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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1145

                           Friday, April 28, 1995

Today's Topics:


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                   VIP newsletter Vol 11 No. 1 (372 lines)


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Subject: VIP newsletter Vol 11 No. 1 (372 lines)
From: robertj@tekgen.bv.TEK.COM (Robert Jaquiss)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR, USA

VIP NEWSLETTER     VOLUME 11  NUMBER 1
PUBLISHED BY THE BLIND CHILDREN'S FUND
2875 NORTHWIND DRIVE, SUITE 211
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN 48823-5040
PHONE  517-333-1725
FAX      517-333-1730


THE HELPING HAND SYNDROME
"I'll do it for you."
by Shirley Osman

Last weekend Paul, a 9 year old congenitally blind boy stayed
with me.  His stay could have turned into a blind child's worst
nightmare -- spending the weekend with his rehabilitation
teacher!  I found that I soon grew tired of and would not accept,
the child's response "I can't" or "I need help."  The rehab
teacher in me said, "You can do it yourself."

Blind and visually impaired children seem to grow up with a crew
of well-intentioned adults, who, like a cloud of helicopters,
hover ready to rescue them from any danger or difficulty that
they might encounter.  It is much easier to do for the child,
than to watch him struggle, or to teach him to do things for
himself.  It is also faster.  The blind child learns to expect
and accept help gracefully and willingly.  However, this helping
hand syndrome causes substantial delays in problem solving
skills, self-help skills, and socialization skills.  Expecting to
be helped was simply a habit

Paul is a typical blind child with no other disabilities.  He
does, however, have delays in certain areas, particularly those
mentioned above.  When I agreed to take Paul for the weekend, I
did not realize that I would establish goals for him.  I soon
found that my primary goal was to teach him to resist the helping
hand which in continually being extended to him.

Since expecting to be helped was simply a habit which Paul had
been dragged into, it was necessary to replace this habit with an
alternative.  I asked Paul, "What do you say when someone says
'I'll do it for you'?"  Paul replied simply "O.K.".

"Wrong answer, Paul.  You should say, 'I can do it by myself.'"
It was surprising how quickly Paul responded to these word and
began using them.  Whenever he needed help, I said, 'I'll do it
for you," and if he responded with"O.K." I said, "Nope, wrong
answer."  Pretty soon, even when I said, "I'll do it for you," he
would say, "I can do it myself," and usually he did.

On Friday night, Paul worried and worried about who would help
him with getting dressed.  He probably knew that as his teacher,
I had taught him how to dress himself and that I expected him to
get dressed independently.  He was absolutely right, but doubted
his own abilities.

That night, when changing into his pajamas, Paul did run into a
little difficulty, but I was able to talk him through his
problem.  Again on Saturday morning, he had some trouble with his
shirt.  He recognized that he had put the article of clothing on
wrong, and stopped, waiting for the helicopter of help to swoop
down and finish dressing him.  I simply said, "You know it's on
wrong, so, what do you have to do?"


"Take it off?"

"Right answer!  So do it."  He did, and with a little verbal
instruction, was able to dress himself.  The rest of the weekend
Paul did not ask for assistance when changing clothes.

My second goal was to teach Paul a few age-appropriate games that
he could master and could compete in competently.  It is no fun
for him if he always loses the game, and no fun for peers if they
always win, or have to let Paul win.  We began with some simple
ones:  Go Fish, the Baseball game (From APH) and UNO.

During the UNO game, I was trying to test his ability to resist
the helping hand.  When someone laid down a "Draw Two" card, I
drew Paul's cards, and handed them to him.  He did ask (and I was
pleased) "Why couldn't I draw my cards myself?"  So I explained
(as I am sure others will) that he is just too slow, and that the
game will go faster if he lets me draw for him.  "O.K." he said.

"No, Paul, wrong answer!  You have to tell people that you won't
ever get faster if you don't get to try yourself."  Throughout
the rest of the card game, he drew for himself, and resisted my
attempts to intervene.

In less than 48 hours of "Yes you can" rather than "Let me do it"
Paul became more independent and more self-assured.  Will the
effects of the weekend last?  Only time will tell.  Kay Farrell
said it best, "Independence training begins at infancy, not at
age 2, or 6, or when college is imminent."  Every parent, every
teacher, and every person working with children with visual
disabilities must instill in them a resistance to the helping
hand.

NOTICE TO OUR READERS
Articles about new products and services in the VIP should not be
considered an endorsement of those products or services by the
Blind Children's Fund.  We invite anyone who produces a resource
of interest in the field to share information with us as we are
constantly seeking new, unique and inexpensive items for the
visually impaired.  We reserve the right to publish information
about such items at our discretion.

Fifty years from now
It will not matter
What kind of car you drove,
What kind of house you live in,
How much you had in your bank account,
Nor what your clothes looked like
But the world will be a little better
Because you were important in the life of a child
Anonymous

TACK TILES - A New Teaching Tool

Tack-Tiles provide a novel way of presenting braille to students.
There are sixty four dot patterns represented on the tiles and
five of each pattern are included in a set.  The braille surface
is on the top of each tile with the print equivalent on the lower
bottom edge of the tile.  The tiles fit onto "Lego" type boards.
Two sizes of boards are available:  10x15 inches (Worksheet-sized
slates) and 5x7 inches (Palmed sized slates).  The boards allow
the flexibility of moving tiles around to form words or
sentences, but the rigidity of having the tiles stay in place
while the student reads his work.  The sets sell for $250.00 plus
shipping and sales tax.  Tack Tiles can be purchased from:  Los
Olividados, Ltd., P.O. Box 471, Manchester, New Hampshire 03105.
(603) 641-1041.

1995 SEEDLINGS CATALOG
We want to remind you that Seedlings has released its 1995
Braille Book Catalog.  There are now over 200 titles available
for children ages 1-14.  A new category of sound button books are
now included in the catalog.  For a copy of the catalog contact:
Seedlings  Braille Books for Children  P.O. Box 2395  Livonia, MI
48151-0394  (800) 777-8552.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILD INTO THE 21ST
CENTURY
At the 1994 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute, a meeting
of parents, professionals and consumers from across the United
States, a National Agenda was identified to meet the needs of
visually impaired children into the 21st Century.

THE NATIONAL AGENDA FOR THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
1994-2000  Goal statements

All the following goal statements apply to infants, children and
youth who are blind or visually impaired, including those with
multiple disabilities.
1. Students and their families will be referred to an appropriate
education program within thirty days of identification of a
suspected visual impairment.  2. Policies and procedures will be
implemented to assure the right of all parents to full
participation and equal partnership in the education process.  3.
Universities, with a minimum of one full-time faculty member in
the area of visual impairment, will prepare a sufficient number
of educators of students with visual impairments to meet
personnel needs throughout the country.  4. Service providers
will determine case loads based on the needs of students and will
require on-going professional development for all teachers and
orientation and mobility instructors.  5. Local education
programs will assure that all students have access to a full
array of placement options.  6. Assessment of students will be
conducted, in collaboration with parents, by personnel having
expertise in the education of students with visual impairments.
7. Access to developmental and educational services will include
an assurance that instructional materials are available to

students in the appropriate media and at the same time as their
sighted peers.  8. Educational and developmental goals, including
instruction, will reflect the assessed needs of each student in
all areas of academic and disability-specific core curricula.

WHAT'S NEW???????
We have so many wonderful new things to share with you.  To fill
your bookshelves, consider the following new editions now
available from the BCF.

Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Just as most children who have a favorite story,
Boy-Strength-of-Blue Horses, loves when his grandfather tells him
his favorite story day after day.  He knows all the words, and
insists on the same order, but Grandfather must tell him the
story over and over again.  In this wonderful story about a young
Native American boy, the counting rope is the symbol for the
passage of time and for the growth of the boy's self confidence,
not withstanding his blindness.  $14.95

Through Grandpa's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan and Deborah Kogan
Ray.
This beautiful little picture book relates a shared day's
experiences between John and his Grandpa, who is blind.  It
starts with the sun "warming" Grandpa awake and goes on to
describe the other ways that Grandpa has learned to adapt to his
blindness.  John learns how to listen, smell, and touch with the
sensitivity that his Grandpa uses.  The book is geared for the
young reader, ages 5-8, but can enjoyed by older children. $4.95.

AN OPEN LETTER TO YOUR PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGIST
If you are like most parents, when your child was first diagnosed
with a visual impairment you left the doctor's office with no
clue as to what to do next.  The Michigan Parents of the Visually
Impaired decided to try and change that scenario.  The result was
a change in policy at the primary pediatric ophthalmology care
facility in the state.  To help other parents in other states
achieve the same success, we have decided to prin the letter that
the parent group mailed, and to print the flyer that the doctors
are now providing to families.

Dear Doctor,
The Michigan Parents of the Visually Impaired is a state-wide
group made up of parents, their families and professional people
interested in obtaining knowledge and support in raising visually
impaired children.

You and your colleagues are usually the first and only
professionals that parents have for information and support when
their child is initially diagnosed with a severe visual
impairment.  Many of our members have asked why eye doctors did
not suggest that parents contact the school system when an
infant's vision problem was first diagnosed.


School systems have early intervention programs designed to meet
the need of the youngest infant and their parents.  In-home
visits assist parents in relieving the fear and anxiety of having
a child with vision problems.  Also, the school system gives the
parents the opportunity to interact with other parents raising a
visually impaired child.

Blind children can learn to crawl, walk, and develop at the same
rate as the sighted child if given the opportunity.

Your assistance in suggesting that parents call their local
Director of Special Education would be a great help to parents of
infants with visual problems.  Sincerely,

The following flyer, which is printed in a pad form for the
doctor to simply tear off, is the result of this letter and much
follow up work done by the Michigan Parents of the Visually
Impaired and the teachers who work with their children.

YOUR CHILD IS NOT TOO YOUNG TO RECEIVE SERVICES FROM A CONSULTANT
FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED!
If your ophthalmologist believes your child has a visual acuity
of less than 20/70, has a field loss or has a degenerative
condition, you should contact your local school district!

It doesn't matter if your child spends time at home, in a nursery
school, or has already started school ... your child is eligible
for support services from a teacher of the visually impaired.  In
Wayne County you should call one of the following numbers:
Detroit - Rosemary Blaskiewicz (313) 494-0936, Western Wayne -
Kathy Donagrandi (313) 523-9367, Downriver Area - Mary Jenkins
(313) 389-0210,  In other counties call your local ISD.  DON'T
DELAY ... CALL TODAY!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT LILLI NIELSEN CONFERENCE!
Lilli Nielsen, PhD. from Denmark will be returning to the United
States to present information on her Active Learning Approach.
This Basic Course will be held June 19-23, 1995 in Novi,
Michigan.  If you or any parent or professional you know may be
interested in attending, please write, call or fax the Blind
Children's Fund below:

IN MEMORIAM
This edition of the VIP is dedicated to the memory of:
Julie Ann DeNike,  May 5, 1972 - February 25, 1995

Our hearts go out in deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
May God's Love bring them healing and peace.

We, and many of you, knew her as Lisa.  Some of you knew her
personally, others, all over the world met her in our slide tapes
or video of Move It.   An adorable redhead - Lisa demonstrated to
hundreds of parents and teachers - all over the world - that a
blind child could be tremendously capable.


As a preschooler she worked hard at everything she tried - and
she tried EVERYTHING.  She helped cook, set the table, washed
dishes, ran the vacuum and was a bright and happy learner.
Everyone loved her.  We took hundreds of pictures of her for
inservice for parents and teachers.  She  demonstrated gross
motor activities, art activities, sewing, making cookies, picking
apples and at home learning to make her bed and care for her
clothes.  She was a star.

Her mother helped found the Blind Children's Fund and for a short
time had another nonprofit called Close Encounters to provide
recreational activities for young blind children.  Lisa learned
to swim, ski and loved horseback riding.

As she grew she became a young woman who continued to touch the
lives of many people.  She remained independent.  Rather than
have someone help her with her bills and check writing she went
to the library and read the correspondence with the help of the
Kurzweil machine and wrote her own checks.  She was exploring a
career and had just signed up to take some computer courses.  But
on a Saturday morning in February, 1995 she became a victim of
our times.  Unsuspecting what awaited her when a visitor came to
her apartment she opened the door to someone she knew and her
life was brutally ended when she became a victim of a stabbing
attack.

Loving friends of all ages attended her funeral.  Her  favorite
Psalm was Psalm 23.  When others were troubled she often
suggested that they recite it.  Her favorite song was "Chunk of
Coal" because like the chunk of coal in the song - she was going
to grow to become a diamond.  She did.  She became one of the
diamonds in God's heaven and there she shines brightly.  Her
legacy to us are her pictures and the messages they convey to
help  parents and teachers of blind children.  She lives on in
the hearts of those of us who knew her and continues to enter the
hearts of  parents and teachers all around the world.


1995 VIP SUBSCRIPTION FEES DUE
Please take a minute and look at the upper right hand corner of
the mailing label on your current issue of the VIP.  If there is
not a "1995" in the upper right hand corner, we ask that you
kindly renew your subscription.  The VIP subscription runs from
January to December on an annual basis.  The subscription cost is
$10.00 in t he United State and $15.00 for foreign countries.

WE'RE HAPPY TO SPREAD THE WORD
NEWSLETTER FOR DEAF-BLIND

In it's first newsletter, the new National Family Association for
the Deaf-Blind announced it's arrival in an analogy describing
the conception and birth of a new baby.  We wish to welcome this
new baby into the world.  For those of you who would like further

information about membership into NFADB (which includes the cost
of their annual Newsletter) you may contact them at:  NFADB  111
Middle Neck road Sands Point, New York 11050-1299.

Looking for Legally Blind Moms of Preschool Children
Connie Conley-Jung is writing her doctoral thesis on the Early
Parenting Experiences of Mothers who are Blind or Visually
Impaired.  The moms must be blind or visually impaired, be
expecting within the next three months and/or already have a
child five years of age or younger.  The participants in this
research would be asked to participate in a phone interview which
would take approximately 30 minutes.  If this description fits
you, or someone you know, kindly call Ms. Conley-Jung collect at
(510) 523-1774.

A Unique Learning Opportunity For Professionals
The Carroll Center's International Training Program (ITP) for
experienced instructors in the field of Education and
Rehabilitation of the blind and visually impaired will be held
from July 5 to August 27, 1995.  This intensive program provides
a forum for professionals from around the world to study
together.  For further information and application, please
contact:  Dr. Nurit Neustadt, The Carroll Center for the Blind,
770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02158, USA.  ph: (617) 969-9200,
fax:  (617)969-6204.




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                 End of Issue # 1145 of the Blind News Digest

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