[blindkid] PE in middle school

Arielle Silverman arielle71 at gmail.com
Thu Mar 14 05:14:07 UTC 2013


Ugh I was afraid of that. Some APE teachers are wonderful and others
are just.....Well not so wonderful when it comes to understanding
blindness. :)
Wondering if you could get the PE replaced with occupational or
physical therapy to help tackle some of the fine/gross motor issues?
Have these therapies been helpful in the past?
Arielle

On 3/13/13, Julie Yanez <jyanez112 at gmail.com> wrote:
> She's been under the 2% tile her whole life. I'm now using a protein weight
> gainer in hopes it will add a few pounds and that will help ease other
> problems.
> On Mar 13, 2013 10:01 PM, "Julie Yanez" <jyanez112 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I have seen very little improvement with her APE. I see her come further
>> with her OM on her independent skills. But then again the past 2 years
>> have
>> been hard with a new blood pressure illness and also puberty. Hasn't been
>> easy. They have been doing tedious things like having her walk the track
>> or
>> do sit ups. Her IEP goal from her APE was to be able to throw a ball over
>> hand at a target.
>> ....I hope they know she can't see the target. I don't believe they have
>> a
>> beeping ball to be able to know where the ball went. I know she has a
>> basketball with a bell in it, and a beepball. Now that I'm thinking about
>> it, I'm not sure APE has been any help at all aside from not having to be
>> singled out with her classmates.
>> On Mar 13, 2013 9:53 PM, "Arielle Silverman" <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Julie,
>>> It sounds completely reasonable to say on her IEP that she will be
>>> pulled for one-on-one during the PE period instead of going to the PE
>>> class. If she's pulled out, she won't have to dress out at all.
>>> I think the bigger issue is, Do you like her APE teacher and do you
>>> think pulling her out to work with the APE teacher would be a good
>>> thing? What kinds of things could they work on together? What kinds of
>>> things have they been working on over the past two years? You can
>>> build on that when developing the IEP goals for next year and beyond.
>>> Arielle
>>>
>>> On 3/13/13, Julie Yanez <jyanez112 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > She has had an APE teacher for 2 years now. My daughter is a bright
>>> kiddo,
>>> > but we know where she falls behind. She is in 5th grade but
>>> > mainstreamed
>>> > into 3rd grade language arts and math. She has a memory like an
>>> > elephant
>>> > but falls behind on comprehension. She can memorize 2+3=5. But if you
>>> ask
>>> > her to add 3+2, she can't tell you the answer right away. But yet she
>>> aces
>>> > every single 5th grade spelling test.
>>> > And her physical abilities is where we push hard on as well. Fine and
>>> gross
>>> > motor. She can't gain weight to gain the muscle, and she has other
>>> > underline issues as well. I would prefer her to just be pulled out of
>>> class
>>> > a few times a week with an APE teacher since she's most comfortable
>>> > one
>>> on
>>> > one. I know PE is one of the periods in the 6 period classes at her
>>> soon to
>>> > be middle school. I'm just wondering if I can and can't fight for on
>>> > her
>>> > IEP. Such as dressing. If I have been working on it here at home with
>>> her
>>> > for years, what's to make me think she can magically learn it in a
>>> > timed
>>> > setting like dressing out at school? Plus she gets easily flustered.
>>> > And
>>> > that leads to changes in her blood pressure that leads to one of her
>>> other
>>> > underlined issues. Its a vicious cycle she has.
>>> > I'm hoping I can have her dressing out be something as simple as
>>> accessing
>>> > her own lock, changing shoes, maybe into gym shorts and reporting to a
>>> > designated area.
>>> > I need as much help as I can knowing what we will face going into
>>> > middle
>>> > school.
>>> > On Mar 13, 2013 9:15 PM, "Arielle Silverman" <arielle71 at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Hi Julie and all,
>>> >> I guess I'd like to take this discussion in a bit of a different
>>> >> direction. I'm wondering if it would be possible to replace your
>>> >> daughter's PE requirement with some extra one-on-one time with
>>> >> someone
>>> >> who can help her work on some of these motor issues so she can master
>>> >> some of these independent living skills like dressing herself and
>>> >> using keys? (Perhaps an OT, PT, APE instructor or some combination)?
>>> >> To me, this seems much more critically important than whatever she
>>> >> might get out of being in a mainstreamed PE class--especially if she
>>> >> wants to start going to sleepover parties with her girlfriends, or
>>> >> letting herself into the house when you aren't at home. It seems once
>>> >> she has learned these skills she will be more ready for a traditional
>>> >> P.E. program.
>>> >> More generally, to everyone, I think there is some benefit in having
>>> >> blind kids do their P.E. requirements in a more individualized
>>> >> fashion
>>> >> rather than just having someone come into their regular P.E. class to
>>> >> help them. I'm usually an advocate of including blind students in the
>>> >> regular curriculum as much as possible, but based on my own
>>> >> experiences with regular and adapted P.E. I feel that P.E. needs to
>>> >> be
>>> >> handled a little differently. I'm curious if others have had
>>> >> experiences similar to mine.
>>> >> I was in regular P.E. throughout elementary school and sixth grade
>>> >> (in
>>> >> middle school) and what I remember was either being forced to sit on
>>> >> the bench, participating with a lot of help from my classmates, or
>>> >> having an APE teacher practically on top of me aiming throws for me,
>>> >> catching balls, etc. so I was basically a passive participant. Sports
>>> >> activities were never adapted, and at times my P.E. teachers were
>>> >> quite frank in stating that I wasn't expected to perform well. For
>>> >> example, in sixth grade I was required to dress out, but when we ran
>>> >> laps the kid who forgot his gym clothes at home was always the one
>>> >> assigned to be my running guide, because evidently the P.E. teachers
>>> >> didn't think that guiding me on the track was strenuous enough
>>> >> exercise to make someone dress out to do it. Anyway you get the idea.
>>> >> In seventh grade on, my PE requirements were waived due to alleged
>>> >> "safety concerns" and I was assigned one-on-one classes with an APE
>>> >> instructor instead. I hated this at first but it turned out to be
>>> >> great because my teacher was a female bodybuilder who assigned me to
>>> >> do weight training. I worked with her twice per week throughout the
>>> >> eighth, ninth, and tenth grades and she taught me how to use all the
>>> >> common weight machines and free-weights, and trained me to build up
>>> >> to
>>> >> some fairly competitive lifting routines. Initially I thought it was
>>> >> unfair to be separated from my peers and to have to come in before
>>> >> school for bench-press drills, but eventually I gained confidence in
>>> >> my body and my physical abilities because I was working with someone
>>> >> who challenged me and held me to high standards instead of just
>>> >> casting me aside to sit on the bench. In tenth grade the program
>>> >> changed from on-campus sessions to my walking from school to my local
>>> >> YMCA to complete the exercise routine (with supervision from the
>>> >> instructor at first, and then completely independent). It has been
>>> >> twelve years since that class ended for me, but I still know exactly
>>> >> how to use all the equipment, and though I have been erratic in my
>>> >> gym
>>> >> participation, I still enjoy lifting weights and still do some of the
>>> >> floor exercises that I learned. I also know a few other blind
>>> >> students
>>> >> who had similar individualized APE programs, some of which also
>>> >> involved stationary bike, elliptical or treadmill routines as well.
>>> >> I am pretty sure that the real purpose of required physical education
>>> >> (for all kids) is to instill good exercise habits and to motivate
>>> >> kids
>>> >> to become and remain physically active. I question how well that can
>>> >> happen for a blind student in a mainstreamed class where the blind
>>> >> student is always at a disadvantage, the last to be chosen for every
>>> >> team, etc. If others have found ways to make mainstreamed P.E. truly
>>> >> accessible, I would be very curious to hear how that was done.
>>> >> However, I suspect that it is quite difficult for regular P.E.
>>> >> teachers to make their classes fully accessible to a blind student
>>> >> because many of the modifications, like using beeping balls, have an
>>> >> effect on how the whole class is run. It's great if you have a P.E.
>>> >> arrangement where your child is fully included and where he/she can
>>> >> excel. If that's not happening, though, I think the option of setting
>>> >> up an individualized adapted P.E. program is one worth considering so
>>> >> that your child can achieve excellence in the class and learn some
>>> >> practical, good exercise habits. Of course, this is only going to
>>> >> work
>>> >> if the adapted P.E. teacher at the school is a quality teacher,
>>> >> someone with an open mind and someone who believes in blind people. I
>>> >> also think that sports groups for the blind, and mainstreamed
>>> >> community sports leagues where the leaders believe in blind people,
>>> >> are alternative ways to achieve these goals if the P.E. programs at
>>> >> school are not worthwhile.
>>> >>
>>> >> What are your thoughts on this?
>>> >> Arielle
>>> >>
>>> >> On 3/13/13, Julie Yanez <jyanez112 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> > Thank you. I'll look into it all.
>>> >> > On Mar 13, 2013 10:14 AM, "Bernadette Jacobs"
>>> >> > <bernienfb75 at gmail.com
>>> >
>>> >> > wrote:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >> Good Afternoon Julie!
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Don't lose heart Darling!  Firstly, RE: the combination lock,
>>> >> >> there
>>> >> >> actually is, (believe it or not), such a thing as Braille
>>> Combination
>>> >> >> Locks.  And they are very easy to work. You can check with Ellen
>>> >> >> Ringlein over at NFB: 410-659-9314 in the independence market.
>>> >> >> You
>>> >> >> might also check with the folks over at BISM: 410-7372600 and ask
>>> to
>>> >> >> speak with Andy McIver.  Or there's Independent Living Aids.  I
>>> don't
>>> >> >> remember the number offhand.  You can always "goodsearch" it.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> As for the dressing part, I'm not the expert in that department.
>>>  But,
>>> >> >> hopefully, before long, somebody will have some ideas for you
>>> >> >> there
>>> as
>>> >> >> well.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> On 3/12/13, Julie Yanez <jyanez112 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> >> > Hi all,
>>> >> >> > My daughter will be going into middle school next year and
>>> physical
>>> >> >> > education will be one of the courses. I have a few concerns that
>>> >> >> > I
>>> >> know
>>> >> >> > will be brought up in our next IEP in a few weeks.
>>> >> >> > 1. Will she be required to dress into PE clothes?
>>> >> >> > Right now she has lots of difficulty dressing herself. Pants,
>>> socks
>>> >> and
>>> >> >> > shoes are easy. Its the upper half she can't accomplish yet. She
>>> >> >> > doesn't
>>> >> >> > have the muscle structure to do certain things and still had
>>> >> difficulty
>>> >> >> > with muscle isolation. Her Dr thinks it's just part of being
>>> >> >> > extremely
>>> >> >> > premee and her being underweight.
>>> >> >> > I am also NOT ok with someone assisting her to dress out. She
>>> >> >> > will
>>> >> >> > be
>>> >> >> > in
>>> >> >> > APE. Is not dressing out a reasonable request for her APE in her
>>> >> >> > IEP?
>>> >> >> >
>>> >> >> > If she is required to change in some way such as just shoes,
>>> >> >> > what
>>> >> >> > type
>>> >> >> > of
>>> >> >> > lock might be easiest to start off with?  I don't know how to
>>> modify
>>> >> >> > a
>>> >> >> > combination lock for her, and like I said, she hasn't been able
>>> >> >> > to
>>> >> >> isolate
>>> >> >> > fingers well. So getting a key in a lock is very very difficult
>>> for
>>> >> >> > her.
>>> >> >> We
>>> >> >> > have tried for so long already.
>>> >> >> >
>>> >> >> > What are some things I need to know before we start PE in middle
>>> >> school
>>> >> >> so
>>> >> >> > I can bring up to her IEP team?
>>> >> >> >
>>> >> >> > Thank you all in advance. I need to get this all figured out
>>> before
>>> >> the
>>> >> >> > meeting and before the year starts and we find things out the
>>> >> >> > hard
>>> >> way.
>>> >> >> > ~Julie.
>>> >> >> > _______________________________________________
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>>> >> >> >
>>> >> >>
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