurchgriswold.org
>
>