Posts by prosenblum:
- Describe what others are doing. Help your child understand what others his age are doing in social situations. Describe how they are standing, looks they are exchanging, how they are sharing toys, etc. Since your child has limited ability to see what others are doing, he needs you to be his eyes to help him realize how other people interact.
- Practice social skills. Like other things your child needs to learn such as dressing himself, he needs to practice social skills. He may respond best when you have him go through the actions of sharing a toy, asking if he can join the group to play, or the two of you practice having a conversation where each of you takes a turn talking about a topic that other children his age would talk about (e.g., movies, music).
- Give feedback. Your child needs to know what he is doing well and what he can be doing better when it comes to social skills. If you see that he is standing too close to another child and that child looks uncomfortable, let him know. You need to balance how you do this so as not to embarrass him or interrupt the social interaction. Depending on his level of understanding you can talk with him later and let him know that you could tell by the look on the other child’s face that he was standing too close. Or, while the two are together you can go over and gently touch your child’s shoulder and guide him to step back.
- Learn what is “in” for children his age. Children are naturally curious and are attracted to things that interest them. As a parent learn what is “in” for children your child’s age and gender. If there is a toy that children like or a cartoon character often seen on t-shirts, do your best to have your child have the toy or to wear a t-shirt with the cartoon character. Other children will be more apt to interact with your child if he appears to be “in.” Your child may not understand how to play the video game as far as levels and characters, but he may enjoy pressing the buttons to hear the sounds the video game makes. When he’s playing with the game other children will be attracted to the game, and when they come over to check it out they will be more likely to interact with your child.
- Replace behaviors that “turn off others” with more socially acceptable behaviors. Some children with visual impairments, especially those who have additional disabilities, spin, rock, flick their hands in front of their eyes, or have other behaviors that make them look different. You may hear these behaviors called blindisms, mannerisms, or stereotypical behaviors. Regardless of what name they are called, the end result is the same: when others see your child spinning in circles or flicking his hand in front of his eyes they think, “That’s weird. I’m not going near that kid.” From the time your child is young look for ways to redirect him when he does one of these behaviors. That is, find something more appropriate for him to do. If he is a child who likes to rock then look for toys he can have that involve a movement so he can be active in a different way. If he flicks his hand in front of his eyes give him a toy piano to play with where his hands will be busy pressing the keys. It’s very hard to stop a child from ever doing these behaviors, but redirecting him, that is giving him something more appropriate to do when he is in social situations, will help him learn to not do the behavior all the time.
- Teach conversational skills. Many children with visual impairments and additional disabilities spend a lot of their social time answering questions. At school adults are asking them questions such as “Do you want a drink?” or “What center do you want to play at during free time?” Children may learn to answer questions but they don’t learn how to engage in the back-and-forth of conversation on a topic of shared interest. Spend some time listening to children who are your child’s age as they talk. Pay attention to the way they begin a conversation and the topics they chat about as they spend time together. Help your child by modeling these types of conversations with him. Guide him to learn how to talk about movies, parks, cartoon characters, video games, or other topics children are talking about. Make sure he is not just asking a conversation partner a series of questions, but rather that he has things to share on the topic.
- Look to children your child’s age. What are other children your child’s age doing in the community? Talk to parents of children who are around your child’s age to find out what they do for fun and with whom they do it. You’ll need to do your homework so you can guide your child to opportunities that will let her meet others her age who can become friends.
- Find a good match. If you learn that children your child’s age enjoy time at the park in the skateboard area or that taking dance class at a local dance studio is something several children are doing, consider if involving your child in one of these activities would work. If you determine that skateboarding or dancing is something your child would like, begin at home or with a few private lessons. Help your child get some beginner skills so that when she joins a group she has some knowledge on how to do the activity.
- Start small. Look for activities where the time will be short (15-30 minutes) and the number of people involved will be low. The skateboard park on Thursday after school is bound to have fewer children than it will on a Saturday afternoon. Begin taking your child on Thursdays and build up to going when it is busier.
- Look for parallel activities. Skateboarding or dancing with children who don’t have disabilities may not work for your child because of the challenges her own disability present. That’s fine! Look for parallel opportunities such as a dance troupe for people with disabilities, a playground that has accessible swings, Special Olympics (http://www.specialolympics.org/), Challenger Baseball, or activities through The Arc (http://www.thearc.org/). If you don’t know what your community has to offer ask parents of other children, teachers and therapists, or do a search on the internet. You may be surprised to learn what your community has available!
- Meet with teachers/leaders. Before your child begins in a community event meet with the people in charge to explain your child’s abilities and challenges. Help them understand what adaptions your child may use to do activities. Ask about the possibility of having a buddy with your child for the first few times so she can learn more about the activity or event. You may need to provide the buddy (yourself, a sibling, a neighbor child) in the beginning until the leader and other children get to know your daughter and how she does things.
- Initiate to other children and adults. You will need to be a keen observer. If you see that another child at the skateboard park is willing to show your daughter how to do a turn on her skateboard, prompt your child, if needed, to talk with that child. The next time the two of you go to the skateboard park look for that child and let your daughter know she is there and what she is doing. Take your daughter to the area of the park where that other child is so that she will be more apt to see your daughter and interact with her.
- When you’re contacted to let you know that team members will be conducting assessments of your child, request that they gather information about your child’s social skills including interactions with classmates.
- If your child is involved in activities in the community ask if assessments can be done in these settings (e.g., the skate park, the mall). If it is not possible for team members to observe your child outside of school, consider taking video or photos of your child to share with them so they can see what he is doing in the other settings.
- Invite people from the community to your child’s IEP meeting to share their input. His Challenger Little League coach or the neighbor whose son he plays with at home may bring valuable ideas to the discussion. As the group selects goals for your child they can give input and potentially they can agree to collect data on your child’s progress.
- Take notes during several weeks leading up the meeting. Share your observations about when your child was most social and appropriate with others. Share what you found was challenging for your child. Make notes about what other children his age are doing and ask that these topics be incorporated into activities at school. For example, if the speech therapist is working with your child to use a switch for communication ask that phrases or sentences be programmed into the switch that he can use as conversation starters with other children.
- Inquire if the school has options for your child to spend time in the community. Is there a therapeutic horseback riding program he can be involved with or a swimming program at the local YMCA? Work with team members to develop goals for your child that will allow him to develop skills he can use when interacting with others.
- Dressing,
- Grooming, and
- Social interaction.
- Social Skills – Many games aren’t played alone; rather they are played with others. Since it is not uncommon for a child with a visual impairment to have challenges developing social skills, games are a natural and fun way to help your child learn to interact with others.
- Recreational Skills – Well adjusted adults have hobbies and interests that form the basis of their recreational time. Many of these interests were developed in childhood so it’s never too early to lay the foundation for your child’s recreational enjoyment in adulthood.
- Academic Skills – Learning to read, write, and do math are the basics of academic success. Many games can help your child build these important academic skills.
- “Hand” has words that rhyme with it including stand, sand, land, band, and brand.
- “Cat” rhymes with pat, sat, mat, and fat.
- “Fog” rhymes with log, bog, dog, and hog.
- “Snappy” rhymes with happy, pappy, and nappy.
- “Wig” rhymes with pig, big, twig, fig, and gig.
- It was a dark, cold night as Martin Morrison walked down the street. He wanted to get warm so he opened the door to Nick’s Coffee Shop and inside he found….
- Pam fell asleep in her bed after her dad read her a bedtime story. The next thing she knew her bed was floating out the window of her bedroom. She wasn’t scared but instead sat up and watched as she sailed over the treetops of her town. Then she saw her best friend Christopher floating on his bed. The two of them….
- The Lopez family was on their way home from a night out having pizza and a movie. Dad was driving the car down a dirt road when suddenly a bright light was all around them. As Dad, Mom, Bryan and Chad watch a space ship landed on the road in front of them.
- Seedlings Braille Books for Children http://www.seedlings.org/ produce print-braille books for young children up to high school age children. There books are priced similarly to print books.
- National Braille Press http://www.nbp.org/ also produces print-braille books for children of all ages. They have a braille book reading club.
- American Printing House for the Blind www.aph.org has created several games for visually impaired children. Your child’s teacher of students with visual impairments may be able to loan you games from APH, so check with him or her before making a purchase.
- LS&S http://www.lssproducts.com/ not only has games but many other products for people with visual impairments.
- Maxi Aids http://www.maxiaids.com/ also has more than just games for people with visual impairments.
- Exceptional Teaching Aids http://exceptionalteaching.net has games and toys that have been adapted for children with visual impairments. They also have a lot of educational materials that may be helpful to your child in school.
- a metal cookie sheet
- 8.5 x 11 sheets of braille labels (You can buy these from American Thermoform < http://www.americanthermoform.com> or use heavy contact paper.)
- a sheet that is magnetic (You can find this in a craft store or a sign shop.)
- Wikki Sticks™ (These can be bought from a craft store or Exceptional Teaching Aids <http://exceptionalteaching.net>.)
- Braille graph paper (Ask your child’s teacher for some braille graph paper or purchase it from the American Printing House for the Blind http://www.aph.org).
- You or your child can use the Perkins brailler to put letters on the braille labels sheet. Braille a letter, then space 2 times and braille the next. Double space between lines.
- Cut your magnetic sheet into 1 inch squares. Cut the edge of a corner so that your child will be able to orient the playing piece.
- Write a letter on each square. See the table below to know how many of each letter to make.
- Cut out the letters, placing one letter on each square. Be sure the letter is placed correctly so that your child can orient the playing piece by the notched out corner. This playing piece shows the letter “k.” If the print “k” is also included on the piece then your child and others can use the same pieces to play together.
- Get a book of word search puzzles from the library or bookstore. You can also find these on the internet.
- Super Kids http://www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/words/search/
- Puzzle-Club.com http://www.puzzle-club.com/
- ABC Teach http://abcteach.com/
- Set up on the cookie sheet the word search puzzle using the magnetic letters. Put one letter in each square of the graph paper. A friend or brother or sister might enjoy doing this for your child.
- Have your child use Wikki Sticks to cover the letters of the words in the word search puzzle or words he finds on his own. You can read him the words in the puzzle or have him braille these out before beginning the puzzle.
- Get a deck of playing cards
- Each card uses two cells. There are no number signs or letter signs used.
- Put the card in your slate and stylus or brailler and braille the top left corner. Take it out and flip it around and reinsert and braille the top left corner. In both cases braille on the “picture” side of the card. This way, no matter which way the user holds the card, the braille will be legible in the top left corner.
- Use these letters for the suits:
- c = clubs
- h = hearts
- d = diamonds
- s = spades
- Use these numbers / letters for each card:
- 1 = ace
- x = 10
- j = jack
- q = queen
- k = king
- The numbers 2 through 9 represent the numbered cards.
- In brailling the cards below, you would use the following:
Ideas for Meeting Others: Encouraging Social Interaction for Children with Additional Disabilities
April 19th, 2012
As the soccer game ended and the girls celebrated their win, Kaylee, an energetic nine year old, ran over to her dad to ask if the family could go to her teammate Colleen’s house for a cookout on Saturday. Wanting Kaylee to have a chance to be with her friends her dad said “yes.” As Kaylee ran back to tell Colleen they would come, her dad fretted about what they would do about Stevie. Though Stevie is a year older than Kaylee, Stevie’s visual impairment, cerebral palsy, and behavior challenges often caused the family to miss out on social opportunities. What to do with Stevie was always the challenge in social situations: take Stevie or leave him home. If he stayed home, than Kaylee would only have one parent with her. If the four of them went together, then there was bound to be a social mishap and either he or his wife would have to be with Stevie at all times.
How would the other children and adults respond to Stevie?
Like Stevie’s family, many families who have a child with a visual impairment and additional disabilities struggle with the challenge of social situations, especially new situations where they don’t know the people well, the environment, or the activities. For many families, it is hard to watch as their child struggles to learn the ins and outs of social situations. Parents wish for the day when their son or daughter will have a friend. They want their child to benefit from time spent with friends, and they struggle with how to help their child learn the many skills needed to develop and maintain a real friendship.
For children who have visual impairments and additional disabilities, making a friend, interacting with others in the community, and learning social skills are challenging. Some children with severe disabilities may not be able to make and keep a friendship, but many children with mild to moderate additional disabilities should be able to do so. Each child is going to be unique when it comes to making friends. As a parent you can help your child by teaching social skills, involving your child in community activities, and working with your child’s educational team to prioritize friendship development and community involvement.
Making Friends
Friendships most often occur between children who are of the same gender and within two years of age of each other. Friends typically have common interests and find ways to reciprocate within the friendship, meaning that there is a give and take and a mutual sharing of ideas and belongings between them. By the time they are in elementary school friends typically share secrets, spend time playing together, and are willing to stick up for each other if one or the other friend is picked on by other children.
In order for your child to be a successful member of a friendship, she has to understand that it all isn’t about her all of the time. She has to recognize that other people have feelings and she has to know that she can’t always have things her way. A friend will be there to help her out at times but she must also be there to help out her friend.
When you observe other children who are friends, comment on what you are observing so that your child is aware of what is going on between the other two children. If your child is with another child and does something “friend like” be sure to give her specific praise about what she did. For example if she shared her dolls with another child you might say, “You let Fiona play with your dolls. Friends share. You were a friend to Fiona.”
Often children who have visual impairment and additional disabilities are socially behind their peers. Your child may have a better chance to develop a friendship with a child who is 1-3 years younger than she is. If you do observe a child who you think may have an interest in getting to know your child better, set up situations where the two children can spend time together. Perhaps a colleague of yours has a daughter 2 years younger than your daughter. Invite them over for dinner or a pool party so the girls can get to know each other. Plan ahead and have one or two activities available that your child knows how to do. When children start out playing near each other there is a higher probability they’ll find common ground. Friendships are based on common ground so helping your child have some interests that appeal to others is important.
Teaching Social Skills
The term social skills is used to cover a large set of skills or behaviors that people use when they interact with others. Some of these behaviors are nonverbal, meaning you don’t talk but rather you observe others and respond by body movements. For example, a sighted person observes a welcoming look on someone’s face and thinks, “Wow, she looks like she wants someone to come play with her.” People know how far to stand from each other by observing the distance others stand from someone they know versus someone they don’t know. A lot of children with visual impairments have trouble developing social skills and often need to be taught these by family members and teachers. When a child has additional disabilities he may not be as aware of social skills others are using and how his behavior affects others. Here are things you can think about and try with your child:
Involving Your Child in Community Activities
Think about your own friends for a few minutes. What do you have in common with them? Are you a runner so do you have friends you have met through a running club or races you participate in? Do you read so are you part of a book club or do you have a friend who enjoys the same type of reading material you do and the two of you chat about books you’ve both read? Perhaps some of your friends are parents of other children around one or more of your children’s ages. You might have met them when your children were in the same classroom or after school activity. The point here is that you got involved in things that interest you and as a result you formed friendships. Your child can do the same thing, but she’ll need some help from you.
There are many, many benefits to involving your child in the community. She can increase her social skills in general terms, learn lifelong hobbies, increase her ability to travel unassisted and much more. The earlier you start involving her in community life the more she is going to learn and the more accepting those in your community will be of her. From an early age, take your child with you when you’re out shopping, going to parties, etc. Here are some specific suggestions on how community involvement can lead to opportunities to develop friendships.
Your child isn’t going to make friends with others if she is always with you and your family. She needs to be out in the community doing what other children near her age are doing. The trick for you is to find out what these things are, help her learn some skills so she can participate on her own level, and to watch for other children who seem interested in her. When you find these children encourage interaction, but don’t push it. If your child has good social skills and can maintain an interaction, over time a friendship may develop.
Working with Your Child’s Educational Team
Your child’s educational team, or IEP team, is focused on helping your child to develop his or her abilities. Depending on your child’s needs there can be anywhere from 3 to 15 of you on the team! It’s important that the team work together to support your child’s development in all areas including social and community involvement. Sometimes a team focuses on the school setting without giving any significant consideration to the community. If you find this is the case consider the following:
Each child is unique and what works with one child and family may not work with yours. The important thing is that you look for options to involve your child in meeting others and building relationships with them. The more skills your child has, the fewer stereotypical behaviors he demonstrates, and the better his understanding is of social situations, the more successful he is going to be in his interactions. It is a team effort and just like your child, you’ll have to get out there and get involved. Look for opportunities to teach him new skills and introduce him to new activities and people.
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Presenting Yourself Positively
January 31st, 2011
The expression “put your best foot forward” takes on new meaning when one has a visual impairment. In our society people are quick to judge you by how you look and present yourself. It is important that a person who is visually impaired recognize this and plan for it by “putting their best foot forward” in making a positive impression on others. Making a positive impression is more than just dressing well or giving a firm handshake, rather it is the entire picture one is presenting each and every time that you walk into a social situation. Through visual observation sighted people take in a lot of information about the person they are interacting with, and whether consciously or subconsciously, they make judgments about that person.
Presenting yourself positively includes selecting the right clothing for the occasion and wearing it well, how you groom yourself, and your social interactions. Few of us are drop-dead gorgeous, most of us are just average people in average bodies, but the way we choose to dress, groom and interact with others can be the difference between being perceived as a capable, competent person who is sought out by others and being perceived as someone who is not effective and is to be avoided.
If you are a parent, it’s never too early to start thinking about the image your child with a visual impairment is sharing with the world. If you’re the one with a visual impairment it may be easy for you to think, “Well I don’t see them so what does it matter?” It does matter how you present yourself. We’ve got some ideas for you about the three essential elements to presenting a positive you:
A note to parents
Regardless of your child’s age and abilities the image he or she presents to the world can impact not only today but her future. Many people have never met a visually impaired person before and so your child presents the image of what visual impairment is to them. When your child has multiple disabilities, this can present further challenges because of your child’s physical appearance, social interaction (or lack of) skills, mannerisms (behaviors such as rocking, hand flapping, eye poking, etc.) or verbalizations.
Candice, the mother of 15-year-old Stephen, has some strong feelings about the importance of Stephen’s appearance. She shares, “By the time Stephen was four years old it was obvious that other children were unsure of how to interact with him. He looked different with his eyes often closed and his hands often flapping by his face as he rocked from foot to foot, he didn’t talk, and he hadn’t yet learned to play with toys. As the social gap widened I realized the importance of making sure he was dressed the same way boys his age were dressed and that even if he didn’t know how to play with a toy like the other boys, he needed to have the ‘right’ toys so to speak.”
Candice went on to share about a time when Stephen was 8 and they were at a park. Stephen had on a t-shirt with an action figure on it that was popular at the time and an action figure toy that made sounds. A boy came up to her and commented, “Wow he has a toy I really want but my mom says I can’t have it.” Candice encouraged the boy to ask Stephen to share the toy and then prompted Stephen to let the boy have a turn. As the boy rambled on about the action figures special powers Stephen periodically would say “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Though he wasn’t responding to what the boy was saying the boy didn’t realize this so he continued the interaction. It was at this time that Candice truly recognized the boy never would have started the interaction if Stephen hadn’t been “appealing” to him because of how he dressed and the toy he had.
As a 15-year-old, Stephen prefers the toys of preschoolers and has no concept of the latest musical groups or pro sports teams. Candice has become a keen observer of teenage boys in her community. She often buys him clothes that have the logos of various musical groups and sports teams she sees other boys wearing. Stephen has an Ipod with music on it that he likes (typical of that listened to by a younger child) but she has also loaded music onto it that teens enjoy and she has added some games favored by boys Stephen’s age. She’s taught Stephen to say “Check out my iPod” and to offer it to others as a way to begin a social interaction.
We’re not saying you need to go out and buy your child a new wardrobe or make sure she has the most expensive toys or gadgets. Rather the message Candice is sharing with you is the need for your child to not stand out more because of the way he or she dresses, the things she has with her or her social interaction skills. Start when your child is young by laying the foundation. Here are a few ideas to get you going.
Even if your child can’t see who she is talking to, she needs to look in the direction of the person speaking so that person is comfortable interacting with her. Beginning when your child is a toddler praise her when she looks at people and encourage her to do so when she doesn’t.
Like Candice, take time to observe what other children who are your child’s age and gender are doing, wearing, and saying. Learn about the television shows they watch, movies they go see, games they play, and music they like. Incorporate this information into your child’s life in the same way Candice did for Stephen.
Give your child realistic feedback about how she looks and acts. Share the positives you observe with her such as how she smiled when she introduced herself to the new family who moved into the neighborhood, how the color green goes well with her hair, or that her fingernails are trimmed evenly. At the same time let your child know if her hair isn’t brushed nicely, her shirt is stained, or her head was down as she talked with a classmate. Your child isn’t necessarily going to get this feedback from anyone else so it’s important you give it to her.
Consider enrolling your child in an acting, dance, or modeling class. Classes such as these help young people gain a better understanding of their own body and body image. In addition they are a great venue to meet others. Some communities have programs for children with disabilities so speak with your child’s teacher or other team members about programs that might be available in your community.
Describe to your child what you are observing when it comes to the impressions you have of others. Let your child know that the hostess at the restaurant was dressed in a flattering outfit, looked you in the eye when you entered the restaurant and smiled at you. By hearing about your observations your child will become more aware of the need to put her best foot forward because people really are paying attention.
At school speak with your child’s educational team about including goals on her Individual Education Plan (IEP) that focus on skills she’ll need to present herself positively. There’s more to school than just academics.
Be sure to read our suggestions below about dressing, grooming and social interactions. Though written for a person who is visually impaired, the ideas within these pages are ones you can consider and implement with your own child as appropriate.
Clothing selection and organization
Hang out in the mall and listen to conversations and you’re bound to hear two young women talking about how a sweater or pair of shoes looks and how they perceive it will look on them. Presenting the “right” look for a specific situation takes some thought and planning. Rarely do you wear a dress to a friend’s house for a sleepover nor do you wear sweatpants to a job interview. Even when you pick out the “right” type of clothing matching the colors, getting a style that looks good on you and making sure the clothes are clean takes time and effort.
How do I know what to wear? You may not see what other people are wearing but they can see what you’re wearing so you’ll want to pick clothes that are “in” and don’t make you look out of place. You can ask your family or friends for input on what to wear. You can look at magazines or on the internet. If you can’t see the pictures ask others to describe them for you. At the mall you can visit stores that people your age shop in and talk to salespeople about what others are buying.
What colors and styles look good on me? Experimentation is something we all do to find out what colors and styles look good with our own body type. Input from others is going to be essential to finding out what works well for you. If someone gives you a compliment on your clothes pay attention to what you have on so you know what outfit has been noticed. Neutral colors, blacks, whites, grays, browns can be a cornerstone of your wardrobe. Almost every color such as blue, green, yellow, red will work with a neutral color.
How do I know what colors go together? If you can’t see colors how do you know if the green striped shirt goes with the flowered pants? This is where a trusted person can really help you organize your outfit choices. You might want to take notes about what goes with what so you’ll not need to remember it all. Some people will pin outfits together in the closet or fold them together in the drawer so everything is in one place and they know it matches. When you put your outfit in the laundry you can use safety pins or other fasteners to keep it together.
How do I tell my clothing apart? There are lots of ways to tell your clothing apart so find a method that works for you. Some people sew tags into the collars or waistbands of clothing. You can buy clothing tags from companies such as MaxiAids and Independent Living Aids. Companies such as these sell a variety of tags that have different shapes, colors and/or tactual markings on them. If you put all the triangles in the colors of your blue shirts and all the squares in the collars of your white shirts you’ll be well on your way to having a system to tell like items apart. You develop a system that works for you.
Other people have a system where they cut notches clothing tags. For example anything red may have a notch cut out of the right side of the tag and anything blue may have a triangle shape cut into the bottom of the tag. Yet others divide clothes by color within the closet or drawer so that all blue things are together, all white things are together etc.
Another option is to add braille tags to items. You might pin cards on the hangers of clothing items and then when they come out of the laundry put them back on the same hangers. The important thing is that you come up with a system that is functional for you. Be sure to take notes on your system so you can refer back to them if you forget.
What about stains? Sighted people have stains on their clothing from time-to-time, it’s human nature. They can look down and see the splash of spaghetti sauce on their shirt. There are a lot of products on the market to remove stains. If you think you might have spilled something and can’t tell assume you have and treat the garment for stains. You can also enlist the help of someone sighted to let you know if there is a stain on your clothing. Another option is to take your clothes to a laundry service or dry cleaner and have them professionally cleaned. You won’t want to do this for the sweatshirt and jeans you wear around the house, but this might be a viable option for your work clothes or going out on a date clothes.
We’ve given you a few pointers to getting started on having your clothes in order.
Grooming
We’re sure you know how to take a bath or shower, brush your teeth and all that personal hygiene stuff, so what we’re going to focus on here is the importance of having a presentable appearance, tools to assist you with getting your grooming done efficiently, shaving and for the ladies putting on makeup.
Why does it matter how my hair looks or if my nails are trimmed? Since you more than likely can’t tell if someone else has neatly trimmed nails or if they have lint on their pants, why does it matter if you do? Well it does, and it more than likely matters more for you than it does for the other person. Why? The truth is because you have a disability, and people tend to look at you more and scrutinize everything you do. We’re not saying all people in all situations, but especially when meeting new people, dating, or working at a job, people do look and they do judge.
You want people to judge you on your strengths, your great personality, your ability to get the job done, or your knowledge of a subject. Your personal appearance can detract from this and ultimately could impact your ability to make friends, get a job, or keep a job. So, how you present yourself DOES matter!
What tools can assist me when it comes to grooming? If you have some usable vision lighting is a must. You have to be able to see how you look and the better the light the more you’ll see in most cases. Consider changing the light bulb in your bathroom or bedroom to one that will allow you to yourself as clearly as possible. Think about using a full spectrum light or a light bulb that mimics natural light.
Also think about the use of magnification be it a stand magnifier or a magnifying mirror. Some people will polish or trim their nails under a closed circuit television. Combining looking at and feeling the smoothness of each nail will help you get them looking even.
A lint brush is a must, especially if you own a pet, so get in the habit of using this tool to get excess lint, pet hair, etc. off of your clothing. Use a systematic method where you overlap strokes so that you don’t miss a spot. Also consider using the lint brush before you put on the clothing and then again once you have it on.
Wrinkles can take away from your appearance. Learn to iron and do so systematically. If you’re not a fan of ironing, then buy clothes that don’t wrinkle easily, hang clothes up in the bathroom nearby the shower so that the steam from the shower takes the wrinkles out, or put the clothing item in the dryer on fluff right before you plan to wear it.
When do I seek out a professional? If your finances allow, consider visiting a professional for assistance with grooming. As part of getting your hair cut and styled, ask for an extended appointment (and be prepared to pay for the time) so that the hair technician can show you how care for your hair, use the products he or she recommends, and allow you to practice styling your hair with their input. Men can ask a barber to trim their mustache or beard and help them determine the best length for them to keep these. Woman can schedule time with makeup technicians and nail technicians to get one-on-one instruction in how to apply products. There are many fully sighted people who take advantage of getting input from these professionals, so why shouldn’t you? Be sure the individual understands what you can and cannot see. Ask him or her to let you apply the makeup, hair product, or use the beard trimmer so you can make sure you really have the directions down and can carry things out at home.
What are my options when it comes to shaving? An electric razor is a great option when it comes to shaving. You’re not going to draw blood when you use an electric razor! Regardless of what type of razor you use be systematic and overlap your strokes. Use your hand to feel the area you have shaved to make sure it is clean and smooth.
How do I know what colors of makeup to use and if I’ve put them on correctly? Makeup is very individualized. What works for one woman won’t work for another. To select your makeup you’re going to need to enlist the help of someone sighted, a friend, family member, or makeup technician in the store. Show the person some samples of clothing you wear so they can help you in selecting makeup that will go with your color pallet. You may want to get two sets of makeup, one for every day and one for “going out” or special occasions. You can keep each set in a separate bag or box so you don’t mix things up. Consider labeling the containers with braille, large print or tactile markings so you know which eye shadow is which color.
When it comes to putting on the makeup, you need someone who is going to be honest with you and let you know if you have the right “look”. You don’t want lots of blush on your left cheek and hardly any on your right cheek. Be prepared to practice applying makeup as it takes practice to get the feel for how it is done. If you have some usable vision, consider having a magnifying mirror to look at yourself in as you apply the makeup.
Using a systematic approach to makeup application is a must if you have a visual impairment. For example, when putting on your foundation always start at your forehead, then left cheek, then right cheek, then chin. If you go in the same order each time you won’t end up with two applications on your left cheek. Try counting, for example 3 strokes of blush on each cheek. Use landmarks on your face to help you orient. Feel for your cheekbone and use this as the starting place for applying the blush. Be gentle, if you feel you’ve put on too much lipstick take a damp washcloth or cotton ball and gently wipe at the edges of your lips. You want to be careful not to smear the foundation.
Keep in mind that as you get older the amount of makeup and the color pallet you use is going to change. Fashion also changes over time. Hence it is a good idea each year on your birthday to review your makeup choices with someone you trust who is sighted and can give you honest observations about what they are seeing you do in comparison to what other women your age are doing.
Social interaction skills
As you think about the way you are presenting yourself to others, it’s impossible to not consider your social interaction skills. Do you hold your head up? Do you look in the direction of the person speaking? Do you stay on the topic of the conversation? Do you have a firm handshake? Do you smile at the right time? Things such as these impact how others perceive you and your overall appearance.
When you interact with others there is your verbal interaction, what you say and the tone of your voice, pitch, loudness etc. and there is what is called nonverbal behaviors. Nonverbal behaviors are your physical actions and how these are “read” by others. For example your smile or frown is a nonverbal behavior, nodding your head to signify “yes” or “no” is considered nonverbal behavior as is crossing your arms across your chest to let someone know you are bored or impatient. Sighted people get a lot of information from observing the nonverbal behavior of others. When you can’t see this behavior it can make it a challenge for you to read the signals others are giving. At the same time you may be giving out the wrong information about yourself through your nonverbal behavior. You might smile when someone is telling you sad news and you may not even realize you have a smile on your face. Or the way you are slouching in your chair may give the message that you are not interested in anyone talking to you when in reality you would love to be included in the conversation.
You need to get honest feedback from those you trust about your social presence in different situations. This is how Carmen approached getting some feedback from his friend Doug.
Carmen and Doug were in Doug’s car headed to the food court at the mall where they were meeting their friend Marco. Marco had texted them that he was at the pizza place with Greg, a new guy at school. Carmen had never met Greg before. Before they arrived he told Doug that he always hated meeting new people because they got freaked out when they saw his cane. Doug pointed out that sometimes people freaked out because Carmen didn’t look at them and his voice sometimes sounds funny when he is nervous. Rather than getting offended Carmen told Doug that he’d try to look at Marco and pay attention to how he sounded. After the guys had pizza and Carmen and Doug were headed home, Carmen asked Doug to give him some honest feedback about if he was looking at Marco and if his voice sounded ok.
Like Carmen you can get feedback from others…let them know you really want to hear their honest impressions. If you don’t feel comfortable doing what Carmen did consider audio taping and/or video taping yourself as you interact with someone and then reviewing it later to judge what you did well and what you can improve on. Of course you want to be respectful of the other people so ask if it is ok for you to tape the interaction or if you don’t ask be sure only you listen/view the audio/video and then delete it.
Taking a drama or public speaking class or joining a club with this type of focus is another way you can work on your social interaction skills. In these types of classes or clubs people talk about how to present themselves or their character. You’ll pick up some good pointers on how both verbal and nonverbal language is read by others.
[Creative Commons-licensed flickr photo by Richard.]
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Transportation for Nondrivers
October 8th, 2010
So where have you traveled in the last 24 hours and how did you get there? There’s a 90% chance that you’re a driver and that you have traveled to many of the places you’ve been in the last 24 hours in a car. How would you have gotten to these places if you weren’t a driver? I bet you’re saying, “I couldn’t have gotten to (blank).” You might be right, but more than likely you would find a way to get there. Nondrivers get to the places they need and want to go by using a complex set of skills similar to the complex set of skills you use to drive a car.
Some people are born with a visual impairment or acquire it before they reach driving age. These people will never have had the experience of driving and the independence driving affords. The vast majority of adults who develop a visual impairment and become nondrivers will have driven for 20, 30, 40 or 50 or more years before they have to give up the car keys because of their visual impairment. Keep in mind that there are other reasons people don’t drive, such as uncontrollable seizures, anxiety, limited financial resources, or a desire to not impact the environment.
Families
Families of children who have not yet reached driving age can help their child prepare to be a nondriver starting during preschool. Teens have a lot to learn in order to be prepared to enter the adult world as nondrivers. Many of the skills they need to acquire are ones that adults who have been drivers will need to develop when it comes time for them to give up the car keys.
Whether you’re the family member of a current or future nondriver or a nondriver yourself, you’ll find that with planning, organization, and self advocacy, nondrivers can get to the places they want to go when they want to get there.
Most children enjoy going to places such as the park, the beach, to friends’ houses, and the mall. When children are not yet driving age they most often travel to destinations with family members. Parents or others plan the route, set the schedule, and locate landmarks during travel. Children typically take a passive role. When a child has a visual impairment it is important to involve him or her in travel from an early age. Sighted children are keen observers, but children with low vision or blindness may not understand the complexities of travel. They may not observe all the naturally occurring things that happen along the way as they are taken from place to place.
A sighted child can gaze out of the window from the back seat of the car and see other cars, traffic lights, businesses, and signage. Preschoolers recognize landmarks and will know when the family is approaching a favorite destination because they see the house with the big porch swing or the fast food restaurant on the corner. A child who is blind or has low vision misses out on this information. So during travel in the family car you can:
● Describe what you are doing as you drive. (“We just passed a motorcycle.” “The traffic light turned yellow; I need to slow down and stop.”)
● Describe businesses and homes along the route that you use as landmarks. ( “This is the corner of First Avenue and Main. I see the pet store at this corner.”)
● Describe what other traffic is doing. (“The 3 cars in front of us have on their right turn signal so we’ll have to wait until they each turn onto Broad Street.”)
● Involve your child in planning the route. (“We need to go to the grocery store now that we’re done at the park. Should I go down Silver Avenue or Red Rock Road to get to the grocery store?)
Children who are visually impaired need information related to travel when you’re out and about in the community. For example, you can explain numbering systems that you use to find buildings and also numbering systems within buildings. Have your child look at the directory in the office building (or read it to her if she can’t see it or is not yet able to read) and find out what office number her appointment is in. Then give her assistance, if needed, to find the elevator or stairs and travel to the correct floor. Together the two of you can look for the office number at each door. This is a great opportunity for your child to practice her independence and literacy skills.
● Have her ask for assistance if she is having trouble locating the office she needs. Learning how to interact with the public, and how to ask appropriate questions is important for nondrivers.
● Have her use her monocular (telescope) to locate the numbers at each door. A monocular is a tool used by some individuals who have low vision. Think of it as a pair of binoculars, but only one, hence “mono.” A monocular is a low vision device that needs to be prescribed by an eye care specialist so that the individual has one of the correct power (i.e., strength).
● Build her problem solving skills to handle the unexpected. For example, some buildings have odd numbered offices on one side of the building and even numbered offices on the other. If she is looking for Room 412 she’ll need to find out where the fourth floor is and then on that floor where the even numbered rooms are located.
You and your family probably travel to some of the same places frequently such as the grocery store, park, or mall. When in a familiar place allow your child to be the “leader” and show you and other family members the way to a certain aisle in the grocery store, piece of playground equipment in the park, or favorite store in the mall. When your child is the “leader” she’ll need to use her vision, if present, and other senses to gather information to locate the specific destination. As a nondriver she’ll be traveling in familiar and unfamiliar areas. Practice at not always being taken someplace is an important thing to have occur when she is young.
Many families do not take public transportation because they own a car. If your child is going to be a nondriver he or she needs to learn about public transportation from a young age. Consider having one day a month where your family uses public transportation to travel to a place your child enjoys. You might be surprised at how easy and cost effective it can be to travel using public transportation. Also consider planning some family outings where your family uses a taxi. Regardless of what mode of transportation you are using, involve your child in travel. Ways you can do this include:
● Have your child call the bus, train, or taxi company to get information or make a reservation. In many cases your child could also use the Internet to get this information.
● Give your child the responsibility of paying for travel. If using a taxi, teach your child about the concept of giving a tip.
● Gaining confidence in talking with others during travel is an important skill. Have your child ask questions (“Can you tell me when we reach Grant Road?”) or give information (“We are going to 129 E. Seventh Street.”).
● Develop a family transportation budget and have your child help plan how to spend the funds. For example, you can allocate $40 for a family outing and have your child determine how much bus fare will be for the family, how much admission to the museum will be, and how much will be available for an afternoon snack.
Your child may or may not be receiving orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction from a trained professional. O&M has two parts–orientation, which is the knowledge of where you are in space, and mobility, which is knowing how to travel safely from place to place. If your child is receiving O&M instruction, coordinate your effort with those of the O&M instructor. If your child is not receiving this service, speak with other members of the educational team about a referral for an O&M evaluation. As your child gets older and his or her needs change it will be necessary to continually re-evaluate the appropriateness of O&M instruction.
Teens
Teens are busy people who are often on the go with their friends. Go down the hallway of any high school and listen in on conversations and you’re bound to hear them talking about getting their driver’s license, saving money to buy a car, and scheming how to borrow the family car Friday night so they can go out with their friends. For youth with visual impairments the teenage years can be a challenge because it seems like everyone is driving and they are not. It is important for you to find ways to help your teen emotionally through this time while at the same time you help him build his skills as a nondriver.
Milestones
Driving is a milestone, a sign that one has reached adulthood. If a teen is a nondriver he needs to have other milestones that let him know he is reaching adulthood. Talk with your teen about things he is doing now that are things that adults do, such as having a checking account, staying home alone over night, attending a summer program away from home, having a volunteer or paid job, and taking responsibility for buying and cleaning his own clothing. Set goals for accomplishing other milestones.
Planning for the Future
Your child must plan for how he’ll meet his transportation needs as an adult. It’s not realistic to think that a family member, roommate, or spouse is going to take him everywhere he’ll need and want to go. Now is a great time to begin to plan for and use different forms of transportation. Taking a taxi, bartering with a friend for a ride, or walking are ways that he can get from place to place. If there is public transportation in your area make sure he has the skills to use it. Consulting with an orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist to design goals for your child’s travel is essential.
Paying for Transportation
Parents may help teens who are drivers buy their first car. They may pay for insurance or gas for their teen who is just starting out on the road, so to speak. But, what about a child who is going to be a nondriver? It is rare to hear of a parent taking the same amount of money they’d use to pay for a sighted teen’s car and putting that into a transportation fund for their child who is going to be a nondriver. If you would have helped with some car-related expense for your child if he was going to be a driver, consider this option. You and your child could agree to the things he is allowed to use the money for each month. These might include paying friends gas money for rides, taking taxis, buying a monthly transit pass or paying you to drive him places. Having to budget for his transportation now will be valuable as he moves into adulthood.
Safety
Safety is important for any teen. For a teen who is visually impaired there is a higher level of vulnerability. Therefore, consider helping your teen learn to be safe. He might enroll in a self-defense course so he’ll know what to do if someone threatens him. Most teens have cell phones so be sure he has a plan for who he’ll call if he isn’t feeling safe. If the threat is imminent he’ll obviously want to call the police, but if he’s walking and just isn’t comfortable in the location, the weather has suddenly changed, or his cane breaks, he should have someone in mind who he’ll call for assistance. It will always be important for him to know his exact location so if he does need to ask for assistance he can direct someone to his location.
Tools for Travel
There are a variety of tools that can assist a teen with a visual impairment as he travels. As mentioned in the safety section a cell phone provides safety but it also can provide information. Many cell phones have GPS built into them so using this to help locate destinations is a great idea. If a teen has low vision he might use a magnifying glass to enable to him to see a bus schedule. He might also use a monocular, a small handheld telescope, to see things at a distance such as the number on an office building or a street sign. Braille readers may have a portable note taking device (similar to an iPhone, Droid, or other personal assistant) that is a small computer he can access via braille or regular (QWERTY) keyboard during travel. Having the necessary tools to maximize independence is important whether we are talking travel or other areas of your child’s life.
Where He Will Live When He Leaves Home
Some teens remain at home when they graduate high school. The vast majority do leave home to attend college, move in with friends, or begin a job in a new community. Your teen will need skills in order to research where he wants to live in the community or on the college campus. Talk about the things he’ll want to have easy access to.
The year after Joel graduated high school he was ready to move out of his dad’s house. From his own apartment Joel wanted to be able to easily get to the grocery store, gym, and his job at a local hospital. His second level of wants was to be able to get to a coffee shop and the homes of a couple of his friends from high school. Joel had learned some of the bus routes in his community while taking O&M in high school. He got out his schedule book of the bus routes in his community and looked for ones that went to the hospital. Once he identified the three bus routes he asked a friend to drive him along the routes and help him look for grocery stores and gyms. It took some looking and planning but Joel was able to find an apartment where he could have a 10-minute bus ride to work, a 10-minute walk to the grocery store, and a workout room in the apartment complex. If he chose he could join a gym that was about a 15-minute bus ride from the hospital.
Like Joel, with planning and perseverance your child can become an independent nondriver. It’s never too early for him to start practicing the skills he’ll need to have mastered to manage life on his own without a car. If you’re not sure how best to support him in developing his nondriving skills, talk with an O&M specialist about his receiving instruction in how to travel safely on his own.
Adults Who Have Been Drivers
Some adults have driven for 20, 30, 40 or more years and then experience vision loss. They find themselves no longer in the driver’s seat and this is a difficult adjustment for sure. Though nondriving may feel like it is the end of the world to some, it is another chapter in one’s life requiring some adaptation. There are very active and happy adult nondrivers all over the country. They use a variety of skills and transportation options to get to the places that they need and want to go.
Speak Up
Often one of the hardest things for adults, as it can be for teens, is telling others what you need as a nondriver. No one can read your mind to know if you need a ride to the store or would like to stop for ice cream on the way home from the doctor’s office. Having strong communication skills is a must as a nondriver. Recognize that not everyone is going to be able to do what you ask when you ask it, but they sure are not going to be able to help you if you don’t ask!
As a nondriver you’ll have to communicate with people in the community be it the bus driver, taxi dispatcher or salesperson. Most will not have experience with people with visual impairment. Help them understand what you can and cannot see and what you need in that specific situation. For example, when calling for a taxi tell the dispatcher, “I am visually impaired and won’t see the taxi pull up to the doctor’s office. Can you tell the driver he’ll need to come into the office and ask for me by name.”
Learn About the Options in Your Community
Many communities have transportation options for those who don’t drive because they are elderly or disabled. Paratransit is a service that travels the same routes as public transit. Paratransit provides door-to-door services at a lower cost than taking a taxi. In many communities there are specific criteria for qualifying, an application process to use the service, and requirements for how rides are scheduled. Some churches, synagogues, or other organized religious groups will help with transportation for members who don’t drive. Often a note in a bulletin is a way to let others in the group know of your transportation needs. Some insurance companies or doctor’s offices will provide free or reduced-rate transportation to and from medical appointments. There also may be a volunteer group in the community that is willing to assist with transportation or shopping.
Don’t Rule Out Taxis
Taxis are another transportation option available in many communities. You may be thinking that a taxi is very expensive. Consider for a moment the cost of operating a car for a month. You have a car payment, insurance, registration, maintenance, and gas. For most drivers that adds up to $500 to $1200 a month. If a taxi costs $15 each way to go to the store and you do this once a week that is $120 for four round trips. Compared to the cost of driving your own car, a few trips in a taxi coupled with other methods of transportation can save you money!
Reciprocation is Key
Many people are not comfortable asking others for rides. They don’t want to be a burden. Think about things that you can do for others in exchange for transportation. Can you watch children or grandchildren, tutor, walk pets, water plants, make a meal, or do yard work in exchange for transportation? Some people buy tickets to events they want to go to such as theater or football and then give a ticket to a friend in exchange for transportation to and from the event. We each have something to offer others and it doesn’t have to be monetary. Think about your own strengths and interests and how you can use these as an avenue for exchanging them for transportation.
Where You Live Can Make a Difference
No one is saying you have to move when you become a nondriver, but some people do find that a move can increase their independence. If you are thinking about moving consider what businesses or other things you would like to have close by. Perhaps it’s important to you to be able to get to your doctor’s office or favorite grocery store easily. If the community has public transportation give consideration to how close you’ll be to a stop. If you plan to do a lot of walking think about lighting in the area. Will you be able to see if the street is dark or the driveway you have to walk up is poorly lit?
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to nondriving. The most important thought you should have is that you can do this! There is no denying that there will be times when you are frustrated at not being able to grab the car keys and go where you want to go when you want to go, but you’ll still be able to get to almost every place you want. It just may take you some extra work to get there!
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Games Are Fun And They Help Children Learn
September 9th, 2010Think 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
Below are a variety of ideas for exposing your child to games. You can take many of our ideas and adapt them easily based on your child’s interest or age. For example, a simple word game which children as young as 7 or 8 can play involves taking a word such as “summer” and seeing how many smaller words one can make from it. From the word “summer” you can make words such as “me,” “sum,” “us,” and “muse.” If your child enjoys basketball you might have her see how many smaller words she can make from “basketball” or from the letters in the name of her favorite player or team.
Adding Braille and Textures to Games
Where to Get Games That are Already Adapted
Word Games on the Go
These word games don’t involve anything other than your brain! Give them a try the next time you and your child are traveling somewhere and he says, “I’m bored!”
Rhyming – Take a word such as “hammer” and see how many words your child can come up with that rhyme with this word. If your child enjoys competition have him compete against a sibling or friend or set a timer and see how many words he can come up with in 3 minutes. You can have your child braille the words he comes up with. Here are some examples of words and some of their rhymes.
It Sounds Like – A fun word game is to have your child say a word such as “elephant” and then take the last sound of the word /t/ in this case and have the next person come up with a word starting with /t/ such as “turtle.” The next person would need to come up with a word starting with /l/. You can do words with a theme such as animals as demonstrated here, or you can make it free flowing. Players can write their words down using braille or play orally.
I’m Going on a Picnic – This age old game is never old. As you move through the alphabet another word is added. The first person has “A” and might say, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing applesauce.” The second person has to add a word starting with the letter “B” and the third person adds something starting with the letter “C.” So the third person might say, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing applesauce, bracelets, and cotton balls.” Your child can braille out the list of what is being taken on the picnic.
Story Starters – Telling a story is always fun, especially if it is a ghost story or one that involves travel in outer space or another such fun topic. Each person adds more to the story as it is told. Depending on the creativity of the group, you can end up with quite the tall tale! Here are a couple of story starters to get your child started.
How Many Words Can You Come Up With? – You or your child can prepare cards that have themes on them such as “Girls’ names that start with K,” “Foods that are green in color,” “Items that come in boxes,” or “Things found in the ocean.” Individually or in small groups a card is selected and in a specified period of time people write down in print or braille all the words they can think of that meet the criteria.
These five games are just the tip of the iceberg. Think back to your own childhood and you just might remember some games you enjoyed that you can play with your own child.
Adding Braille and Textures to Games
There are many commercially available games in the stores that can easily be adapted for a child who is blind. You can do this by adding braille where print is found on the game. We’ve given you directions to braille playing cards. You can use the same idea to add braille to other cards such as those in UNO or Old Maid.
Game boards can be adapted by adding braille where needed and textures. Here’s a Candy Land Board. How might you adapt this if your child does not see color?
First you need to look at what is important for playing the game. Your child would need to see the outline of the “path” and that it is made up of four colors (green, orange, blue, and red). The other pictures on the board of the candy don’t have a function in the game, rather they are there as decoration.
You’ll want your child to be able to see the path and to know the different colors. You might outline the path with puff paint (used on t-shirts and found in the craft store) or yarn soaked in glue. Then for each color you’ll need a different texture. Perhaps for the red you’ll use felt, for the blue foam, for the green burlap, and for the orange cardstock. It’s important that the textures you use are ones your child is comfortable touching. You don’t need to cover the entire square; rather you can use a small piece of the texture.
With this game there are playing cards that have the various colors on them. You’ll need to add the appropriate texture to each card. When board games have cards they are generally stacked on the board in some location. You might want to provide a container for the cards so your child can easily find them. You even might want to provide a second container for the “discard” pile. If you use two containers make sure they feel different enough or are positioned far enough apart that your child will be able to know which container is which.
If all the game pieces feel the same (e.g., plastic pieces that are only distinguishable by color) you’ll need to find a away to make the game pieces easy to distinguish by touch. You could add a texture to each of the plastic pieces or replace them with other things (e.g., a small car for one player, a dice for another, a thimble for a third). Be sure the replacement pieces are small enough to fit on the parts of the board where players set their pieces.
Your child, brothers or sisters, or friends might enjoy helping you adapt games. When appropriate, get your child’s input on how he or she would like the game to be set up.
Where to Get Games that are Already Adapted
You’re busy, you’re not “artsy,” or you just don’t want to take the time to figure out how to adapt a game so your child who is a braille reader can play it. Not a problem as others have done the work for you! First let us mention that sometimes trying to figure out what to buy for your child is a challenge. The American Foundation for the Blind www.afb.org has assembled a Toy Guide http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp?SectionID=83 where they make recommendations about toys that are appropriate for children who are visually impaired.
There are several companies that have braille books for sale. Two of these are
Commercial games such as Monopoly, dominos, chess, and UNO can be bought at companies such as the ones below. Some of these companies have developed their own games.
This list is just a beginning. If you find a good source for purchasing games or toys for your child share it with us. You can leave a comment below this article and share your ideas with everyone.
Word Search Puzzles
Many children enjoy doing word search puzzles. Finding these in braille might not always be easy so here’s an idea on how you and your child can make your own word search puzzles.
You’ll need
Here’s how you prepare:
The following list specifies how many letters to make:
Tape the piece of braille graph paper to the cookie sheet.
Time to play:
Your child might enjoy making up a puzzle and seeing how many words he can find in it or how many words a brother, sister or friend can find.
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How to Braille Playing Cards
August 18th, 2010This is a great activity for someone learning to use a slate and stylus! It’s functional, and then you can play a game!
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