[blindkid] School cane O/M issues

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Tue Oct 20 02:52:46 UTC 2009


I just re-read Heather's post. Heather, you make me chuckle (in a very  
positive way) when I read your posts and even more so in person at  
conventions and the like when I hear you speak. I envy your clear,  
concise, and effective arguments for our blind children and the way  
they always seem to roll off of your tongue! I would like to transport  
you to various situations from time to time to offer a response to a  
disagreement on my behalf so I could watch misguided professionals go  
silent and simply respond "Yes M'am".

One thing really jumped out at me when I re-read that--

"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."

That seems so true and I have heard a number older blind kids (and  
adults) telling how at a certain age, (I think around Junior High  
age?) they would in fact keep their cane folded and in a bag or stored  
in a locker to avoid "looking blind" or otherwise appearing awkward. I  
can think of no more effective way to combat that possible problem a  
few years down the road than to teach Joli from right now and with the  
full support of her teachers and family that her cane is an extension  
of herself and a tool that she wants and needs to have with her all  
the time.

As I think about it, there's another endorsement for the one piece  
cane. If it won't fit in a locker or bag and they have to carry it  
along anyhow-- out for everyone to see, they may as well go ahead and  
use it!

Richard



On Oct 19, 2009, at 6:44 PM, H. Field wrote:

> 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•˙s 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•˙t care if the O/M teacher thinks she
> should have it or not. I think she should have it. I donâ•˙t  
> 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 ╲I 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
>
>
>
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