Pura Vida! Camp Abilities Costa Rica

Hola!

Did everyone wonder where I went for the past couple of weeks? No worries, I am back and better than ever! I had the opportunity to go to Camp Abilities Costa Rica. Thank you everyone who supported that effort. It was one of the best things I have ever done both professionally and personally.

I honestly sit here and don't know where to exactly start. I love working with children with vision impairments anywhere but part of my heart now belongs to Costa Rica and to the students that I met there. I was reminded that culture is no barrier when it comes to loving teaching.

If you think I am going to sit here and tell you some sad story about a child who had nothing, you are reading the wrong blog! What I will blog about are the amazing student athletes I had the honor of teaching, the colleagues I learned from and the university physical education teachers I could serve with. Pura Vida!

Here's something that did blow me away: teaching soccer to children with vision impairments. I have never thought of teaching this sport before as I (mistakenly) believed it was a visual sport. In fact, as my Costa Rican university students were teaching me about it, I sat back skeptical. I am so happy to admit that I was wrong!! So, if you a soccer loving family that doesn't know how to integrate soccer into your child with a vision impairment's life, we need to talk!!

They did soccer for two days with small group rotations. Several of the students did have one-on-one teachers but they were all taught each skill of traditional soccer. They were taught to dribble, pass, hit with their heads and knees and shoot to score a goal. They even had a soccer game! I learned so much from this soccer experience that I am teaching soccer at my Camp Abilities in Connecticut this summer!!

*Another thing that made their soccer instruction more effective than mine in the states was the soccer ball they used. I have ordered traditional jingle bell soccer balls which are very hard to hear. They used a soccer ball that was made from a lightweight aluminum-type material with beans inside. The material was then covered by a traditional soccer ball covering. It made so much noise! I am getting the resource so I can order them. I will definitely share once I get it!!

The students who attended this program were so beautiful inside and out. I made several of them and the university physical education teachers pinky promise to keep in touch with me. There is something about a program like Camp Abilities that just binds people (even when you can barely speak the language--despite studying for months! My Spanish was....mostly understandable). I am so thankful to have spent the time I did in Costa Rica.

Now I will be honest about one thing that did make me feel a bit sad. There were a few things that made me sit back and think of how grateful we are in the States (not every State but at least mine) when it came to resources. One of the students who was almost 5'10 in height was using a ski pole for a cane. Several of the students didn't have roller ball tips at the ends of their canes (which makes sweeping a broken surface like just about every street in Costa Rica almost impossible). I learned that most of them had JAWS but never heard of a Braille note or other notetaker device. I learned that most of them are using a slate and stylus to take all of their notes. They have to purchase all of their equipment from the States. That made me sad especially when my students here in CT have so much.

So here's what I decided (no dwelling on the sad, let's make a solution!): I am collecting resources and in good condition technology and materials for my dear friends in Costa Rica. If you want to be part of this, email me (robbin.keating@gmail.com).

This blog post doesn't do my love for Costa Rica any justice. I can't really articulate how much I loved being part of Camp Abilities Costa Rica.

A Resource You Should Read, Save, Print, Use and Share!

I did my annual training of occupational therapists yesterday. It was a great workshop and one that I am always excited to do. I love working with occupational therapists. I feel like when we combine forces, we do super amazing things! I learned so much when I was a classroom deafblind teacher.

I invite my colleagues to come and participate in these workshops. One of my colleagues presented on multiple impairments. She shared a resource that I had forgotten about. The resource is a PDF from the Ohio Deafblind Project.

On their site,/http://www.ohiodeafblind.org/assets/files/images/products/holdon.pdf, they have a wonderful PDF called "Hold Everything: Twenty “Stay-Put” Play Spaces For Infants, Preschoolers and Developmentally Young Children With Sensory Impairments and Other Special Needs". This is a FANTASTIC resource for children who are MIVI/DB and perhaps for several children who are ASD/VI.

My colleague had another great idea. This is one for the therapists. She printed out each page and laminated each one. She hole punched it, put it into a 3 ring binder and turned it into a book! This way she can show her teams the ideas.

Parents and members of the education team should take the time to read (save, print and use...) the materials from this PDF. It truly is a great resource. Each of the "stay put" play spaces are pretty easy to make and cheap. There truly is something for all abilities including children who may have limited upper body movements.

Do it at home: Parents, select a "stay put" place for your child. Discuss it with your TVI and make one (or two...) for your home. All of our children who are MIVI/DB & ASD/VI could benefit from having exposure to these kinds of activities. The most important thing to remember is to WAIT and BACK OFF when your child is in these activities. Remember, it may take several trials for your child to get used to the activity or notice that something is there. By backing off and being quiet, you are allowing your child to explore and become aware. This is an active characteristic (exploration) and one that we want developed for our children with these unique needs.

Mobile Phone Accessibility

Hello blogland,

I was given this resource by my co-worker about mobile phone accessibility. I am not sure how it works or if it is all that it says to be. Side note: I will start blogging soon about my love affair with Apple products. They are pretty darn accessible for lots of our students (yes, even Braille readers!). I recently took a group of my students to Apple and we explored the new iPod, iPad and the iMac desktop. Details soon....

But this line I am not too versed in so if anyone reading this post is, please comment and fill me in!

Here's some more details about it:

Mobile speak is a program that has a text reader and enlarges print, so that visually impaired and blind people can text and use other features on their phones. Screen contents can also be presented in Braille if the mobile phone is connected to a Braille device with a refreshable Braille display. They have a list of phones that are compatible and I am pretty sure that AT&T has the best deal. Not sure about costs but thought it was a great resource for our students. Melissa uses it and she texts, downloads and listens to music on her phone.

Here's the link http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=326

I also saw that they have some free trials of software and that they have an award from AFB. They seem to have a pretty extensive line of products. I would love feedback on this. I am actually going to send this over to my student technologist and few of my Braille students and have them check this out, too. All of my print readers have figured out ways to text! They all text me pretty impressively :)

As soon as I find out more information, I will post it.

How to Make a Bowl of Cereal

Ever Wanna Know...? My students give their answers on things the rest of should understand about being a teenager and having a vision impairment.

This week's question to my students:

If you had one piece of advice to give everyone about

how to treat kids/teens with

vision impairments, what would it be?

Here's what they said:

• Gwen Vartanian Treat them the SAME way you would want to be treated. DON'T JUDGE them, get to know them. We are ALL HUMANS.

  February 4 at 9:18pm ·
• 

  Cooper Joseph Kendall Gwen Agreed..... get to know them, we rnt different even though my eyes rapidly shake and I can't see birds in the sky haha

  February 4 at 9:20pm · · 1 person
• 

  Gwen Vartanian True that!!!!!!

  February 4 at 9:21pm ·
• 

  Leah Bourassa treat them exactly how you would want to be treated like there no diffrent yet maybe cooler then u

  February 4 at 10:02pm · · 2 people
• 

  Justin Haegele usually cooler

  February 5 at 9:39am · · 1 person
• 

  Leah Bourassa jusitn thats quite a statement

  February 5 at 9:41am ·
• 

  Gwen Vartanian Well at least he is being HONEST! :) tehee

  February 5 at 9:43am ·
• 

  Cody Laplante We don't need sympathy. I don't really see my vision as a disability but just a part of who I am.

  February 5 at 11:44am · · 2 people
• 

  Justin Haegele I am being honest. I come across a lot of children without visual impairments in my building at work and I would choose interacting with you guys or my campers at Camp Alaska any day of the week over them.

  February 5 at 1:47pm · · 2 people
• 

  Leah Bourassa Love it they dnt know what there missin lol

  February 5 at 1:52pm ·
• 

  Robbin Keating I LOVE what everyone posted!! I'm gonna post this on my blog for others who read it to see! Keep adding!! You know I love all of you guys and I totally don't ever see your vision as an impairment. I love being one of your teachers :)

  February 5 at 10:48pm · · 2 people
• 

  Michelle Ward treat us normal we r the same as them :) if not its their loss :)

About pre-cane skills

What are pre-cane skills and how can I help?

Jessica Eichfeld, M.A., COMS

Orientation and Mobility Specialist

You don’t need to be an Orientation and Mobility Specialist to begin helping you child with O&M skills. As a parent/caregiver there are many skills that you can establish and practice with your child on a daily basis. In formal O&M training, the O&M Specialist typically teaches specific skills before placing a cane in a child’s hand. These are called pre-cane skills. These skills are trailing, protective techniques, purposeful movement and the use of a pre-cane. Let’s break these skills down into simpler terms:

Purposeful movement is basically having an end goal to a movement. Moving for a purpose! For example reaching out for a toy, a cup when they are thirsty, or their mother’s voice, all of these actions show purposeful movement. At a young age we are primarily motivated to move by sight. We see the world around us and we want to explore. It is extremely important that you teach your child that there is a world outside of themselves. Start simple! Use musical items as mobiles for infants. Use a favorite toy and place it at arms reach rather than handing the toy to your child, let them reach out to it, caution this may take some patience. Set up a blanket or rug on the floor and put the toy in a corner and have the child scoot or crawl towards the toy. Have a small basket of toys (only with a few items) in the living or family room in the same location. First time basket is set up there let your child explore the area and the items that are located near the basket. It is best to have the basket by some items that can be used as landmarks (something that is unique, permanent, and tells the child where they are) such as the couch or the corner in the room where the fuzzy rug is, for example. Let the child move towards that area freely. These are huge steps towards an independent little traveler.

Trailing is a technique that blind individuals use to help keep them orientated to their environments and helps them find certain locations and/or landmarks. The individual will glide their hand out in front of them along a wall or furniture. You can play a scavenger hunt where you put some items along the wall and your child has to find them and put in their “discovery basket.” Or you can place different textures for them to fell along the wall. Sticky tack works well for hanging objects and does not leave marks on the walls.

Protective Techniques or “safe hands” can be used when your child is walking in open space without a wall or furniture to trail. You want your child to hold their hands up in-front of them preferably protecting their head. Encourage your child to use “safe hands” when they are approaching an obstacle.

A Pre-cane can be a simple push toy, toy shopping cart or a hula hoop. The use of the pre-cane helps the child understand that walking with something in front of them protects them. That is a barrier between them and an obstacle that can hurt them. They will learn that when the pre-cane hits something they need to go around or move the object. You may see your child walk more confidently without holding a hand. This not only allows them more independence, but builds confidence in their abilities!