Braille, iPad: an Update

Reading is Fun

Abby has been enjoying using her iPad with the RefreshaBraille18 for the past few weeks.  She not only has been reading and writing emails but she also has started reading books from BookShare through the "Read2Go" app and writing short documents.  Her TVI and I are going to try and get her trying to integrates its use for school work.  The school has bought a printer that will print what she writes in print.

Abby and I have learned a few things together.

• For some contractions/symbols that use the same dots you need to type them quickly for it the software to know which one you mean.  (since it translates as you type)  ie  "?" or "his"
• It very easy to turn speech on and off.  This can be good and bad. Many times its important for Abby to get the braille practice and she will want to use voice over instead of braille to read it. Since I do the work with her its less of an issue.  
• There is still lot of apps that could be added to make it better. I would love to find a accessible typing tutor to use with a blue tooth qwerty keyboard. 
• The using a braille display on an iPad doesn't replace the embossed paper page.  There is so many things a child learns by reading paper pages and books.  The technology is a great supplement but is not a replacement  at least in young readers. 
• There is no app I have been able to find to read a .brf file.  There is a way to read it but its complicated and not as simply as it should be.  It would be great to have an app that would open an .brf file and work simply with the braille display.  Its important to remember the braille display will display what ever voice over would say so in most instances this is simply not necessarily if you can get a .txt file or other voice over readable file. 

Abby reading the Cat and the Hat 

Read the previous post on the same subject. 

http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2012/02/braille-and-ipad.html

The spark of reading has become a flame.

Abby reading. tonight

It was almost a year ago that I announced Abby was reading. Now the level she was reading at was VERY beginner. Every letter was a struggle. The fight through the past year has been very hard. Many times I saw no hope in sight. The past few weeks Abby's spelling has gotten better and her fluency has gotten a lot better. She is reading more complicated books (relatively). She is picking up contractions a lot quicker now.  She reads grade 2 braille (braille with contractions) almost exclusively.

We had great time reading Dr Seuss a few weeks ago and now we are going into more developed stories.  The most important thing is she KNOWS she is getting better and is getting motivated. She is starting to see that reading can be fun and is not just a chore. I am so happy and so proud.

So if you have a child who is struggling to learn to read there is hope. Keep at it and know it will come. Its very important to state Abby has a great team right now that are all rallying around raising Abby's reading skills.  Its a true group effort.  Abby's reading team is her TVI, classroom teacher,her parents, her 2 paras and a special education teacher.  We are all working together to give Abby what she needs.

There are blind children TODAY who are still being denied braille instruction or not getting enough.  If you need an example who rediculous that is just look at Abby's story.

 Abby started learning  her braille letters 14 months ago. 

Abby reading. The picture is fuzzy but look at that smile.

Happy Birthday Louis Braille

Louis Braille was born January 4th 1809.  Louis Braille created the braille code when he was just 15 years old.  

Reading Braille is Fun

I am so grateful to what braille has already given Abby In just her first year of braille instruction.  She is still a begining reader but nothing is more important in a child's education as literacy is.   I can't imagine anyone watching a child learn to read with braille can think its obsolete.   Sit down with a blind child and let them read to you.

Today also ends the NFB Braille Readers are Leaders.  I will have a final page count for Abby soon.  I know I am really proud of my braille reader.

A Year, A Journey

It was a year ago today that we got the DNA results that Abby was officially affected by Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. That it was the cause of my 6 year olds vision loss. It wasn't just Abby but much of my family that could be affected one day. My son, myself, my sisters and my nephews.

Abby thinking

Its been a journey. At first the journey seemed to be full of does,diagnosis and the mystery but really the biggest challenge is living day to day. Its making sure Abby gets the best education she can. Its making sure that she can acieve every thing she was always meant to do. I have realized that my little girl isn't that little anymore more and she can really handle this.

Abby putting leaves in her hair

 A year later she is reading and doing amazing well in math. She still struggles catching up to her grade level in reading but I KNOW she will fill the gap quickly. Tonight she did her math homework almost all by herself. She asked what the questions were (there was only two) She then put paper in her brailler and answered it all on her own. She didn't want any help. I am so proud of Abby. I am proud of both my smart children. She has been enjoying not only reading with her me but with her father. She loves to share with us the contractions she knows. She loves it when she knows things that other people don't know. The future seemed so scary a year ago. Now it just seems like a maze that we may get lost going the wrong direction every now and then but we will find the way out and I KNOW Abby's future is bright.

new school year jitters.

Today the kids started school for a new year. Abby into 2nd Grade and Sam into 4th.  Sam really already seems to have transitioned quickly into a a new classroom.

Sam getting ready for a great new school year. 

Abby had a great first day of school with lots of adjustments.  A new classroom, a new teacher, new rules and two new paraprofessionals.  I have a good vibe for this year and remain very hopeful . The biggest challenge Abby has is she needs to become stronger in reading.  Abby wants to be a 'super reader' NOW.  She is becoming frustrated with the time and practice it takes to get there.   Its a balance. She is in a hard phase. She goes back and forth between a reading issue (word blending, letter sounds,) to braille issues (contractions, and letter recognition)  It all takes practice and I know she will do well.

Abby ready for a new year.

 She was very excited and she picked out a bunch of books from home she wanted to bring into to school and keep there.  It was the first time she seemed excited about school the whole summer. (by the way she had a great summer and i will blog it all soon)  

What braille means to Abby.

I can remember the first time I heard the word braille  related to Abby. It was this past November at a school meeting.  I remember feeling shocked.  Hurt. Surprised.  Abby can see, she just can't see well. I knew nothing about braille. I only knew that blind people used it to read.  The idea of reading with touch was foreign and weird concept to me. I wanted to fight and say No she doesnt' need braille but thankfully I  have a pretty open mind. The teacher of the visually impaired who had done Abby's functional visual assessment was a professional with experience and I was a parent who hadn't come to terms with the fact her daughter was blind.

Abby reading braille in a phonics book.

Print really isn't isn't accessible for Abby at all. If its really bold and large (larger then standard enlarged print) and she puts it right to her face she can sometimes see a little of it.   When Abby started first grade she still was not reading.  She has all the basics and has always been a very bright child. She just wasn't reading.  I realize now that she was delayed because of her vision issues. When I struggled over the summer to try and help teach her to read  I had no idea and felt defeated and confused.

Something amazing happened when Abby got introduced braille. She slowly started to read.  It did take some time. She had to learn the basics of braille before those dots meant anything to her fingers. She fought being taught something different than her peers.  It was hard work (and still is)  There was something special that happened  a few months ago.  She started to read.  READ.  There is nothing more basic in a child's education then learning to read.

I just spent some time with Abby reading on our porch and its amazing. Its fun. Sometimes there is a reading mistake, sometime there is a mistake feeling a letter, and sometimes its a braille contraction but she keeps going.  She has a little bit to catch up with her grade level but I really think she will be there come second grade.  It all takes practice and thats something I can give her.

Do you know there are blind children who are given inadequate braille instruction (or not at all) in this country.  Think about that.  No child that benefit from learning braille should be denied. Its that simple. Listening to audio books and using text to speech on a computer is not a replacement for reading.  They are all tools but they don't replace reading.   Abby was truly lucky.  I cringe thinking about where Abby would be if  she wasn't given braille.  Braille is a gift I am thankful my daughter received.

Passport to Adventure in a Black Box

A few days ago this black box showed up to the house.

Large black plastic NLS shipping box.

It was all bundled shut. I had no idea.  It was very exciting.  I realized that it was Braille books from the Braille library I had signed Abby up for a week before.  We had been getting talking books for months now but this was our first shipment of Braille books. Our state doesn't have a Braille library so we have another library that services us for Braille books. It was so exiting to open it up. Inside was 6 children books with Braille. It was so exciting.  Which ever librarian who selected them did a great job.  All where great books.

Abby reading and enjoying some books

Its so great to be able to borrow books now instead of buying them all (though its great to buy too)  She has been so motivated to read.   We had a great fun reading on the books together last night. Who doesn't love library books.  Its going to be great reading this summer.

The joy of reading.

There is nothing quite like reading.   To curl up some place quiet and get lost in you head. I love to read. I have a lot less time now to read but I still love it when I have a chance.

Toddler Abby enjoying a book.

I have wondered if Abby would ever get excited about reading.  She struggled so much with Braille (and still does)  I know she would get through learning Braille to do what needs to be done but would she read for fun? Well something has changed. She has stopped fighting.. She is getting better and better.  The last few days Abby has actually gotten interested in more advanced books. They  are still a little advanced for her but she really wants to read chapter books.  She want to read fiction. She has seen how much her brother enjoys reading and wants the join the crowd. The biggest thing holding her back right now beyond just becoming a stronger reader is contractions.  Contractions in grade 2 Braille are best described as short hand or abbreviation of words.

I now can see Abby this summer reading on a beach enjoying a book.  Its very exciting.

Fantastic Day!

Its rainy yucky weather outside and I  a horrible cold but today is a fantastic day.

Two big things happened today for Abby.

Her class has 'library' once a week.  Some weeks at library is actually computer.  The kids learn early computer literacy skills.  Today her TVI made a computer accessible to Abby with an magnifier and text to speech software. (Zoom text with reader)  Abby is so excited.   I can't wait to set a computer up for her at home.

The other very special thing today is Abby brought home two books she has read at school.  Let me say again. Two books Abby has read at school.  They Brailled some early readers for Abby and she has been READING them. They are the simple repeating books but she is READING them. A reader. Abby.  I am so happy.  Overjoyed. What a special achievement for her. I am so proud  of her. With some more practice she will be breezing through books.