[blindkid] Ordered our free cane! wheeee!!!

Mon Mar 29 14:49:09 UTC 2010

Thanks so much for the words of hope and encouragement. I will share this
with you all. I know it will be changing in a few months if not for any
other reason but for a recent honor I just got. I have been selected as a
regional finalist for a coveted White House Fellowship. I go on to the next
phase of the interview this coming Monday and Tuesday. So keep your fingers
crossed. But if nothing  else progresses past this level I will have a
certificate with a white house seal and the Presidents signature on it. that
will look so nice on a resume. The intimidating thing to tell you the truth,
is that it is a competition for people of all abilities. I am going up
against Harvard and Yale graduates, doctors and lawyers, etc. it is an
honor, so maybe just maybe the hr deprrtments at some of the schools I want
to work at will take a closer look next time I submit a resume for a
position,.  

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Susan Harper
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 8:11 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Ordered our free cane! wheeee!!!

Yes and I would give anything to have someone like you to help me with home
schooling my son and I bet there are a lot of schools out there that would
love to have you as a teacher.  You should think about it.  I bet you would
not only be good, but you would be great with all children!  Kids need
positive male role models.
Blessings,
Sue H.

On Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 4:32 PM, Carol Castellano <blindchildren at verizon.net
> wrote:

> Ah, I remember the Fifty Nifty United States.  Brings back happy memories
> of my kids' childhood.
>
> Albert, have you joined the NFB blind teachers division?  Maybe you can
get
> back into the classroom!
>
> Carol
>
> At 02:59 PM 3/28/2010, you wrote:
>
>> I whole heartedly agree with you on how effective lessons and learning
can
>> be when music is introduced to children of all abilities. I taught my
>> kindergarten children a song called fifty nifty united states. All of my
>> kids were able to recite all 50 states alphabetically and eventually we
>> moved to maps and boy did they love that. it really made a difference in
>> there map skills even though it is really not a kindergarten focus, ii
>> felt
>> they were able to take it with them and onto the next level and it was a
>> whole lot of fun practicing with them. every once in a while we would get
>> a
>> comment my nana lives in Florida, where is Florida and that is how the
map
>> was introduced in my classroom every year. It was their own inquiry and
>> desire to know more that directed my teaching. I am going on, oh how I
>> miss
>> those days. Since loosing my eye sight, no one will consider me a viable
>> candidate any longer. Someday though.
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> CEO/Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
is
>> doing it."
>>
>>
>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Susan Harper
>> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 2:11 PM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Ordered our free cane! wheeee!!!
>>
>> I just sing tap, tap, tap, tap, alternating between C and F, alternating
>> my
>> vocalization, then make up rhyming verses as appropriate to the
situation.
>> So it goes like this:
>> F    C     F    C     G    G    G    B    C    B    C
>> tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap  tap
>>
>> C is middle C and F is the F above middle C, and G & B are be low middle
>> C.
>> So you have a 7 note range all quarter notes.  Sorry, I haven't figured
>> out
>> how to put a staff and notes in an email.
>>
>> You can substitute the words, left right left right...  I can sing this
in
>> his ear to get him started and the he's off on his own.  It just gets a
>> rhythm going, which is what you teach when someone is learning to use a
>> cane.  I can use it to remind my son to use his can rather than carry it
>> like a drawn sword!  It is unobtrusive in a crowd as well.
>>
>> I had to go sit down at my piano and figure out what I was singing.   I
am
>> a
>> Special Education Teacher, and I have been home schooling for 20 years
and
>> have made up many songs or used tunes and put words to them.  Music is
>> easier for kids who have speech and auditory processing problems to
follow
>> and learn from.  It may just be that sung words are said more slowly, but
>> I
>> think it is much more than that.  I think that the brain processes music
>> differently and bypasses some part of the brain and routes to another.  I
>> also think rhythm and rhyming tap into the brain in a different way.  I
>> think I will have to ask our neurologist next month when I see him.  But
>> anyway, kids seem to learn better and faster with song.  Makes sense,
>> because kids learn the ABC song long before they actually associate the
>> letters with the written letters.
>>
>> I have a vowel song:  "A E I O U, they're the ones for you.  They're the
>> ones, so much fun, A E I O U!  And Sometimes Y."  No I am not going to go
>> plunk out the tune, but you get the idea.
>> Blessings,
>> Sue H.
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 9:42 PM, Albert J Rizzi
>> <albert at myblindspot.org>wrote:
>>
>> > Can you please share the song or rhyme you did with your son as you
>> taught
>> > him how to move the cane to and fro? I as a kindergarten teacher put as
>> > many
>> > things I could to song or rhythmic wording so as to reinforce the
>> lessons
>> > at
>> > hand. I would so like to learn how you did this to reinforce skills of
>> cane
>> > techniques
>> >
>> > Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> > CEO/Founder
>> > My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> > 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> > New York, New York  10004
>> > www.myblindspot.org
>> > PH: 917-553-0347
>> > Fax: 212-858-5759
>> > "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>> is
>> > doing it."
>> >
>> >
>> > Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On
>> > Behalf Of Susan Harper
>> > Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 6:33 PM
>> > To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
>> > Subject: Re: [blindkid] Ordered our free cane! wheeee!!!
>> >
>> > Oh Good for you Marie!  We had to go ahead and just order/buy our own
>> cane
>> > before we found out about the free ones.  But it was a small investment
>> in
>> > our son's independence.  I hope you have as good a luck as we did.
>>  Don't
>> > worry that he doesn't hold it totally correct.  He just needs a good
>> grasp
>> > and to hold it in front of him.  Think of it as a pointer from his
>> navel,
>> > up
>> > a little is okay.  He'll find what is right for him.  We started our
son
>> > with a "tap, tap" song that we made up, sweeping the ground from left
to
>> > right and back again.  There are some great books and articles out
>> there,
>> > but the most important thing is to get started and let your some
explore
>> > and
>> > learn from his cane.  My son, now 3 1/2 still likes to reach down and
>> feel
>> > when the terrain changes and see what his cane has found and process it
>> > with
>> > his hands.  Many advocates like the pointer finger to point down to the
>> > ground with the fisted grip.  I say let you son explore and find his
>> > comfort
>> > and then refine the techniques.
>> >
>> > Best of luck and Blessings,
>> > Sue H.
>> >
>> > On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 9:34 AM, Marie <empwrn at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > > I am so excited to report that after thinking about it FOR A YEAR, I
>> > > finally
>> > > ordered my son a free long white cane from NFB. Why a year? Over the
>> past
>> > > year, my husband's feelings about the need for Braille and cane use
>> have
>> > > changed or he has verbalized them more clearly to me<--he's a man so
>> you
>> > > never really know which, LOL! I pushed early and hard for Braille and
>> he
>> > > did
>> > > not jump on the bandwagon right away. In fact, the last year has had
>> him
>> > > pointing out to me other legally blind people who read really well
and
>> > fast
>> > > holding books up to their noses. What a relief it was to hear him say
>> one
>> > > day how great that was but then he wondered how much easier it would
>> be
>> > for
>> > > those folks to have learned Braille and perhaps they would have done
>> even
>> > > better!
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > When I brought up cane use before, it was met with a lukewarm
>> reception
>> > and
>> > > much discussion about how Jack gets around really really well and has
>> > > learned to memorize the layout of wherever he is and how fantastic
>> that
>> > is.
>> > > Over the past week, I brought up a cane again and now I am hearing my
>> own
>> > > thoughts echoed back to me. If we help Jack to navigate his
>> environment
>> > > more
>> > > easily and independently, it will free him up to focus on other
>> > > developmental tasks and not use so much brain power to focus on not
>> > falling
>> > > or bumping into stuff.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > We had planned to just buy a cane and start working with it. What a
>> nice
>> > > surprise to realize that we could get one for free (I think I knew
>> this
>> > > before and forgot).  The fact that it is free makes it an even easier
>> > > decision to move forward although we have no support for our decision
>> > from
>> > > either Jack's school TVI or our vision rehab doc.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > So.tips, anyone? Jack has fine motor impairment so we'll have to see
>> how
>> > we
>> > > can work out his grasp on the cane once we get it. Tips for
>> introduction
>> > of
>> > > the cane would be welcomed.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Thanks so much!
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Marie (mother of Jack, 4 yrs old with Apert Syndrome)
>> > >  <http://www.allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com>
>> > > http://www.allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
>> > > Learn more about Apert Syndrome
>> > >  <http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.org/apert.html>
>> > > http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.org/apert.html
>> > > Get information and support at Teeter's page
>> > >  <http://www.apert.org> http://www.apert.org
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > blindkid mailing list
>> > > blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
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>>
>>
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>> > hurchgriswold.org
>> > >
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>> >
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>
> Carol Castellano, President
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> 973-377-0976
> carol_castellano at verizon.net
> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>
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