[blindkid] Success with our IEP!

Lenora J. Marten bluegolfshoes at aol.com
Tue Apr 6 15:47:41 UTC 2010


Way to go Doreen! You and David have certainly been through a lot
advocating for your daughter. Just shows what can be accomplished
when you don't give up. And kudos to you for freely giving up your
time to help other families. You are truly changing what it means to be
blind for the children of Port St. Lucie! 


Lenora 


-----Original Message-----
From: Doreen Franklin <doreenproverbs3 at bellsouth.net>
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sat, Apr 3, 2010 5:12 pm
Subject: [blindkid] Success with our IEP!


Hi to all,
I wanted to give everyone an update on our year-long battle with our district 
ver instruction in cane for our daughter. We put a cane in her hand, had some 
nstruction and an independent eval at the convention in Detroit ... but nothing 
rom our district. The O&M (himself legally blind who does not use a cane) 
eported 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 
inally HAVE IT!!!! We had an independent evaluation done and the evaluator saw 
 lot of things with Torrie -- how she was walking with her head down, missing 
ther children's requests to play with her and other important social things, 
nd her being unsafe with her head down. We finished our meeting  Wednesday with 
he school district and she will begin to receive 60-120 minutes per week of 
nstruction in cane, along with other vision goals. 
It has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but God has put a parent trainer 
n our path who has guided us thru this last year. Finally, Torrie will have 
ormal cane training! What an awesome miracle this is!!! She has had the tact to 
eal with our district and we have followed the "route" of the district, which 
ncluded mediation.
Now, we are making great strides with our district personnel. There are several 
ther families that I am also helping, along with the parent trainer, to help 
ncourage and support them.  Just "knowing" there is another family who will 
alk beside you is a huge huge blessing! Because of all we have beeen thru, I 
nrolled in the masters program for VI at FL State University. There were 
everal items of information that were handy in the meeting !!!! 
I told Torrie she would be getting cane instruction and computer and she is 
ancing around the house, saying "YES" ... this from a 5-1/2 yr old!!!! She 
nows she is not safe without instruction in cane. Still working on the 
rotective techniques but I believe that will be added - per the district 
dministrator who was at our 2 meetings (first was to review evals, 2nd was to 
rite the IEP). 
Hubby and I knew in our gut that this kid needed cane instruction and we 
ollowed that thru the district. I will be teaching her Braille when I am taking 
t ... so that isn't even on the table. She is going into kindergarten and I am 
eaving it up to the teacher to see that she "cannot see" the fonts that they 
ill be putting in front of her. Again, we have to let the system work, and 
nfortunately, 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!
oreen

Doreen
ttp://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF 
______________________________________________
lindkid mailing list
lindkid at nfbnet.org
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
o unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/bluegolfshoes%40aol.com




More information about the BlindKid mailing list