My son Liam (age 8, deafblind, braille reader) has always loved to help me in the kitchen. When he was younger I started out with small things, like putting dishes away from the dishwasher that were at his level or I would let him put his fish sticks in the...
Braille
Posted by Penny Rosenblum
I mean, why should your child bother learning braille, right? There are screen readers, audio books, and somebody can always read textbooks to your child at home. Maybe you’re thinking your child can just pick up information in class...
Posted by Renee Ellis
Cardboard is my friend.
Thank goodness for Amazon, UPS and FedEx. I look forward to a delivery because I use the boxes to create books and activities for my students with visual impairments.
I like things that don't cost much that I can send home...
Posted by Liamsmom
I am the mother of a sweet and busy third grade boy named Liam. He is deafblind and a braille reader. I have been wanting to create a book for awhile now where the objective was to focus on the conventions of a nonfiction book. I wanted the conventions to...
Posted by Penny Rosenblum
Think back on your own childhood and time with family and friends and you’re likely to remember a game you enjoyed playing whether it was a board game, word game, or sporting activity. Games can help your child develop skills such as:...
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam (8 years old, deafblind) doesn't watch TV. Because of this, he isn't always aware of movies and their characters that are popular among his peers. He does know a few super heroes because we happen to have the toys around the house...
Posted by Renee Ellis
I was recently asked to add a challenging student to my caseload. What started out as one of the most difficult teaching situations of my career, turned out to be one of the most fun and rewarding I have ever had. While every student has unique needs...
Posted by Elsie Rao
Struggling braille readers may easily become frustrated or discouraged, so it's critical to find ways to ensure success whenever possible. Here are some strategies to promote tactile skills with struggling braille readers:
Implement a...
Posted by Liamsmom
I was 5 months pregnant when my 2 and a half-year-old son Liam (who had typical vision and hearing) was airlifted to a city 5 hours away. He had become severely sick from meningitis. After months away from home, due to complications from the meningitis...
Posted by David Pruitt
When people think dyslexia, they think vision problems. Dyslexics see letters and numbers backwards if they can read at all. That’s the common thought, but only one aspect of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a reading disorder, not a seeing...
Posted by Penny Rosenblum
Parents often wonder if their child who has a significant visual impairment should learn braille, print, or both literacy media at the same time. They also question what role audio materials (e.g., books on CDs or downloaded to a special device) should...
Posted by Joseph Harrison
Parents and Orientation and Mobility Specialists know that safe and efficient travel with the long white cane is “all about technique.” Awful technique equals awful protection and effective technique equals effective protection. How do we motivate...
Posted by Liz Eagan
Event planning is a great way to incorporate literacy and the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) into student-led activities! While this particular example was done at Easter, there are many opportunities throughout the year to practice reading, writing...
Posted by Penny Rosenblum
Editor's Note: Please note that these free lessons are offered as an introduction to the braille code and are not intended to be complete. These lessons are designed to give families and other individuals who are sighted an understanding...
Posted by Scott Baltisberger
In a nation with a large immigrant population, issues regarding bilingual education for learners with visual impairment arise on a regular basis. As children from Latin American backgrounds continue to comprise the majority of students with limited English...
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam recently turned eight years old! He is a braille reader and every year for his birthday I have made him a birthday book that included pages from friends that have come to his party. Here are some of the ideas we've done in the past...
Posted by Mary McCarthy
I am currently working with a child who has decreased sensitivity. Below are a few suggestions. I try to keep each activity to five minutes or less and provide lots of praise.
First I had the OT do a sensitivity test and she was able to...
Posted by Liamsmom
Learning independent living skills starts at home! My son Liam is in second grade and is deafblind. I continually think of ways that he can help out around the house and do everyday tasks as independently as possible. Of course I think of ways that I...
Posted by Debra Goodsir
I love Paths to Literacy and often use the ideas it presents with my students. I read everything I can, pass it on to other TVIs and class teachers and discuss it with my students. I also love working collegially with creative, enthusiastic classroom...
Posted by Liamsmom
I am the mother of two sweet boys. My oldest, Liam, is 7 years old and is deafblind. His first language is American Sign Language. My youngest, Finn, is 4 years old and has typical vision and hearing. Going to the grocery store...