Illinois
School for the Visually Impaired
658 East State Street • Jacksonville, Illinois
62650-2130
Toll Free: 800-919-5617 • Voice: 217-479-4400 • TTY: 217-479-4415 • Fax:
217-479-4479
www.isvi.net • E-mail:
ISVI
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About Us
General
News Student Meal
Parents
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May's Tip for
Parents Students at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired have a wide range of travel abilities. We have students who have no functional vision, who see no light, shades, or movement. We also have students who can see fairly well at a distance, and have good functional vision for travel purposes. We have students who have normal gait/walking patterns, with good speed, proper stride, and aligned body and head position. We also have students in wheelchairs, uncommon gait/walking patterns, walking with heads down, and students who travel at a slow pace. We have students who have the ability to advance to higher education or job training. We also have students who have other challenges, and may struggle solving simple problems. Your child falls somewhere in this wide range of abilities that we have at the ISVI. In O&M, we not only work with traveling safely (mobility), but also work on understanding how to get there and back (orientation). Parents: Have you asked yourselves the following questions? Do I know how my child travels as an individual with a visual impairment? - A child needs to have proper cane skills (depending on vision), needs to properly identify intersections, and know when it is safe to cross. A child may need to work on staying aligned with the sound of parallel traffic and understand where the potential danger comes from. There are many, many factors that contribute to traveling safely and efficiently. Will my child travel independently? - Depends on the child’s cognitive ability, physical ability, desire and motivation. Does your child have the skills and ability to safely cross streets, make arrangements to use public transportation, travel a route, and problem solve if needed? It all depends on what your ideas and expectations of traveling independently are. If my child will not be able to travel independently, how will he/she get around? - Will someone be available to take my child to where he/she needs to go? Will my child live in a place that transportation will be provided, and outings are supervised? Do I give my child enough opportunities to practice his/her travel skills? - It is tempting to do things for your child because it might be easier and faster; but what would have happened if your Mom or Dad tied your shoes every time, and did not let you practice? As with any skill that you want to improve, practice is necessary and essential. Do I know what public transportation options are available to my child? - Is there public transportation where your child may live? Is there Taxi service, door to door bus service, fixed stop bus routes or train service? Do you know the process of preparing for a trip by only using public transportation? Would a GPS device help my child? - Possibly. GPS can help a traveler know where they are, but can not let you know when it is safe to cross a street, or which side of the street actually has a sidewalk. GPS could be very beneficial for advanced travelers, but could possibly assist with less advanced travelers. What do I know about dog guides? - Guide dogs help their owners travel in a straight line, avoid objects, and most likely will increase efficiency. Dog guides do NOT let their owners know when it is safe to cross a street, know the route to Dairy Queen, Wal-Mart, and Billy Bob’s house, or use the indoor toilet. A dog guide will need to be fed, need to be taken outside to use the bathroom, need to go to the veterinarian, and will need to be worked and challenged. A dog guide may be a great choice; that decision depends on the user and the Dog Guide organization. http://www.afb.org/Results.asp?CategoryID=54&SectionID=40&TopicID=168&DocumentID=2038 http://www.gdui.org/schoolsurvey.html Do I know how to order my child a cane? - It’s fairly easy. While your child is standing, measure from the floor to about the middle of the chest. This will be the length needed. You will also have the choice of what material the cane is made of, the type of cane tip, and if it is rigid, folds, or telescopes.
http://www.advantagecanes.com These questions and suggestions will hopefully make you think about the future, and keep you focused on the present. Please contact the ISVI O&M department with any questions or comments. |
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