Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!396!8!Gene.Sale From: Gene.Sale@f8.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Gene Sale) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Braille Message-ID: <9485@bunker.UUCP> Date: 5 Jan 90 19:32:58 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Gene.Sale@f8.n396.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:396/8 - VICE, New Orleans LA Lines: 59 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 6158 Hi Pat Hope you had a HAPPY NEW YEAR and may it be one of happiness, good health , peace and prosperity. Allen has done quite well with his braile, and I would say has excelled beyond the expectations of his Special Ed Teacher. To be honest though , the school was reluctant to teach or even introduce braile to Allen. Last year , when Allen was four, I had asked his teacher when would Allen be introduced to Braille? Her reply was, not until he was 6 or 7. My next question was, Who was recomending this? Did she feel that Allen had a learning disability? Her responce to this was that the educators , the ones who were suppose to be the experts in the field, recomended this. But she did not feel that Allen had a learning disability. So to prove my point that Allen was able to learn this is what me and my wife were able to accomplish at home when Allen was four. We purchased some three dementional letters and was able to teach Allen the ALPHA BET within two to three weeks. He at first had no concept of how the letters went as for as position of the letter as a sighted person would see them, but he could destinguish at random the letter. The last month of school his teacher had loaned us the brailler for the summer. I then aquired some plastic cards that were used in making I D cards. I cut the left top corner of the card to designate as the top and front of the card. I preceded to make a set of braille flash cards so to speak. Allen and I would take a letter from his three dementional letters and Allen would tell me the letter and I would give him the card for it. Before long Allen knew the three dementional letters and the brail letter that matched it. So by the time he started back to school he had some idea what braille letters were. We did this against the advice of Allen's educators because in thier view the three dementional letters would only confuse him. And he was not ready to learn braille. Around JUNE there was a siminar for the BLIND sponcered by the SCHOOL for the BLIND of RUSTON La. The speakers were all blind...I had also envited ALLEN'S teacher.....It deffinately had the desired effect... Now at the age of five Allen is reading stories in braille and is using his cane to manuver around school, within the school grounds only. I whish there were more childrens books in braille. I was shocked when I call The National Light House For The Blind and was told there were no books or tapes available for children. I would say that keeping the faith has brought us a long way and will take us as for as the imagination will allow. Allen sometimes falls on the I can't do it attitude but with a little encouragement and a little prodding , Allen is able to do most anthing he wants. One of his Teachers' AIDS told me how ALLEN would scare her when he CLIMBED the JUNGLE BARS by his self. I think Allen will go far if the educators do not impose their own road blocks upon him. Well , I must go for now. Thanks for the reply and GOD BLESS. Signed: A friend in Louisiana Gene -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!396!8!Gene.Sale Internet: Gene.Sale@f8.n396.z1.fidonet.org