[blindkid] blindkid Digest, Vol 109, Issue 22

Mon May 27 12:06:05 UTC 2013

Julie, Re: Holding a bind child back a school grade.  I have two blind children and I have not personally faced this issue, but I do have some thoughts about it.  Is your child being held back because she is blind?  If she were not blind would you be facing this question this school year? Is the classroom teacher recommending retention? If so, exactly why?  Has any testing been done to assess her innate intelligence; some guidance toward the academic-level which your child should be working at?  The most important question is to ask yourself: Is my child capable of grade-level work?  I think I would start by answering those questions.  Do not allow school officials the final say on the answers, because while they know education they frequently do not have enough experience with blind students to answer these questions.  Assuming she is otherwise capable of doing the work, your blind child should be receiving services that work to keep her on
 grade-level.  If the services have not done that and the school is recommending retention, then I would request testing and extended school year (ESY) this summer so that your child can get on-grade and stay on-grade.  Basically, as the parent of blind children, I expect the school services to keep my children working at the level they are capable of regardless of level of sight. 

Other questions I would ask: How does my daughter feel about being retained?  Is my child socially and emotionally on grade-level? If held back, will she be physically more developed than her peers?  How is her confidence?  

I only recently joined this listserve.  I hope I have followed the correct step for responding. 

Jennifer 

________________________________
 From: "blindkid-request at nfbnet.org" <blindkid-request at nfbnet.org>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org 
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2013 1:00 PM
Subject: blindkid Digest, Vol 109, Issue 22

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Today's Topics:

   1. FW: [blind-family] Adopt a baby, toddler,    or child from India
      with minor needs to moderate needs (Eric Calhoun)
   2. Summer Camp (hpscheffer at aol.com)
   3. Being held back a grade (Julie Yanez)
   4. Please Sign Petition (Carol Castellano)

Original Message: 
From: "adoptanorphan" <lynnem at wacap.org>
To: blind-family at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [blind-family] Adopt a baby, toddler, or child from India with
minor needs to moderate needs
Date: 
Tue, 21 May 2013 15:02:44 -0000

Needed Families To Adopt Children in India With Medical Needs!

After a period of quiet while officials in India made changes to the
adoption process--we're now seeing adoptions in India up and running
successfully for families interested in children with medical concerns and
other individual needs. Each month, information about a group of children
with needs is shared with our adoption agency WACAP, and we're seeing lots
of BABIES and TODDLERS photos on this list each month. Many of these
children appear to have relatively MINOR  to MODERATE special needs such as
skin conditions, heart conditions, limb differences, eye problems etc. We
also saw two toddlers who are HIV positive. With the new system in place,
we strongly encourage families who are interested in adopting children with
medical needs to apply to our India Program!  Please email
FamilyFinders at wacap.org or Priyanka Joshi, PriyankaJ at wacap.org managing
WACAP's India program, or call her at 206-575-4550. Please ask about
financial aid for adoption.
WACAP(www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency.

Hello, has any of your kids been to this camp? Sounds like a great experience, but nothing like first hand feedback. If you don't want to post publicly you can email me off list.

Thanks

Heidi

http://inter-actions.org/about/

Good morning fellow listers. There is a possibility that we will be
discussing my blind 11 year old being held back in 5th or holding her back
next year in 6th. Overall she's at about a 3rd/4th grade level.
This year the district is adding a V.I. class for K-6 grades. That is an
option for her. Although I am excited for it, I don't know what will happen
for 7th when she has to move to a middle school. Right now she has a 1:1
aide everyday. She won't have that in the VI class. And I can't guarantee
if her same aide whom has become fluent in Braille over the past 4 years
will be with her after the VI class ends in 6th.
Have any of you or your children been held back a grade? Of so, what were
the pro's and con's?

Thank you, Julie.

Dear Friends:

Blind and print-disabled people in the United States and across the world
need your help to relieve the worldwide book famine that prevents us from
receiving an education, attaining employment, and fully participating in
society.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is considering a treaty that
would make more books available to blind and print-disabled people all over
the world by promoting an exception to copyright law allowing books to be
produced in special formats like Braille and to be shared across
international borders.  This treaty is called the Treaty for the Blind or the
VIP Treaty.  Unfortunately, publishers, big media, and other rights holders
like GE and Caterpillar, some of whom have nothing to do with the publishing
of books at all, are complicating the negotiations in an attempt to water
down or kill the treaty.  You can help by sending a strong message that you
support a treaty that helps the blind and print disabled get access to more
books.  Please sign the petition at
https://nfb.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=2&reset=1

Also, please share the petition link with your family, friends, and others
who you feel will support this effort.

Thank you for your support.

Carol

Carol Castellano
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.nfb.org/parents-and-teachers  

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