[blindkid] BrailleNote use

Carol Castellano carol_castellano at verizon.net
Thu Sep 6 14:33:06 UTC 2012


Carolynn,

I would say, yes, having technology at home is 
typical and not an unusual request.

Also, remember that EVERYTHING in the IEP is 
supposed to be based on the STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL 
NEEDS.    The justification for having this 
technology at home is that he needs the 
technology at home in order for him to be 
provided his free, appropriate education (FAPE),

Does your son have a technology goal in his 
IEP?  If not, the use of the BrailleNote should 
at least be included under some of his other goals.

The following OSEP policy letters may help you make your case.

November, 1991 (Anonymous)
• If the IEP team determines that a particular assistive technology item is
required for home use in order for a particular child to be provided FAPE,
the technology must be provided to implement the IEP

1997 (Culbreath)
.. If the student needs a device at home for FAPE, the district must provide
it at no cost.

Good luck!

Carol

Carol Castellano
President, Parents of Blind Children-NJ
Director of Programs
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.blindchildren.org
www.nopbc.org

At 10:44 PM 9/5/2012, you wrote:
>Hello all!
>
>I am hoping to get some thoughts/advice regarding my son's school
>situation. My son is 10 and he just entered 4th grade at the state academy
>for the blind. He's been there since 1st grade. At his IEP meeting last
>spring, I asked that he be provided with a Braille Note for his home use. I
>thought I had requested it starting at the beginning of the summer (2012)
>but that it would be something he would use at home during the school year.
>Somehow this was misconstrued and it was entered in his IEP that he would
>be provided the Braille Note for the summer only. Sadly, the instructor in
>charge of technology (even though I had communicated with him *months*
>prior to the IEP meeting and had gotten his "buy-in" then) did not have the
>Braille Note ready for our son's use until the end of July. It was really
>frustrating to be put off for 4-5 months after our initial request, but
>since I thought that once we had it, we would have it indefinitely, that
>helped.
>
>Well, we've had the use of it for 4 weeks and I just received a request to
>return it. Reading the IEP a little more carefully (yes, I glossed over
>portions, including that one) I realize now there was a misunderstanding
>about it.
>
>But my question is: how many of you have technology at home provided by the
>school? I mean, how unusual a request is or isn't this? Early on in this
>process I encountered several TVI's who said they provide Braille Notes to
>their students for use at home and school from an early age. So I got the
>idea that it is somewhat standard.
>
>Should I request another IEP meeting and make the request again, being
>clear this time what I want? Should I expect to receive it? I mean, the
>Braille Note is available to my son at school for *maybe* 30 minutes a day.
>The amount of Braille material we have at home is quite limited. The
>Braille Note is like a Kindle for Braille books... my son is part-way
>through two books he downloaded from BookShare that he would not be able to
>finish. He needs the extra practice time to increase his proficiency and
>his reading speed. Of course I'm afraid they will say that he doesn't need
>that...
>
>Anyway, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I just need to figure
>out what to do from here...
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>:) Carolynn aka Brian's mom
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