[blindkid] go for braille!

[Joy Orton]

Dear Doreen,

Keep up the good work! I want to second what Carol has said about teaching
cane use and mobility. If you can get even one of the books she lists, it
will help you to teach your daughter at home. Good for you on planning to
teach braille to your daughter.

I would add a book to Carol's list of resources; it is not specifically for
cane travel but rather for school. It is
*Making It Work: Educating the Blind/Visually Impaired Child in the REgular
Classroom* by Carol Castellano.

I have given this book to our daughter's classroom teachers every year for
the past few years. I think it helps.

You mentioned the FCAT, or your state's high stakes test. Remind the school
officials that in just a few years, your daughter will need to take the
test, too. Is it available in 26 point format?  How are they planning for
her to be able to access it and score well?

Keep on advocating for your daughter, and keep on teaching her at home as
much as you can.

Sincerely,
Joy Orton


Date: Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:32:41 -0400
From: Carol Castellano <blindchildren at verizon.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,     \(for parents of blind children\)"
       <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] go for braille!
Message-ID: <114151.63539.qm at smtp101.vzn.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Hi Doreen,

The bad news is that the cane teacher won't give you a timeline and
go on to the next technique.  The GOOD NEWS is that cane travel is
not rocket science, much as some pro's in the field would like us to
think that it is.  You can teach her yourself.  Get a teaching cane,
as Joe Cutter suggests, and go on out there.  Get Joe's book, Doris
Willoughby's book, Tom Bickford's book, and the techniques used by
blind instructors book.  Watch the good travelers walking around at
convention; ask someone to mentor you.  You'll pick up so much of
what Torrie will need at least for her beginning independent travel.

Proper book list:

Independent Movement and Travel in Blind Children
 by Joe Cutter
 Modular Instruction for Independent Travel
by Doris Willoughby
 both available here:
 <
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=
>
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane
by Tom Bickford
 Techniques Used by Blind Travel Instructors
various authors
 both available here:
<
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=49&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=
>
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=49&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

Go for it!
Carol

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