[blindkid] learning braille and print

[Brandy W]

As a child I had 2400 in one eye and 2600 in the other, and now 2600 and
2800, and there is no way at all that I could read print as a full time
reading medium! I had a few people who tried, but only to return to Braille.
It made my Braille reading suffer extremely. It wasn't till I was an adult
that I got my reading speed up to something that is acceptable. Your child
may be able to read that work in Kindergarten and first grade, I could with
some perfect lighting, and great strain, but he absolutely won't be able to
read it when it is 12 pt ft in a paperback book in third grade. Because of
this I hated to read as a child, but would listen to a million books in
audio format. Even today I tend not to read much Braille for pleasure, but I
use it for so many things. I don't think I read enough for pleasure because
it brings back a great of feelings of struggling from the lack of proper
instruction. I do read for pleasure a little every day. I also read for
devotion, hymns at church, recipes, medication, spices, toys and books I use
in my child care and tutoring business. Things that if I had been forced to
be a print reader would be pretty hard to enlarge enough to read. Fight for
that Braille!

Bran




"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is
a spark." 
- Victor Hugo 

Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader
(512) 689-5045
www.playtoachieve.com
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Read my new blog at www.playtoachieveballstobooks.wordpress.com

Looking forward to helping you with your educational toy needs!

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Karen Leinart
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 2:01 PM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [blindkid] learning braille and print

Amy,

Our son did not get Braille without a fight.  I was told that no child with
albinism has ever needed braille, that even if he learned it he'd never use
it, he would always read it visually, he was a visual learner, etc.  I know
many have heard all of those excuses.  The federation was very helpful in my
fight.  They helped me get independent evaluations and recommendations, and
provided an advocate. We got the braille goals added to the IEP, and
ultimately, my son was placed in a resource program for blind kids at a
different school district.  Although he was getting braille, I think
initially they still didn't believe it was necessary.  But when he started
having eye fatigue issues mid-year in first grade, their perspective seemed
to change.  His schedule was adjusted to provide more braille education, and
he made more progress.  At this point, his TVI is very much on board with
him being a braille reader, and she wants him to be successful at it.
 In my opinion, that is also part of "the fight"... you not only have to get
the goals in the IEP, you have to get teachers that want to make it work.
Karen

> From: amydarlington at comcast.net
> To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" < 
> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Cc:
> Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 02:11:30 +0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] learning braille & print?
> Our daughter also has albinism and is 20/200 (also field delay). She's 
> 4 and will be starting kindergarten in the fall.
>
> Karen, I'm wondering how your son got Braille. Did your TVI and state 
> organization for blind support the dual media approach? We do not have 
> support here at all. I know legally they have to unless they can prove 
> Braille is not necessary currently (and in future). But it doesn't 
> happen for the low vision kids unless the families here take legal 
> action. And also I get the sense that at some point a choice has to be 
> made between Braille and print. What was it like for you in the early 
> years when your son was starting school? I would love to hear more, as 
> what you described happening for your son (with adapting to Braille) 
> is what we are hoping for our daughter.
>
> We are approaching Braille at home, and low vision aids for school. 
> But we are also considering homeschooling as it offers the ability to 
> adapt to needs. We already homeschool our son. I just wish it was not 
> such a struggle to get kids what they need in the school system.
>
> Amy
>
>
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