[blindkid] Structured Discovery

Wed Oct 21 16:56:05 UTC 2009

Just getting her cane in her hand whenever she goes out is a great  
first step. Nobody is going to make any real O&M progress with a child  
(or adult) that doesn't even want to hold a cane and try to use it. It  
has to become a natural thing to grab that cane whenever you head out  
the door from early on.

The first thing that really jumps out at me is that telling you she  
can have a service but only if you take her to a particular location  
(presumably some distance from your home and I assume leaving her  
there for some length of time-- days or weeks?) is not what most  
people would consider placing her in the least restrictive  
environment. That is what you should expect to receive-- a Free  
Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive  
Environment (LRE). If they acknowledge she needs the service, I think  
they'll be hard pressed to make you send her across the state to a  
MORE restrictive environment to get it.

Google "FAPE" and "LRE" and you'll find a ton of information on those  
topics.

One thing to avoid from the start-- We all want what is best for our  
kids, but don't request it in those terms. They don't have to do what  
is "best" for our kids, only what is APPROPRIATE. To have things  
changed or removed, you'll have better luck any time you can  
demonstrate they are less appropriate than other options or  
unnecessarily restrictive. If THOSE things also happen to be BEST for  
your child, well than so be it. Do you follow my drift? Just avoid  
SAYING that what they offer is "not best" and that you demand what is  
"best"-- you may really shoot yourself in the foot if you do that.

As far as deciding on the instructor, you can generally have one  
removed if there is some proper cause but that is a bit of a process  
and I don't know that you'll have a lot of luck specifying a specific  
teacher be assigned. Almost any teacher you get is going to have a set  
of ideas that is different than yours and you'll have to work with him  
or her to try and get the person to buy into your philosophy, or at  
least tolerate it (unless you're lucky enough to get a "card carrying"  
NFB instructor).

It may indeed be a fight, but sometimes fights can be avoided.  
Remember that you may well have years to spend dealing with these  
people in the future and that your child will be around them daily. If  
there is any possible way to resolve this in a non-confrontational  
manor it will be a big benefit to you down the road. If your chief  
argument is that you want more O&M time for example, justify and  
request that, but setting the hours yourself is probably not going to  
fly, and remember, especially with young kids that there is a limited  
tolerance, so adding TOO much time could actually backfire and cause  
frustration for your daughter. Keep things moving in the right  
direction and things really will come together at some point. Also,  
remember that you are her O&M instructor at home and will always have  
a much greater chance to guide and mold her O&M as she grows than  
anyone else. You've already been doing that. That's why she takes that  
cane with her now whenever she goes out!

Our daughter is also 7, blind, and a cane traveler so I certainly  
understand where you are coming from with many of your concerns.

Feel free to contact me off list if I can answer any particular  
questions for you.

Richard Holloway, Vice President
Georgia Organization of Parents of Blind Children
rholloway at gopbc.org

On Oct 21, 2009, at 11:39 AM, Amber Hall wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> I am having an issue with my daughter's local  public school with  
> getting a blind O&m instructor in to teach her.
> I went to the convention in Detroit this summer. At the time my  
> daughter ,7, was only receiving O&m 2
> x's a month, wasn't even using her cane outside of school. She would
> leave it in the car after school was out.( She was doing alot of hand
> holding when we were out in public).She wasn't tapping her
> cane, she
> would just scoot it directly in front of her. (She is missing things  
> on
> both sides  of her body.)  At the convention,  I learned how important
> the cane was for her and that she needed good instruction, more
> often..I know she learned more in the 1 week we were in Detroit  than
> she learned all last year. But she still needs alot of work.  Since  
> the
> convention,we take her cane  everywhere. No exceptions.
> She was receiving O&M
> last
> year,the old style,not structured Discovery. And griping  about using
> her cane the whole time. She is the only blind child at her school.  
> And
> that bothered her. She doesn't have the confidence she needs right  
> now.
>
> I found a Blind O&M instructor from the NFB and took him
> to our 1st case conference I called after school started.  I told the
> VI teacher  I wanted My daughter to receive O&M from this blind
> instructor I met at the convention. I wanted her to learn from the
> Structured Discovery Method.And I wanted her to start getting 2-3  
> times
> a week verses 2 times a month. I told them her skills were poor,
> because she wasn't receiving enough instruction. They said they
> couldn't do that. That at our state blind school they only do
> "intensive O&M"  for 6-9 weeks. She said that would be daily and Id
> have to get into a program 1 week out of the month and go to the Blind
> School. I wanted to get O&m at her public school,I shouldn't have
> to go to the blind for O&M, they don't even teach the Structured
> Discovery Method there.  I talked to her current instructor and he  
> said
> the way they teach isn't really that different.
> The school thinks she should get intensive O&M  for 6 weeks at the  
> blind school  and then go back to 2 times a month.
> I
> want my daughter to learn with the Sructured Discovery Method ( like
> she's learning at home) by a blind man who lives it everyday.( 2 times
> a week at least ) And will help give her the confidence she needs to  
> be
> and independent adult.
> Since the case conference, the VI teacher
> is having my daughter show her how she gets around.( My daughter uses
> it O.K. when she knows she's being watched, but all the other times
> shes scooting it along like its a chore to have it. ) The VI teacher
> leaves me notes and said she is doing great. I know she does the 5  
> min.
> shes around her. After that back to the scooting.
> The school
> agreed to let the O&m instructor I wanted to do  a 5 hr. assessment
> on my daughter.  Then they would go over the assessment and take it
> from there. But they said they couldn't do 2 or 3 times a week.  The
> assessment is complete and being written up. Soon I'll get a call to
> talk about it with VI teacher and want to have all my ducks in a row
> before the meeting.
> I need some advice on things to say when we go
> back for our case conference to talk about the assessment.  I want
> others expertice on saying Structured Discovery  Vs old O&M. Pro's
> Cons etc. The VI teacher wants to use the TAPS program(from the Texas
> school for the Blind  website ) to check her progress. Does anyone  
> know
> if this will work with Structured Discovery?
> I'm going to go into
> this meeting and hear,"The Structured Discovery method is the same as
> the other O&M she gets" And " We cant give you 2 or 3 times a week
> ,isn't 1 enough?"  Shouldn't I have the right as a parent to say I  
> want
> a certain type of O&M? And have a decision who is the instructor?
> I know it's going to be a fight. Can anyone help with good advice?
> Thanks!
>
>
>
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