[blindkid] School cane O/M issues

DrV icdx at earthlink.net
Mon Oct 19 23:10:35 UTC 2009


I agree with Heather's approach.
Also if can be helpful & insightful to request that the O&M justify in 
writing what his/her concerns are. Then you can better a better sense of how 
to make your case.
Good luck & Best wishes,
Eric V

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "H. Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 15:44
Subject: Re: [blindkid] School cane O/M issues


> Dear Lauren,
> I would avoid a long, drawn out, back and forth between you and the
> classroom teacher. I wouldn't speak on the phone. This is a boundaries
> issue and it needs you to visit the teacher in person and discuss it
> with her.  Most classroom teachers are used to trusting the "blindness
> professionals".  Neither classroom teachers, and to a greater extent,
> "blindness professionals" are used to parents being the experts on
> their own blind children. In my extensive experience, as a blind child
> and now a blind teacher, most blindness professionals are used to
> telling parents what they think should be done, and having parents
> trust them and do whatever they say.
>
> I would go to the school before class one morning [or in the
> afternoon if more convenient], as soon as possible, and have a quiet
> word with the teacher. I would simply say that, as your child's
> parent, you decide what is best for your child, even though there are
> professionals who assist you to bring about the choices you have made.
> You enrolled your child in this school to learn what they teach.
> However, you supervise the homework and if there is some content or
> activity with which you disagree, you will make the choice to opt your
> child out of it.
>
> The school has a nurse who knows about health and nutrition, but it is
> you who decides what your child wears to keep warm, what she eats and
> what medication she will, or will not take. Even though the nurse may
> disagree, it is not her place to make decisions about Joli's health.
> Similarly, you will decide what is best for your blind child in terms
> of her safety, and how much you want her relying solely on her vision
> and how much you want her to use a cane as well as her vision. The
> mobility teacher may have her opinions, and you expect her to teach
> your child techniques, methods etc. but you, as Joli's parent, will
> decide which of those techniques, methods and tools your child will or
> will not use and when she will or will not use them. You, not the
> mobility teacher, are responsible for Joli's safety, development of
> confidence and competence and you, not the mobility teacher, will make
> those decisions. Therefore, you say politely to the classroom teacher,
> this is not an orientation and mobility question, it's a parenting
> question. You and Joli's father, as the parents, have decided that
> Joli needs to take her cane with her everywhere she goes and use it.
> So, we needn't worry about what the mobility teacher has to say.
>
> If there is any argument, you call for an IEP meeting and get it
> written in as part of the IEP. The professionals' behaviour is
> outrageous, though not uncommon, and I wouldn't stand for it for one
> second. Joli needs to be allowed to learn that she doesn't have to
> sacrifice her safety, confidence and security so she can pretend that
> her vision is reliable enough to be her only orientation and mobility
> tool. Much of this behaviour on the part of the part of blindness
> professionals is an unconscious desire on their part to have children
> be as sighted as possible for as much time as possible and to use
> vision rather than to look "blind" and use a cane. It is, however, the
> worst message possible to be sending Joli.
>
> I encourage you not to allow anyone to make any decisions for your
> child. You, as her parent - educated in what's best for your child
> with limited vision - are the only one who will be living with the
> consequences of these decisions in ten or twenty years. Not her
> teachers and instructors. Don't back down Lauren.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Heather Field
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "L W" <mama2sally at yahoo.com>
> To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 4:38 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] School cane O/M issues
>
>
> Hi all. Thanks for the advice.Â
> I wrote another note in Joliâ?Ts agenda book saying that Joli must
> take her cane with her to all of her classes and that all of her
> teachers need to be aware of this. Her main classroom teacher sent a
> note back saying that she would discuss it with her O/M teacher. This
> makes me mad because I donâ?Tt care if the O/M teacher thinks she
> should have it or not. I think she should have it. I donâ?Tt want the
> classroom teacher to defer to the O/M teacher on whether or not my
> child should have her cane with her. Am I overstepping my bounds to
> say â?oI am her mother, and if I say I say she must take her cane with
> her everywhere she goes, then she must take it regardless of how the
> O/M teacher feels about it.�?
> Thanks,
> Lauren Wibbe
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/missheather%40comcast.net
>
>
>
>


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


> _______________________________________________
> 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/icdx%40earthlink.net
> 





More information about the BlindKid mailing list