[blindkid] School cane O/M issues

L W mama2sally at yahoo.com
Sat Oct 17 05:22:13 UTC 2009


Hi all. We got our daughter Joli’s IEP finalized last week. Monday I went to her school to visit her vision teacher and discovered that Joli hasn’t been using her cane.  She has been storing it in her locker.  So I wrote a note in her communication book saying that I wanted Joli to take her cane with her everywhere.  Joli came home Tuesday saying that her O/M teacher told her that her classes are so close together she could just leave the cane in her homeroom.  She also told Joli to stick her hand through the strap and wear it like a bracelet so she wouldn’t drop it in dog poop.  The O/M teacher’s concern seems to be that Joli isn’t properly using the cane at school. Is this normal / common?  Am I missing something?  I want Joli to use the cane at school even though it is a familiar environment because I want Joli to get into the habit of always taking her cane with her.   Joli has had her cane for almost 1 month.
Also I just noticed on her IEP it says she will learn sighted guide technique.  I am not sure I see the point of that.  Joli is 8 and her vision is 20/400.  Maybe I am not understanding what sighted guide technique is, but as I understand it, it’s taking somebody’s arm and letting them lead you?  If she were younger or her vision were worse maybe I would see more of a point to this, but now I would rather place more emphasis on cane travel and on things like safely crossing the road. Must admit during the IEP process (it’s our 1st time doing the IEP) I was so focused on getting the technology she needs and the enlargements and getting extra reading help as Joli also has dyslexia, that I sort of didn’t pay attention to the O/M side of things as much as I guess I should have.  I am wondering if this sighted guide technique is something I should fight to have changed, which I guess would mean calling another IEP meeting, or if it’s something
 Joli could benefit from.
Thanks for any advice,
Lauren


      


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