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

Wed Oct 27 14:43:33 UTC 2010

Hi, we as well have a 11 yr. old daughter with light perception in 1 eye. We set up to have O&M with Daniel Kish, 
his approach is a "no limits" one. He uses echolocation as well as the cane to travel independently. Our daughter started using echolocation on her own when she was about 2, and does it very naturally when needed. He has lots of good information on his website www.worldaccessfortheblind.org 

Heidi

-----Original Message-----
From: Joy Orton <ortonsmom at gmail.com>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wed, Oct 27, 2010 10:11 am
Subject: Re: [blindkid] O&M and expanded core laws (Lucy)

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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