Encouraging Independence at School
You may initially feel that your braille-readings student will need lot of support in the classroom. You are probably correct. However, the type of support you give your student will be vital in helping him or her develop skills to be an independent member of society in the future.
While the use of a Paraprofessional or Teaching Assistant may be needed in the classroom, we want you to think about how this support should be used with your braille-reading student. It will be important that what is being taught to your student comes from you, the expert in that subject area. If possible, it is recommended that your braille-reading student stay in the classroom and learn how to complete work as independently as possible during class time. This may be initially difficult and perhaps you will need to initially lean on your student’s paraprofessional to help get your student started. However, as your braille-reading student learns classroom routines, it will be important for you to pull away from ‘doing for’ the student and allow them to practice independence skills.
Here are some ways in which you can help your student develop and practice independence skills:
- Provide as many opportunities for your student to do things by themselves. Start off by watching them complete activities only helping when they ask for help or are in need of extra assistance.
- Try not to assume that your braille-reading student cannot do something simply because they have a visual impairment. You may be surprised at what they can do by simply watching him or her complete a task.
- If you have an older braille-reading student in your class, ask them if they need assistance before providing it.
Provide opportunities for your braille-readings student to work with other students in the class instead of an adult volunteer or paraprofessional.