How can I help my child when I can't see myself..any ideas??

[Susan Mason]

My little boy is just turned seven years old and is having a few problems at school with keeping up with his work and with his reading. The teacher's answer is that I will have to support him more at home, however, I can't really see how I can do this with my eyesight as it is. I have scleral lenses, as some of you will know, and for most of the time, i function quite normally, however I have to go to work to pay the bills etc.. and am consequently spending ALL my seeing-time at work. By the time I get home from work, it is lenses out and, if anything, my son helps me (!!)...as for me helping him reading his book, well, I can't always see the pictures, let alone the words. Some of you may think that I am making this all sound doom & gloom, however I really can't understand why the school can't give the extra support, especially when I have discussed in detail with them what my problems are and how they affect me. Some of you may well ask where Dad is....and he is here, however he too goes out to work, often working different shifts than myself and also spending a great deal of his time looking after me......Has anyone else had any experiences in this area? Surely teachers are meant to support and teach, or is my little boy going to be penalised for his mummy's disability???

Any thoughts/advice?????

[sajeev nadarajan]

Hi Susan,
I understand how you feel. I too have a young family and I get headaches due to my eye sight, which I am sure effects them.

There is alot of grey area with our condition and people (non KC-ers) don't understand, thats why this forum is so much of a value to us.

My advice to you is to do whatever it takes to solve your problem, if that means seeing the head of the school then so be it. And if that don't work to take it futher until you are happy with the out-come !


Surley, He can be given extra help during, lunch time or playtime or P.E or even when they have a free period or R.E !

Teachers I remember from my school days were only to happy to stay behind when they wanted to give out detention to US !!!

Good Luck

[Susan Mason]

Hello all

well am posting this plea for advice again as it is now another class and another teacher and still those stupid photo copies of work coming home which even my husband sometimes struggles to read.
I wonder which part of 'mummy can't see' the teachers misunderstand? And why now in my little boys 5th year at school the headteacher when he saw me last week offered his sympathy for my eye condition despite several previous conversations after issues has arisen that lead to us going into school.

Is this usual? or maybe just my badluck?

Susan

[GarethB]

Hi Susan,

I feel that regarding your sons education you are within your rights to quote the disabilities discrimination act. The school has a responsibility to ensure parents can read the notes sent home with your son. He sounds bright enough that he would be happy to say to his teacher 'Can I have a note in large print, my Mum is partially sighted?'

The school can give extra support, my daughter got extra support last year as she found it hard having a new teacher every week and some weeks no teacher at all. This term she has had the same teacher throughout and still gets extra help with reading and writting and has come a long way.

As for helping your son read, I think the RNIB do a close circuit TV system wheeby the book is under a camera so you can then see the pages. I know this is available to those in the work place for visually impaired people so should be for home use. No idea of price, sorry.

My wife does a Hospital Radio show after a blind chap she sees at our Local Hospital radio for advice as he works for the RNIB.

He always tells the listners that his guide dog Victor finds all the records for him and controls the studio for him. As Hospital Radio is a charity, we have engraved all the controls so he knows what does what and so he can see the CD title, he presses the cases up to his nose to see, just like you and I. He gets it right about 75% of the time, just like me.

Regards

Gareth