[blindkid] FW: [All Access Pass to Jack] Introducing "Cane"

Wed Apr 14 12:43:02 UTC 2010

My recent post introducing everyone to Jack's Cane. You can see the original
post at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com.

Marie (mother of Jack, 4 yrs old with Apert Syndrome)
http://www.allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
Learn more about Apert Syndrome
http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.org/apert.html
Get information and support at Teeter's page
http://www.apert.org

From: Marie [mailto:empwrn at bellsouth.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 11:59 PM
To: empwrn at bellsouth.net
Subject: [All Access Pass to Jack] Introducing "Cane"

Jack has a new constant
<http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com/2009/07/meet-irish.html>
companion. No, no, Irish has not been replaced. Where Jack goes, Irish
usually goes too but now you'll be seeing Jack, Irish, and "Cane". I read
somewhere that it's good for a child who uses a cane to name it. As typical
with Jack, he names things what they are [He's got a plush puppy named Woof
woof, a barking plush dog named Barking Dog, etc.]. So his cane is Cane. 

A cane? Why does Jack have a cane? He's not blind! No, he is not completely
blind. I think my recent Life
<http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com/2010/04/life-at-dusk.html>  at Dusk
post gives a fair analogy of what Jack's sight is like. The cane is for Jack
like glasses are for a near-sighted child, it helps him to better understand
what he sees. It helps him to better navigate the world around him. 

But Jack already wears glasses! Yes, he does. The glasses protect his eyes.
Jack's visual impairment is caused by optic nerve atrophy and cortical
visual impairment. The problem is not the image that comes into his eyes.
His eyes themselves actually do a great job and only need a slight amount of
correction. So the glasses don't really help his vision in a functional way.

Here are a few more articles that might help you to better understand Jack's
cane use.

Why Do <http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr29/1/fr290113.htm>
You Want to Make that Child Blind?

STEP <http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr8/Issue1/f080102.html>
TOWARD EQUALITY: CANE TRAVEL TRAINING FOR THE YOUNG BLIND CHILD

Blind <http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr27/2/fr270202.htm>
Enough for A Cane?

We introduced the cane late last week. David really got Jack's attention by
taking the cane and walking around in our tiled bathroom. David didn't say a
word but Jack heard that cane tapping and ran after David to see what was
going on. Here's a shot of that first evening.

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2GZNv1nI/AAAAAAAADmA/sITLOWftiHI/s
1600/first+use.jpg> 

David's next step as Jack's orientation and mobility instructor was to take
Jack on an outdoor walk. Jack is already familiar with our home so he
prefers not to use the cane in the home. David knew that we needed Jack to
see that the cane actually benefitted him.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2Kzaws5I/AAAAAAAADmg/dItkE7a7WTg/s
1600/O+%26+M+Instruction+with+Daddy.jpg> 

David is carrying a bamboo walking stick to simulate a cane and showing Jack
how to keep the cane in front of him.

It wasn't long before Jack got the idea.

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2H1BmTmI/AAAAAAAADmI/8Egz_al1kbQ/s
1600/gettin+the+hang+of+it.jpg> 

Of course, he's a little boy and he wanted to have a little fun like his
Uncle
<http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com/2009/12/wordlessful-and-special-exp
osure_23.html>  Noah.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R11krFXpI/AAAAAAAADlg/lIES4Vh-CUI/s
1600/cane+step.jpg> 

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R10hpy1JI/AAAAAAAADlY/fb8VLdgHFgY/s
1600/cane+dance.jpg> 

Here's a short video taken during this first cane outing.

<rtsp://v6.cache1.googlevideo.com/video.3gp?app=blogger&fmt=13&cid=3cdf85bc0
61dd95d> video

After walking around on the sidewalk for a while we decided to try locating
and going up and down curbs. Jack is very used to having to stop and shuffle
walk until he finds the edge of the curb with his feet. Here's David trying
to help him realize the cane can help him find the curb so he can continue
his normal pace.

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R143p91oI/AAAAAAAADl4/9oLrZZWuJSc/s
1600/finding+the+curb.jpg> 

Jack discoved on his own that the cane helped him to "see" that the white
lines in the parking lot were flat and not elevated. He was fascinated by
this and ran his cane over and over the area.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2KAOrdXI/AAAAAAAADmY/p-xHZqkXiI4/s
1600/ivestigating+the+lines.jpg> 

Here's Jack proudly posing with his cane. He told me "Achoo [it's how we
used to get him to smile for pictures] take a picture."

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R1xTGLVtI/AAAAAAAADlA/RgsXieoXrQo/s
1600/achooo.jpg> 

Learning how to manage the cane in the grass.

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R1yqCHLUI/AAAAAAAADlI/aIfxdLvsniw/s
1600/around+the+neighborhood.jpg> 

<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2MJQWkkI/AAAAAAAADmo/pu_7z_AaPFo/s
1600/perfecting+use+in+the+grass.jpg> 

Tap tap tap on the wall

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2NM-IDPI/AAAAAAAADmw/aPiuD5kGd6U/s
1600/the+wall.jpg> 

Using the cane to explore the park

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R14SOrI_I/AAAAAAAADlw/cvwaYSF7gzM/s
1600/exploring+the+park.jpg> 

Fun fun fun

<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2OHH6TrI/AAAAAAAADm4/6ym2KazbTkE/s
1600/tunnel.jpg> 

He's still a little boy so sometimes he has to be reminded that the cane
goes on the ground not waved around in the air. 

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R1zcJi9PI/AAAAAAAADlQ/CrWROy9rPUE/s
1600/being+a+boy.jpg> 

Still perfecting the technique for uneven ground

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2PeeDSmI/AAAAAAAADnA/cnVCWgFeFR8/s
1600/working+on+technique.jpg> 

Crossing a bridge over the creek

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R12zEZv3I/AAAAAAAADlo/yj25dkPa3Ow/s
1600/crossing+the+bridge.jpg> 

Hey Daddy, come sit with us on the creek bank!

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OW8yYGm-Nfk/S8R2JKmPT-I/AAAAAAAADmQ/Fe3g06vVSCU/s
1600/hey+daddy.jpg> 

Click for more Wordless
<http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/wordless-wednesday/>  Wednesday,
Wordful Wednesday <http://sevenclowncircus.com/> , and Special
<http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com/tag/special-exposure-wednesday/>
Exposure Wednesday posts. 

--
Posted By Marie to All
<http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-cane.html>
Access Pass to Jack at 4/13/2010 11:59:00 PM