[blindkid] Which Direction Should I Go?

Marianne Denning marianne at denningweb.com
Mon Jan 19 22:38:21 UTC 2015


It may seem like Arielle and I are giving some contradictory information.  He would probably qualify for an IEP but his visual acuity of 20/35 in the better eye would cause most professionals to discourage braille and nonvisual techniques.  I still think there is something else going on with your son's vision.  I do agree with Arrielle that there is no harm in learning braille but he needs to learn to read it with his fingers.  If he reads it with his eyes it will not do any good. Do you enlarge the print for him to read?  If so, what is his preferred font size? 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle Silverman via blindkid
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2015 4:56 PM
To: Haley Dare; Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Which Direction Should I Go?

Hi Dare, and welcome. I am a 30-year-old woman who's been totally blind since birth. While I am not a doctor or a parent, I have a few thoughts on this. The most important is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being functionally blind or using nonvisual techniques to do things. I would also say that if your son has tried visual techniques and they don't work well for him, regardless of any medical opinion, it can only help him to try a new, nonvisual way to do those things. I'd definitely suggest switching from an ID cane to a white cane that's fitted for him and also having him learn Braille.
Again, these things might help him and they definitely will not hurt him. If your son's vision tests as 20/400, then he should qualify for an IEP where you can request he receive Braille instruction. If you are homeschooling, there are some other parents on this list, I believe, who have gone that route. You should also check out www.nfb.org/nopbc and www.blindchildren.org or the NOPBC group on Facebook to get some excellent resources on cane usage and to connect with other parents. Good luck and welcome!

Best,
Arielle Silverman, Board Member, National Federation of the Blind Greater Seattle Chapter

On 1/19/15, Haley Dare via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>  Good afternoon,
> I haven't posted to this listserve before, but I am seeking some 
> direction...hopefully, someone out there has a child who is 
> experiencing the same type of problems as my son and can give me some 
> advice.  Okay, here goes...
> My 8 year old has been dx with amblyopia, huge refractive error, 
> strabismus, accommodative esotropia, and a problematic visual 
> processing disorder.  He wears very strong glasses with a 
> bifocal/magnifier in the bottom.  We don't know how well he sees 
> peripherally, but we know that his acuity is 20/400 in his bad eye, 
> and 20/35 in his good eye with correction.  Our ophthalmologist says 
> his eyes are structurally healthy and that none of these problems cause "blindness", but my son's behavior suggests otherwise.
> He walkes into the sides of the wall, misses changes in the terrain, 
> panics about leaving the house, and won't go out in the dark (or a 
> cloudy day), falls over toys or items that are right in front of him 
> and acts very clingy and nervous in large groups of people or in unfamiliar environments.
> He can read, but not for any length of time, and the light must be bright.
> He struggles with glare (especially on a bright, snowy day), print 
> size, reading and math in school; I currently k12 him at home.  He 
> carries a white cane for identification purposes, but I've noticed 
> that his posture has improved.
> Here's my question...and it probably seems pretty stupid, but I'm 
> going to ask it anyway.  Is my son blind?  Should I be trying to get 
> him some nonvisual services (like braille, O&M, etc), maybe under 
> sleepshades?  I sometimes wonder if I should just "lose" his glasses 
> so he isn't so overstimulated (crazy thought, I know, but he does seem calmer w/o them).
> Right now, he has no professional supports, just me trying to teach 
> him a few things.  Perhaps permaturely, but I worry about his 
> future...he's a guy and needs to be able to read, work and take care of himself and a family.
> I've been in touch with so many organizations and people that have 
> provided wonderful advice, but I have yet to come across another 
> parent who is living with this confusing visual conundrum.  Can 
> anybody out there suggest to me which direction to go?  Thanks so much.
> hdare
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