[blindkid] O&M and expanded core laws (Lucy)

Joy Orton ortonsmom at gmail.com
Wed Oct 27 14:11:10 UTC 2010


Dear Lucy,
I am not an expert in the law, but I can tell you about our experiences. I
have a 10 year old daughter who is blind. Her mobility skills are great. We
have O&M services twice a week, for about 45 minutes each time. One meeting
a week is during the school day, on campus, and the other is off campus,
after school.

We practice O&M during our daily life. I have to really make myself not let
our daughter take my arm when we go places. I encourage her to follow my
voice (and then I try to keep talking!) and follow the sounds of her little
sisters talking.
Our daughter has "light perception only." She will bump into me at the house
if I am quiet, and she can't find a 72-point letter on a page. But with her
cane, she can get around pretty much as well as other ten year olds. This is
after 6 years of twice a week O&M instruction and lots of going places with
the family.

Hope this helps.
Joy


> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:03:42 -0400
> From: lucy <gingerlocket at hotmail.com>
> To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blindkid] O&M and Expanded Core Laws
> Message-ID: <SNT124-W55B7EC865E46920DC619ACC5410 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
> Does Expanded Core Services (i.e. O&M) fall under the NCLB and the FAPE or
> ANY other laws that cover a child's IEP?
>
> Hi, my daughter is 10 years old, at public school in NH. We do not have a
> school for the blind and public school has been a challenge. I am somewhat
> familiar with the law, or at least thought I was, but it appears some people
> in my daughter's Special Education "Team" may be covering up or making laws
> up when we run into issues. I thought that her would be a good place to get
> a straight answer instead of scanning the Internet, looking up more info,
> and wasting more time going in circles!
> My main concern is my daughter's O&M. She does NOT use her cane correctly,
> and never has. Now, at school her reports show she is doing okay, she is
> reluctant, doesn't use the cane (which I purchase them all myself, every few
> months in hopes that she will take to each new one and use it right!)
> correctly all the time, does get confused while listening to other sounds in
> the building, and takes a long time to travel from A to B. At home and
> around stores, ect, with me, she does not use her cane and I am constantly
> reminding her (as I have for several years) to use her cane but think that I
> make it worse. I am very concerned about safety. She has one hour a week of
> O&M. It is school-based as she has been denied going out into the community
> as she needs to learn the school environment?? She requires a trained
> medical aide if so, as she is Adrenal Insufficient. In the Summer, I go with
> the Instructor as my daughter's medical Aide, unless she is working in the
> school during the EYP.
>
> If I feel my daughter is "behind" in her cane skills or just plain in
> danger and not using her cane, is there anything I can do other than
> bringing up my concerns at every meeting, emails, communication verbally
> (which seems to go in one ear....)  Her "team" do not see my daughter
> outside of school as far as the Special Educators/Admins.. and I am
> wondering if there is a way to compare her to what a 10 year old child who
> is blind (totally blind) in a way that would show her school (who has never
> had a blind student to the extent of full blindness) what she should be
> doing. And educated them!!! I've called Advocates before regarding her
> extensive workload, which is for the most part completed at school, but she
> still has a lot of work at home.. It's a never ending challenge, and I just
> wanted to really know if Expanded Core is included as far as falling behind.
> And, if they are covering up, and not giving her enough suitable O&M time,
> because of her missing academic schedules (which she is doing fantastic in
> reading/math/writing of course as she is pushed to no end) What can I do??!!
> She also has no DLS, and is now slowly developing social skills, which has
> been a constant nag on my end. She has a lot of adults which I know happens
> with all her Special Ed teachers.
>
> I have also been told that field trips means "out of the district" when I
> wasn't notified of a trip across town ( IEP states notify parents of all
> field trips and a nurse will attend or the parents (mom) has the choice to
> go as the trained Aide) I was told "that wasn't a field trip!) so, I guess
> ANY trip on the bus I need to be notified and then I've been told the school
> nurse (by the nurse) didn't go on any trips last year! It was an LPN who is
> an aide for a diabetic boy who needs constant attention. Basically, they are
> lying when I catch on. HELP!!!!!
>
> ThankYou and I'm so sorry that I have jumped around so much. My next
> meeting is Thursday and would love to know of any laws instead of looking up
> more and more that are hard to find. I 've been all over the TSBVI, but I
> end up reading everything else!
>
> Thank You,
> Lucy
>
>
>
>
>
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> End of blindkid Digest, Vol 78, Issue 24
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