Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Question about teaching visually impaired student Braille. (self.Blind)
submitted by Saudade-do-Brasil
Hello all!
I am a 5th grade teacher/Jr High writing teacher. I have a student who is visually impaired. He is losing the ability to see contrast. I apologize, I can't remember offhand what the name of what he has, if that aids in answering the question. I know it can progress fairly rapidly by the time he reaches high school, and I haven't heard to what degree he is able to see now. Before we closed back in March due to Covid, he could see fine as long as I used dark bold dry erase markers on the whiteboard. He did attend our online Zoom meeting for a while, then disappeared during the latter half of fourth quarter. His mother doesn't stay on top of the school work, so I did not get much completed work back by the end of the school year, nor have I heard any updates.
I teach at a small parochial school, so we will be open this August, with parents having the option to send their kids in person or doing online work. His mother, of course, elected to do work online.
In leu of writing, I was hoping to teach him Braille. Before the school closed, I was able to find a volunteer to help teach him, however lessons were cut short. She did print off a flip booklet for him with a letter on each index card and taught him how to read the letters, however that is all the further we got. I have always been interested in learning Braille and hoping I will be able to teach him this year whether it be online or in person until the school year resumes as normal.
If anyone would be willing to direct me to someone resources to help teach him, or share some experiences on the best route to go using the what we have, I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks,
I am a 5th grade teacher/Jr High writing teacher. I have a student who is visually impaired. He is losing the ability to see contrast. I apologize, I can't remember offhand what the name of what he has, if that aids in answering the question. I know it can progress fairly rapidly by the time he reaches high school, and I haven't heard to what degree he is able to see now. Before we closed back in March due to Covid, he could see fine as long as I used dark bold dry erase markers on the whiteboard. He did attend our online Zoom meeting for a while, then disappeared during the latter half of fourth quarter. His mother doesn't stay on top of the school work, so I did not get much completed work back by the end of the school year, nor have I heard any updates.
I teach at a small parochial school, so we will be open this August, with parents having the option to send their kids in person or doing online work. His mother, of course, elected to do work online.
In leu of writing, I was hoping to teach him Braille. Before the school closed, I was able to find a volunteer to help teach him, however lessons were cut short. She did print off a flip booklet for him with a letter on each index card and taught him how to read the letters, however that is all the further we got. I have always been interested in learning Braille and hoping I will be able to teach him this year whether it be online or in person until the school year resumes as normal.
If anyone would be willing to direct me to someone resources to help teach him, or share some experiences on the best route to go using the what we have, I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks,
crazykiwi 3 points 2y ago
It's good that you want to be involved and support, but is there no access to a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI)? I would think s student who is loosing their vision needs intensive support in Braille and access to other important areas like the expanded core curriculum. Is there anywhere you can get more support?
Saudade-do-Brasil [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Since we are a private school, we don't get a lot of the additional funding that public schools would. His mother, unfortunately, won't go out of her way to help him get additional supports while he still has some vision and is often inattentive in his home life, father not on the picture.
crazykiwi 3 points 2y ago
That's really concerning, I had no idea kids in private schools don't receive funding for a TVI. Are you in the states (sorry to assume but do many redditors seem to be)? Have you consulted with a larger entity like Perkins or a state school for the Blind? Or is the parent blocking that? In my Canadian province I believe it's possible to apply for outreach services in some cases, and our provincial school will send out Braille kits to early vision interventions, maybe there is something equivalent in your area. There may be tools, support or guidance if you can get permission to call around to places like TSBVI and others just to network and ask questions. Other countries may have equivalents.
In my area a child starting to learn Braille in their home public school gets nearly a full day TVI depending on various factors, as well as regular orientation and mobility with a masters level professional, and access to the extended core curriculum. And at some point there will be a Braillist involved as well.. In the cases I see with young children with more challenges, before a Braillist is involved, they may alternatively give a .5 or 1.0 overlay in addition to that for a para professional to get a head start on other skills and ensure support, all depending on needs. Even with all this support employment outcomes are not a guarantee and the head of largest board vision program in Canada says there is solid research to show employment outcomes are still poor for many students with visual impairments and need to be profoundly improved on, even with that much support. So, it's concerning if a child isn't receiving any professional support.
Is amazing that you are doing what you can and I highly commend you for your efforts and willingness to learn more. It must be very challenging since it sounds like the parent has some of their own struggles and grieving which is all to common. I hope they will eventually come to see the need to position themselves for service, whatever that may look like, or setting that could happen in.
Outside of that, I can really just suggest the same as others here. Hadley. If you have time and can grab a standard mechanical keyboard (uses the home row like they are 6 Braille keys) and take the UEB Introductory Braille course. It covers what was previously known as grade one Braille or un- contracted as well as the slate and stylus method. It will allow you to write all basic English and punctuation in one course. It's pretty easy to take. Enough to get started. It's also pretty interesting and fun and you also get a free slate, stylus and Braille eraser for manual embossing.
If you search around (and have a small budget) there are also these cool label makers that print Braille. I got a couple free used ones from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) store. You can label all kinds of stuff in Braille to make it fun and involving rather than always a sit down literacy task. It's slow and the tape is limited, but you can put some key words in a book or a science lesson as well. The strips could be mailed during COVID maybe? Depending on how people feel about that.
We also have a card here for the CNIB which gives access to local library resources for Braille. Though I'm not sure how age appropriate they would be be, I've never used it personally and don't know about equivalents around the world but there may be. Again tricky with COVID as well.
In my area a child starting to learn Braille in their home public school gets nearly a full day TVI depending on various factors, as well as regular orientation and mobility with a masters level professional, and access to the extended core curriculum. And at some point there will be a Braillist involved as well.. In the cases I see with young children with more challenges, before a Braillist is involved, they may alternatively give a .5 or 1.0 overlay in addition to that for a para professional to get a head start on other skills and ensure support, all depending on needs. Even with all this support employment outcomes are not a guarantee and the head of largest board vision program in Canada says there is solid research to show employment outcomes are still poor for many students with visual impairments and need to be profoundly improved on, even with that much support. So, it's concerning if a child isn't receiving any professional support.
Is amazing that you are doing what you can and I highly commend you for your efforts and willingness to learn more. It must be very challenging since it sounds like the parent has some of their own struggles and grieving which is all to common. I hope they will eventually come to see the need to position themselves for service, whatever that may look like, or setting that could happen in.
Outside of that, I can really just suggest the same as others here. Hadley. If you have time and can grab a standard mechanical keyboard (uses the home row like they are 6 Braille keys) and take the UEB Introductory Braille course. It covers what was previously known as grade one Braille or un- contracted as well as the slate and stylus method. It will allow you to write all basic English and punctuation in one course. It's pretty easy to take. Enough to get started. It's also pretty interesting and fun and you also get a free slate, stylus and Braille eraser for manual embossing.
If you search around (and have a small budget) there are also these cool label makers that print Braille. I got a couple free used ones from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) store. You can label all kinds of stuff in Braille to make it fun and involving rather than always a sit down literacy task. It's slow and the tape is limited, but you can put some key words in a book or a science lesson as well. The strips could be mailed during COVID maybe? Depending on how people feel about that.
We also have a card here for the CNIB which gives access to local library resources for Braille. Though I'm not sure how age appropriate they would be be, I've never used it personally and don't know about equivalents around the world but there may be. Again tricky with COVID as well.
Saudade-do-Brasil [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Thanks for the response. I am in the US. There should be plenty of resources available that were given to his mother during his yearly check up however the follow through on her end ensuring he gets what he needs now, is lacking. Even though he attends a private school, anything a child would get in the public school in the same district should be available to him (I believe this is how it works in the US) however , again, it requires a parent to follow through and get things set up which doesn't/won't get done, unfortunately.
I like the printable tape idea. Should be a lot cheaper than trying to find some sort of printer. I was hoping to have names of objects printed out and put around the room/school similar to foreign language learners.
Thanks for the info!
I like the printable tape idea. Should be a lot cheaper than trying to find some sort of printer. I was hoping to have names of objects printed out and put around the room/school similar to foreign language learners.
Thanks for the info!
CloudyBeep 1 points 2y ago
You should do some research to ascertain to what extent the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act apply to private schools. I assume that part of the reason blind students almost never attend private schools is that they will receive much less support than at a public school. Depending on what you find (and what your superiors say), you might want to suggest to the parent that the child may struggle unless they either employ professionals to teach him the expanded core curriculum or put him in a public school where he will have a more accessible education.
oncenightvaler 2 points 2y ago
That's very dedicated that you as a regular teacher would want the best for him by helping him to learn Braille, sorry that he was not being responsive and attending Zoom and handing in his assignments.
I am a 28 year old blind guy, and I learned Braille from like first to fifth grade (because there are the 200 contracted shortforms)
I used Braille in high school because I had a dedicated Educational Assistant who embossed all the tests and assignments and even had to emboss some of the textbooks when we could not find them from the local blind school.
I had people in university while I was studying literature, aid me in getting a few Braille textbook resources.
Currently I am taking a refresher Braille course to get my Unified English Braille certification so I can assist students and libraries and make sure Braille is as available as print.
Edit: Here's a link you might want to share with the young man's parents I wish him all the best. https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/resources/free-online-resources-learn-braille
If you wanted you could also ask the young man and his mom if they wanted a blind penpal and I could chat to him over Skype and talk to him about how important advocating for his own accessability needs (including Braille and screen reading programs and etc) will be both for his educational and career success.
I am a 28 year old blind guy, and I learned Braille from like first to fifth grade (because there are the 200 contracted shortforms)
I used Braille in high school because I had a dedicated Educational Assistant who embossed all the tests and assignments and even had to emboss some of the textbooks when we could not find them from the local blind school.
I had people in university while I was studying literature, aid me in getting a few Braille textbook resources.
Currently I am taking a refresher Braille course to get my Unified English Braille certification so I can assist students and libraries and make sure Braille is as available as print.
Edit: Here's a link you might want to share with the young man's parents I wish him all the best. https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/resources/free-online-resources-learn-braille
If you wanted you could also ask the young man and his mom if they wanted a blind penpal and I could chat to him over Skype and talk to him about how important advocating for his own accessability needs (including Braille and screen reading programs and etc) will be both for his educational and career success.
Saudade-do-Brasil [OP] 1 points 2y ago
That would be great! I will mention that to him and his mother. The volunteer that was coming in before the pandemic was in her 60s and he was eager to learn yet uneasy around her. Being able to speak with another male, much younger, would be a great help for him, which he probably has not had the opportunity to do.
KillerLag 2 points 2y ago
https://hadley.edu/workshops/basic-braille-by-sight-reading-series
https://hadley.edu/workshops/braille
These should help. You would need to register, but they are pretty good.
https://hadley.edu/workshops/braille
These should help. You would need to register, but they are pretty good.
Saudade-do-Brasil [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thanks for these links, I will check it out.
KillerLag 2 points 2y ago
No prob. If this other assistance we need, feel free to ask. It is unfortunate some schools have virtually no support for children with vision loss, but it happens.
Out of curiosity, does the student have Retinitis Pigmentosa?
Out of curiosity, does the student have Retinitis Pigmentosa?
Saudade-do-Brasil [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I had to check the school records, but you are correct on the name of it.
KillerLag 2 points 2y ago
Retinitis Pigmentosa (also called RP) is one of the more common forms of vision loss for that age category. Depending on how aggressive, people can lose their vision by late teens or early twenties, but sometimes they will still have usable vision until 40s or 50s.
As RP progresses, often the clients will have more trouble seeing at night or other low light conditions (night blindness). So they may find they may trip more in the evening/dusk, even in areas they are familiar with. This is of particular concern with stairs, especially stairs going underground that may not have sufficient lighting (stairs to basements and subways). But it could also be stairs in a movie theatre, or a step in a dark restaurant.
If they are finding it harder to see at night, they may need to contact their state agency regarding rehabilitation. Especially during teen years, they don't always like to use a white cane (they don't want to stand out, and can feel the cane is broadcasting their vision loss). It can be helpful to find another student with vision loss to talk to, or even a young adult they can relate to.
As RP progresses, often the clients will have more trouble seeing at night or other low light conditions (night blindness). So they may find they may trip more in the evening/dusk, even in areas they are familiar with. This is of particular concern with stairs, especially stairs going underground that may not have sufficient lighting (stairs to basements and subways). But it could also be stairs in a movie theatre, or a step in a dark restaurant.
If they are finding it harder to see at night, they may need to contact their state agency regarding rehabilitation. Especially during teen years, they don't always like to use a white cane (they don't want to stand out, and can feel the cane is broadcasting their vision loss). It can be helpful to find another student with vision loss to talk to, or even a young adult they can relate to.
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