Creating a joyful, safe place for student success.
Promoting Independence
Important considerations for parents of children with Visual Impairments (VI)
Much of the information was taken from the book, “Getting Ready for College Begins in Third Grade”, by Carol Castellano.
Become aware of blind VI people’s achievements
Raise your expectations
Learn the techniques that blind/VI people use to accomplish tasks
All adults must understand that the goals for the VI student are to participate fully and independently in class
Become a full participant in all classroom activities
Teachers must take the same responsibility for the education of the VI students as for the education of the sighted students in the room
All materials and presentation must be in an accessible form and ready when they are needed
VI student must receive instruction in areas such as braille, mobility, technology, etc.
The VI student must have a reading medium
School personnel must respect the cane and encourage the student’s independent mobility
Good communication among all members of the IEP team
The IEP should have an explicit goal of independence so that the student can become independent in the classroom and in all areas
The team must build in a timeline for independence (over time the student must become more independent and need less assistance)
Develop time awareness and time management
Teach the following: wash hands, brush teeth, wash hair, bathe/shower, dress and undress, table manners
Observe what sighted children (your child’s age) are able to do in the kitchen and teach your child at least the basic skills
Household chores
Going to the store
Develop body awareness
Develop awareness of spatial concepts/positional concepts/environmental concepts
Sound and Echolocation
Experience with maps
Developing a store of knowledge (going places!!!)
Give child ample time for exploration and problem solving
Promote age-appropriate independence and autonomy
Broaden your child’s experience
Teach child to play (share, pretend)
Develop personality (flexibility, judgment)
Don’t talk for your child
Let your child grow up
Teach conversation and social interaction skills (face the speaker, give and take – turn taking, keep conversation going, social signals to read, personal space, be interesting and interested)
Appearance
Manners and eating skills
Don’t think accommodations…think skills (don’t think in terms of having things done for the child or making things easier for them; instead think about the child knowing how to do things!)
Acquiring the skills to get the job done and effectively communicating how they will accomplish the tasks
We work with you and your child's teacher, counselor, the school psychologist, and principal to develop plans and programs that are focused on your child's success!
