[blindkid] Success with our IEP!

[Carol Castellano]

Fantastic news, Doreen!  This is a real victory for Torrie!
Carol

Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nfb.org/nopbc

At 05:12 PM 4/3/2010, you wrote:
>Hi to all,
>
>I wanted to give everyone an update on our year-long battle with our 
>district over instruction in cane for our daughter. We put a cane in 
>her hand, had some instruction and an independent eval at the 
>convention in Detroit ... but nothing from our district. The O&M 
>(himself legally blind who does not use a cane) reported that Torrie 
>did not need O&M, not even protective techniques !!!!
>
>It has been a year of trying to get instruction in cane for Torrie, 
>but we finally HAVE IT!!!! We had an independent evaluation done and 
>the evaluator saw a lot of things with Torrie -- how she was walking 
>with her head down, missing other children's requests to play with 
>her and other important social things, and her being unsafe with her 
>head down. We finished our meeting  Wednesday with the school 
>district and she will begin to receive 60-120 minutes per week of 
>instruction in cane, along with other vision goals.
>
>It has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but God has put a 
>parent trainer in our path who has guided us thru this last year. 
>Finally, Torrie will have formal cane training! What an awesome 
>miracle this is!!! She has had the tact to deal with our district 
>and we have followed the "route" of the district, which included mediation.
>
>Now, we are making great strides with our district personnel. There 
>are several other families that I am also helping, along with the 
>parent trainer, to help encourage and support them.  Just "knowing" 
>there is another family who will walk beside you is a huge huge 
>blessing! Because of all we have beeen thru, I enrolled in the 
>masters program for VI at FL State University. There were several 
>items of information that were handy in the meeting !!!!
>
>I told Torrie she would be getting cane instruction and computer and 
>she is dancing around the house, saying "YES" ... this from a 5-1/2 
>yr old!!!! She knows she is not safe without instruction in cane. 
>Still working on the protective techniques but I believe that will 
>be added - per the district administrator who was at our 2 meetings 
>(first was to review evals, 2nd was to write the IEP).
>
>Hubby and I knew in our gut that this kid needed cane instruction 
>and we followed that thru the district. I will be teaching her 
>Braille when I am taking it ... so that isn't even on the table. She 
>is going into kindergarten and I am leaving it up to the teacher to 
>see that she "cannot see" the fonts that they will be putting in 
>front of her. Again, we have to let the system work, and 
>unfortunately, she will have to fail. I do believe the teachers will 
>have an "extra" eye on her because of this last year!
>
>We hope that all of you have a great Easter!
>Doreen
>
>
>  Doreen
>http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF
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