Our families often ask A Shared Vision’s teachers if their child will learn braille in school. Here’s what two of our experts said. Janet Anderson was a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) at Aurora Public Schools for 31 years before she began working in early intervention. Sally Burch currently works full-time as a TSVI for the Boulder Valley School District.
How will I know if my child will learn braille in school?
Janet: In early intervention, your Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired (EI-TVI) will look at your child's visual diagnosis, functional vision and hearing, and your child’s sense of touch. Depending on the sensory profile and diagnosis, the teacher will chat with you about the importance of braille and activities to help your child develop their sense of touch, such as fine motor activities and tactual discrimination. We also want to expose children to print and braille.
What kind of assessments will be done at the school to determine if my child will learn braille?
Janet: When your child is evaluated for their transition from early intervention to school-based programs, the TSVI from the school district will complete a Learning Media Assessment. It is used to determine which senses your child uses most to get information from the environment. Additionally, decisions can be made about which method or methods your child should use for learning and literacy. If the sense of touch is primary and used to explore the environment, braille may be recommended for reading and writing.
Sally: A learning media assessment and a functional vision assessment will be completed to make sure that the appropriate learning medium is determined for your child. Consideration will be given to your child’s diagnosis, fatigue level, and any other medical factors that your child might be experiencing. The goal is to find the most efficient and least fatiguing way for your child to learn.
Are there other technologies my child might use to have access to literacy?
Janet: Definitely! There are braille notetakers, refreshable braille displays, talking books, talking book players, screen reading software, various apps for accessing books, and more.
Sally: Absolutely! And technology is always changing, which is exciting. Over the course of the child’s education, technology such as braille notetakers, computers, and digital book devices will be explored with your child.
Do I need to have a braille writer at home for my very young child?
Janet: It would be helpful. Children who are sighted practice scribbling with crayons and markers long before they begin to write actual letters. Similarly, children who are learning braille should practice making marks on paper using a braille writer. Also, pushing the keys on the braille writer will help develop your child’s hand and finger strength.
Sally: It always makes the child feel more comfortable if the parents or caregivers also know braille. It normalizes the learning medium for them. Parents should talk with their EI-TVI about borrowing a braille writer and discovering other helpful tools.
Click HERE for 10 tips from Perkins School for the Blind on how to prepare your child to learn to read braille, starting with exposure to braille even before they’re ready to read.
