[blindkid] go for braille!
Carol Castellano
blindchildren at verizon.net
Thu Jun 10 13:28:11 UTC 2010
Another important tactic, I believe, is to
acknowledge that yes, she does use her vision
quite well, doesn't she, and yes, we're very glad
she does have some useable vision; we are sure it
will serve her well. However, for full literacy,
a full education, and a full life, she will need
to add some nonvisual skills for when her
impaired vision is not adequate or not efficient for the task.
This may help.
Re O&M techniques--it is my experience that kids
need to practice a lot between lessons. THis is
where a trained para and the parents come in. So
if she is to "master" the diagonal technique,
she'll need to use and practice it a lot between
lessons. Personally, I would not expect a
preschooler to master much of anything--their
learning future is largely before them! I would
go ahead and teach her constant contact with a
nice, light NFB cane (I think someone mentioned
you can get one free from the NFB).
My gut tells me not to wait till
October. Doreen, will you be at convention this year?
Carol
At 08:55 PM 6/8/2010, you wrote:
>Sue Actually the ESE director has been in our
>last 3 meetings - the ones after our mediation.
>He has also been copied on all of these emails.
>He doesn't jump in much, except he did say to
>"let the O&M work" so I am trying to do that,
>except I have questions which need
>clarification. Â I have the Cutter book and got
>an "update" for O&M instruction at the state
>convention of NFB over Memorial Day. That has
>helped. I am having my daughter use the longer
>NFB cane (her ambutech is at least 1-2 inches
>too short) and am having her do constant contact
>instead of the diagonal technique. I know she is
>safer with constant contact and she will need
>that for kindergarten next year. (I also have
>both of Carol Castellano's books, as well as
>other resources). The O&M did answer me on
>diagonal and indicated that she had not
>"mastered" the easier diagonal technique and she
>cannot "move on" to constant contact. So he is
>admitting that the diagonal is not as safe, but
>wants her to master it better before moving on.
>With the little bit of time he is spending on
>the cane instruction, it is hard for her to
>"master" anything. SO now I am very confused!
>Â As for Braille, I will give them the 9 weeks,
>but I will also be doing braille at home over
>summer. I do believe that the teacher will be
>the one pressing it for me, instead of me
>pressing it. The teacher will be the one seeing
>that Torrie cannot and will not be able to keep
>up. I have a meeting already scheduled for Oct
>25 -- that will be the 6-month mark for
>"progression" in her goals. If she doesn't show
>progression, all kinds of things will break
>loose. Â Both our TVI and O&M continue to
>believe Torrie has "good vision" and that is why
>she doesn't need services. We've had 2
>functional vision assessments, which don't
>"support" one another in all areas, and we've
>had the independent eval for O&M. But the TVI
>keeps telling me how well she is doing .... I am
>trying to let it all go until the Oct 25
>meeting. It is hard though. I am hoping her
>kindergarten is much different ... the ESE
>person/LEA at least "sounds" like she is more
>interested in doing things to HELP Torrie that
>may not be "in the box" and I told her I am all
>for that! Â I will be keeping everyone posted
>on this ... but please keep all suggestions
>coming! Â Thank you. Doreen support Torrie in
>the Race for Independence; go to
>www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF
>Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â --- On Tue, 6/8/10,
>Susan Harper <sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org>
>wrote: From: Susan Harper
><sueharper at firstchurchgriswold.org> Subject: Re:
>[blindkid] go for braille! To: "NFBnet Blind Kid
>Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
><blindkid at nfbnet.org> Date: Tuesday, June 8,
>2010, 3:06 PM Your O&M person has a
>supervisor. Send a copy of all your emails and
>letters to the supervisor and ask that person to
>respond. Don't expect much, but you may be
>pleasantly surprised. Don't wait on the
>Braille. It is too important and we found our
>TVI had very low expectations like not being
>able to even read words until 3rd grade. You
>are your child's best teacher anyway. I had to
>learn the O&M techniques to teach our son, as
>the O&M was insisting on skills that were
>counterproductive to Independence.
>*“Independent Movement and Travel in Blind
>Children, a Promotion Modelâ€Â by Joseph
>Cutter is a great book!* *Blessings,* *Sue H.*
>On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 9:26 AM, Doreen Franklin
><theconelady at yahoo.com>wrote: > > > > Joy and
>Mery-Noel, > > Thank you for your
>encouragement!!! We knew that Torrie would need
>braille > and "accepted" that back in 2007, but
>trying to get it passed our district > has been
>a big fight. (I got lambasted by the O&M at one
>meeting when I > asked for braille). We had the
>option of what "fight" to pursue in 2009 -- >
>that of cane or braille as I could only handle
>doing one at a time. Since > Torrie was banging
>into our furniture all the time, and then she
>had a low > vision eval done which indicated a
>loss of peripherals in all 4 quadrants, > we
>knew she needed the cane instruction. It took a
>year, and an IEE for O&M > which blew the socks
>off of our district, and so we have
>instruction > (although I am using that word
>loosely). > > Our daughter is receiving the
>diagonal technique only and I cannot get a >
>"timeline" from the O&M for when he will move to
>constant contact and/or > two-touch. (District
>director asked for timeline to be sent to us on
>5/27; I > followed up on 6/2 to director - he
>did another email - and I still have > nothing.
>I have just done an email myself about diagonal
>technique and her > not being safe as she is not
>reading things in front of her whole body,
>just > to the left side of her with that
>technique. I have also asked for a > timeline
>for when he will be teaching constant contact to
>her). Right now, > he is doing sighted guide
>with the teachers, bus drivers and himself
>with > Torrie (school is done this Friday), but
>David and I have NO INSTRUCTION in > it! (I
>learned it as an emergency evacuation of blind
>adults when I was at > the Lighthouse for the
>Blind back in 1987. It is fuzzy and I don't have
>all > the ins and outs and certainly not the
>"cues" he is using). This has > been an
>unbelievable battle for us ... and unfortunately
>our O&M is > legally blind so the district
>believes his word as "gospel" as he lives it! >
>And they are not looking anywhere "outside" of
>what HE says! > > As for braille and other
>services, I started in the visual disabilities >
>program at FSU in January, and will have
>braille. I have pre-braille things > for her to
>do right now - her fingers are too stiff so I
>will be working > with her over the summer for
>pre-braille things as well as teaching her >
>braille letters to match her printed letters. I
>have not geared up for the > braille fight yet
>... I am letting them hang themselves and I
>believe the > kindergarten teacher will finally
>"see" that she cannot and will not be able > to
>keep up with her sighted peers. In pe-k, she
>only read one letter at a > time instead of
>actual words and sentences. Once that begins in
>August in > kindergarten, she will quickly fall
>behind and the braille will be pushed > from the
>school -- and that is what I am waiting for, on
>one hand. I also > wanted the TVI to hang
>herself with her font size .... Torrie has
>supposedly > been referred to the low vision
>initiative (I filled out my paperwork but >Â am
>unsure if she was actually referred by the TVI)
>to use magnifiers, > which I am okay with also.
>But I will be teaching her braille now so that >
>she doesn't have to do the "catch up" that I am
>fearing could happen. (we > have a 14-yr old and
>2 yrs ago, she had to do oral presentations on
>her > reports. I wondered how would Torrie be
>able to give an oral presentation > and address
>her audience and look at them when the paper
>would be on her > nose for her to read!) I have
>not even pulled out the IDEA federal law >
>yet!!! > > I don't think our district much cares
>.... I still have heard nothing from > our
>superintendent about her not using the cane at
>her graduation. They are > too concerned with
>the FCAT reports not coming out due to a glitch
>with the > scoring. So Torrie just gets lost off
>to the side. I am not sure where I > will be
>going with it .... it has been suggested to do a
>letter to the > editor. I may call the DoE and
>talk to the person I've talked to before. > > I
>am glad I am getting everyone's suggestions and
>words of encouragement! > It just reinforces
>what David and I have "known" as necessary tools
>for > Torrie for her tool box. Too bad the
>district doesn't get it yet! I don't > know how
>I can do this for another 13 years! > > Please
>keep any suggestions coming ... they are
>certainly helping!!! We are > most appreciative
>of everything!!!! > > Doreen > support Torrie in
>the Race for Independence; > go to
>www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF > > > >
> > > > --- On Tue, 6/8/10, Merry-Noel
>Chamberlain <owinm at yahoo.com> wrote: > > > From:
>Merry-Noel Chamberlain <owinm at yahoo.com> >
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] go for braille! > To: "
>(for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid
>Mailing List" < > blindkid at nfbnet.org> > Date:
>Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 6:52 AM > > > Doreen, > I
>second what Joy said about Braille. Enlarging
>only can go so far. It's > great for the child
>to learn the shapes of print letters so they can
>read > raised signs (ie:Â Ladies, Men) but when
>it comes to learning and reading > for pleasure
>- Braille is the answer! If Braille becomes a
>part of the > child's life early - it becomes a
>part of the child's life forever! As a >
>Teacher of Visually Impaired Children, I have
>had several older students > move into my
>district who didn't know Braille and it is much
>harder 1) for > them to learn it and 2) for them
>to accept it. Often times, they would much >
>rather lug a huge CCTV from classroom to
>classroom - NOT! They end up > having to go to
>a special room where their CCTV is located -
>leaving their > classroom and peers in order to
>read an assignment. Wouldn't it be > better
>for the child to be able to stay with their
>peers?   Plus, as they > are learning Braille
>(mostly because they have lost more vision and >
>can't see the large print any more) they often
>fall behind and struggle to > keep up with their
>peers. The best gift you can give your child
>is the > opportunity to learn Braille as soon as
>possible. I sure wish I had that > opportunity
>myself! Frankly if I received a student who's
>IEP stated the > child needed 26 point font - I
>would start teaching Braille RIGHT AWAY! > >
>Merry-Noel > > --- On Tue, 6/8/10, Joy Orton
><ortonsmom at gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: Joy
>Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com> > Subject:
>[blindkid] go for braille! > To: "NFB Blindkid
>list" <blindkid at nfbnet.org> > Date: Tuesday,
>June 8, 2010, 3:29 AM > > > Hi Doreen, > > I'm
>so sorry you had a painful experience with the
>pre-K graduation. I've > had to do my own
>advocating (I hope modeling for my daughter) for
>proper > mobility help with dance recitals,
>talent shows, and so on (as in, "don't > drag or
>push her, please"). There are lots of
>opportunities as your child > goes through
>school. > > You mentioned that your child was
>uncomfortable with the type that the TVI > has
>chosen for next year, 26 or so? That is much
>bigger than "large print." > > If your child is
>unable to read 14 point type, then I would
>strongly urge > you to go ahead and ask for
>braille instruction. In kindergarten or first >
>grade, 24 or 26 point type is probably a matter
>of enlarging the papers, > but > if the student
>can only read at 26 or larger, what will you do
>when she has > to read 20 pages (or more) for a
>history assignment in middle school, or > 100 >
>pages for a literature assignment in high school
>... If she has braille > instruction and the
>skills to read braille, she can keep up with
>reading > assignments. > > I am sure there are
>oher parents who can address how difficult it is
>to > learn braille during high school, rather
>than early on. If your daughter > can > see the
>huge print, then let her be a "dual reader," but
>please give her > the > opportunity to learn
>braille. > > It sounds like you have an uphill
>battle in getting what you want from the >
>district, but remember that it is not just what
>you want, but what your > child needs in order
>to be successful, and also what the law
>requires. Hang > in there. > > Sincerely, > Joy
>Orton >
>_______________________________________________ >
> blindkid mailing list > blindkid at nfbnet.org >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or
>get your account info for > blindkid: >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/owinm%40yahoo.com
> > > > > >
>_______________________________________________ >
> blindkid mailing list > blindkid at nfbnet.org >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or
>get your account info for > blindkid: > >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/theconelady%40yahoo.com
> > > > > >
>_______________________________________________ >
> blindkid mailing list > blindkid at nfbnet.org >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or
>get your account info for > blindkid: > >
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sueharper%40firstchurchgriswold.org
> >
>_______________________________________________
>blindkid mailing list blindkid at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get
>your account info for blindkid:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/theconelady%40yahoo.com
>_______________________________________________
>blindkid mailing list blindkid at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get
>your account info for blindkid:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/blindchildren%40verizon.net
>
Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org
More information about the BlindKid
mailing list