I would like to add to what Sharon has said. I have a severe visual impairment. My parents were told that I never would be able to read. But I am an avid reader and have been for 53 years. As a young child in first and second grade - my teachers had no idea what to do with me so they pushed big print books. I absolutely hated them. They were huge and bulky and had no color pictures and often were not even the same series that the class was using.. But most importantly - they made me different from my peers. As a special educator for 36+ years I have met only a very few students who wanted to be treated differently that their peers. My best advice is get to know the child. Talk to her about your expectations for your students this year. Ask her for input on how she thinks she can accomplish those goals and brainstorm with her to find solutions for potential problems. One of the big challenges for me was labeling things particularly maps with countries and capitals. I did much better with tactile cues on a grid with latitude and longitude etc. Once i got a mental map - I was off and running. Sounds like the VI teacher is as frustrated as you are. In all probability the majority of her training has been in using technology for academics and orientation and mobility rather than had to successfully include this young lady.You certainly are a valuable part of her IEP team. HAve you talked to her parents? What are their goals for her? Talk with her teachers from last year and see what worked and what didn't. Does she have friends in your class? She could have a peer support group - reliable folks that can help her navigate the instructional area independently. Does your school have any of the Dragon Naturally speaking programs or Kurzwell? Both of these are speech to text programs that will allow her to speak her answers, writing etc, listen to and correct and then print it out. It is such that other students could use it too so she wouldn't feel singled out. Just some thoughts, June _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org
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