CTEVH - March, 2000
by Paulette Kish
This essay by Paulette Kish, Daniel Kish's Mother, presented at a professional conference in 2000, gives a heart felt and level headed view of raising two blind children to lead the lives they wish to lead with achievement and purpose.
Perspectives of Family and Friends
"Running into a pole is a drag, but never being allowed to run into a pole is a disaster, ... Pain is part of the price of freedom." - Daniel Kish
Raising a Blind Child - Parents' Views
This Blind Boy Can!
WonderBaby.org - August, 2015
By Sarah Murray
we arranged for Daniel Kish and his colleague Brian Bushway to come and work with Lucas.
Their methods and skill with travel astounded us. From our standpoint, our experience (then and now) watching blind people clutching an elbow as they moved cautiously through society, here were two completely blind men who travelled around the world and across countries with no support or "help" from sighted people at all. It was truly mind blowing!
I was told to immediately (in a nice way!) stop holding Lucas' hand, a tiny blind boy, as he used just a long cane to walk around a lake. I was terrified! … Lucas was pushed, challenged, cajoled (and supported) to begin exploring his environment on his own. This was the beginning of his (our!) SelfDirected Discovery: Learning about the world by exploring it, not by being guided around or just having it described; a passive participant. We were officially following a "No Limits" mobility approach, and we haven't looked back!
By Sarah Murray
we arranged for Daniel Kish and his colleague Brian Bushway to come and work with Lucas.
Their methods and skill with travel astounded us. From our standpoint, our experience (then and now) watching blind people clutching an elbow as they moved cautiously through society, here were two completely blind men who travelled around the world and across countries with no support or "help" from sighted people at all. It was truly mind blowing!
I was told to immediately (in a nice way!) stop holding Lucas' hand, a tiny blind boy, as he used just a long cane to walk around a lake. I was terrified! … Lucas was pushed, challenged, cajoled (and supported) to begin exploring his environment on his own. This was the beginning of his (our!) SelfDirected Discovery: Learning about the world by exploring it, not by being guided around or just having it described; a passive participant. We were officially following a "No Limits" mobility approach, and we haven't looked back!
Gifted –Daniel Kish
Embracing Chaos: life with a special needs boy - January 27, 2015
by Wystan Simons
A thought-provoking, heart-warming, and soul-stirring glimpse of a young man named Owen who, through his quiet ways, has subltley "been a conduit for angels to make some critical changes". I, Daniel Kish, am honoured to be included in this article. Thank you Wystan for sharing this edifying tribute to your son.
by Wystan Simons
A thought-provoking, heart-warming, and soul-stirring glimpse of a young man named Owen who, through his quiet ways, has subltley "been a conduit for angels to make some critical changes". I, Daniel Kish, am honoured to be included in this article. Thank you Wystan for sharing this edifying tribute to your son.
Learning to Navigate through Echolocation - Daniel Kish
WonderBaby - Jan 11, 2015
"WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you'll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they've learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families."
"WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you'll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they've learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families."
Teaching Independence: Let’s get to work!
Thomas Marshall Does It All - January 12, 2015 By Jessica Kovacs, Tommy's Mom
This warmly thought provoking site chronicals a Mother's journey with her young son, and includes many blindness related resources.
"Did you listen to … NPR’s This American Life, Batman? Well you need to. For some kids things come easy. Things don’t come so easy for Tommy, unless you are talking about music. He’s naturally tuned into that but the rest is hard work."
"Every time I read about Daniel Kish I think about Tom and where he is with mobility and daily living skills. He’s making progress, but I know he’s got a long way to go. It’s not fair to compare people, but there are general developmental guidelines that we can follow. I know we have to work really hard in the next year and a half before he’s ready for public school, because right now he just isn’t ready.
… Sometimes I want to cry because I know he’s capable … He need to be pushed. I can’t push all on my own. Everyone had to do it. That means no more lazy days! … I know there's more work to be done right now. … This is the start of a new push for Tom’s independence. I know it will not make me popular with everyone but it’s time to get serious. Tommy is five and he’s been cruising for way too long. He is capable of much more and we have to help him get there. We are doing him a disservice by not being firm. … So get ready friends and family. It’s time to get to work!"
This warmly thought provoking site chronicals a Mother's journey with her young son, and includes many blindness related resources.
"Did you listen to … NPR’s This American Life, Batman? Well you need to. For some kids things come easy. Things don’t come so easy for Tommy, unless you are talking about music. He’s naturally tuned into that but the rest is hard work."
"Every time I read about Daniel Kish I think about Tom and where he is with mobility and daily living skills. He’s making progress, but I know he’s got a long way to go. It’s not fair to compare people, but there are general developmental guidelines that we can follow. I know we have to work really hard in the next year and a half before he’s ready for public school, because right now he just isn’t ready.
… Sometimes I want to cry because I know he’s capable … He need to be pushed. I can’t push all on my own. Everyone had to do it. That means no more lazy days! … I know there's more work to be done right now. … This is the start of a new push for Tom’s independence. I know it will not make me popular with everyone but it’s time to get serious. Tommy is five and he’s been cruising for way too long. He is capable of much more and we have to help him get there. We are doing him a disservice by not being firm. … So get ready friends and family. It’s time to get to work!"
NATHAN'S MAGICAL WORLD
Amazing story of a courageous blind boy - Nathan Nipp - 2012
By Khim Teoh
A touching account of a 5-year-old blind boy, written by one of his teachers. This web site warmly shares the story of Nathan's life.
By Khim Teoh
A touching account of a 5-year-old blind boy, written by one of his teachers. This web site warmly shares the story of Nathan's life.
Shianne Durdin: Living with Blindness
This is a web site lovingly maintained by Shianne Durdin's Mother. It is a wonderful, encouraging, and honest account of the development of a child blind from Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. It also contains a thoughtfully written article about echolocation, in which our work is discussed.
Ruben's World
This is a lovely online journal maintained by the parents of Ruben Morris. It is a wonderful, encouraging, and honest account of the development of a child blind from Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. It also highlights Daniel's work with Ruben.
A Different Vision
FAMILIES - Spring 2006 ©
by Fay Reiter
"Trevor Saunders is a teenager. He loves being outdoors, and goes camping, hiking and canoeing with the Boy Scouts. His favorite subjects in school are science and math. In his spare time he enjoys reading books on military history, working on the computer and playing solitaire. And, like most people, 16-year-old Trevor has individual aspects about his life that make it remarkably his own.
"Trevor was born with Aniridia, a rare congenital eye condition characterized by the underdevelopment or even absence of the iris. Over time, the condition usually causes loss of vision. By the time Trevor was seven months old, he had lost all his vision in the left eye. He had limited sight in his right eye until he was thirteen and he did almost everything sighted people do. He even rode a bike. But gradually, he lost vision in that eye as well.
"'Until the beginning of 8th grade, I could read print, and see light,' Trevor says matter-of-factly, as he sits sprawled out in his historic home in Hopewell, New Jersey. 'I can still see light and can make out objects.'
"Trevor views his blindness as a factor of his life, but not the sole, determining factor ..."
by Fay Reiter
"Trevor Saunders is a teenager. He loves being outdoors, and goes camping, hiking and canoeing with the Boy Scouts. His favorite subjects in school are science and math. In his spare time he enjoys reading books on military history, working on the computer and playing solitaire. And, like most people, 16-year-old Trevor has individual aspects about his life that make it remarkably his own.
"Trevor was born with Aniridia, a rare congenital eye condition characterized by the underdevelopment or even absence of the iris. Over time, the condition usually causes loss of vision. By the time Trevor was seven months old, he had lost all his vision in the left eye. He had limited sight in his right eye until he was thirteen and he did almost everything sighted people do. He even rode a bike. But gradually, he lost vision in that eye as well.
"'Until the beginning of 8th grade, I could read print, and see light,' Trevor says matter-of-factly, as he sits sprawled out in his historic home in Hopewell, New Jersey. 'I can still see light and can make out objects.'
"Trevor views his blindness as a factor of his life, but not the sole, determining factor ..."
Equal Expectations: A Belief Paradigm or a Politically Correct, Feel-Good Phrase?
Future Reflections - Winter/Spring 2008
California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Inc. (CTEVH) - March, 2007
by Eric Vasiliauskas, M.D.
This article, a poignant perspective of a father about his two blind boys, eloquently challenges teachers of blind kids to step up to the plate in equalizing expectations between blind and sighted students. It is full of helpful resources and approaches for raising blind children to meet and surmount life's chalenges, and it is extremely well thought out and referenced. It was first delivered as a Keynote to CTEVH. It includes an inspiring meeting with Daniel Kish when his first son was still a baby. "While I had heard educators in the blindness field and parents of blind children warn of the dangers of being overprotective, it wasn’t until our first CTEVH conference nine years ago, that I heard the term “equal expectations” for the first time. Dan Kish’s family was presenting a workshop and his father honed in on the concept of equal expectations. He emphasized that we must demand higher expectations of our blind youth, and that our kids need the skills to make it in the real world where they will not be given a break just because they have a visual impairment. They will not be given twice as much time as their co-workers to complete their projects. Once your child graduates, it’s survival of the fittest."
California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Inc. (CTEVH) - March, 2007
by Eric Vasiliauskas, M.D.
This article, a poignant perspective of a father about his two blind boys, eloquently challenges teachers of blind kids to step up to the plate in equalizing expectations between blind and sighted students. It is full of helpful resources and approaches for raising blind children to meet and surmount life's chalenges, and it is extremely well thought out and referenced. It was first delivered as a Keynote to CTEVH. It includes an inspiring meeting with Daniel Kish when his first son was still a baby. "While I had heard educators in the blindness field and parents of blind children warn of the dangers of being overprotective, it wasn’t until our first CTEVH conference nine years ago, that I heard the term “equal expectations” for the first time. Dan Kish’s family was presenting a workshop and his father honed in on the concept of equal expectations. He emphasized that we must demand higher expectations of our blind youth, and that our kids need the skills to make it in the real world where they will not be given a break just because they have a visual impairment. They will not be given twice as much time as their co-workers to complete their projects. Once your child graduates, it’s survival of the fittest."
Learning to Navigate through Echolocation - Daniel Kish
WonderBaby - Jan 11, 2015
"WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you'll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they've learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families."
"WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you'll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they've learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families."
Samuel's Story
Videos, articles, and personal recollections about the late Samuel, who left us at 8 years old, with a smile on his lips and ever a gleeful giggle beneath his last breath. To beautiful Samuel -
FlashSonar: The Parents' View
Insight Magazine, United Kingdom - September, 2008 - July, 2010
Parents and professionals give their evaluations of FlashSonar instruction.
Parents and professionals give their evaluations of FlashSonar instruction.
Parents Insight: A Parent's View
Insight Magazine, United Kingdom - September, 2010
4 year old Jamie's mum writes how early independence mobility training changed all their lives.
4 year old Jamie's mum writes how early independence mobility training changed all their lives.
Dennis's Mom comments on our work with her son and local families
Germany - 2014
Includes comments from a parent about her work with her son and local families at family workshops, and also includes video coverage from CNN International.
Includes comments from a parent about her work with her son and local families at family workshops, and also includes video coverage from CNN International.
