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Thinking laterally how can I help DD who in't seeing too well atm

16 replies

Katymac · 28/03/2010 12:18

She has no colour vision & little centre vision however she has some blurred peripheral vision

Clothes atm is OK - as mostly she remembers what colour it was, although she occasionally brings 2 identical tops & says which is pink? I guess in the future we will buy 'outfits' rather than bits & pieces so she can put them together

She is 'reading' audio books on borrowed iPod - but struggling with the controls so we are either downloading the books on to her DS or getting a little MP3 that only plays in order & having 1 book only on it - the shuffle would have been great as it is audio menu but it plays randomly & books need to be in order (don't know yet if iTunes will download onto the DS)

Her phone is all but useless, we have programmed a few keys for home/my mob etc but the buttons don't sound as they are pressed & she can't really use it - not quite sure where we go from here either an expensive phone with an audio function or something from the RNIB website which are very brick-like (& less likely to get stolen)

She is guessing at writing - very thick black pen, very thick wide lines & a lump of bluetack to put where she finishes writing so she knows where to start again

What else can I do for her - sensory support is coming in 10 days or so.....but I must be able to do something else?

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Katymac · 28/03/2010 14:05

Bump

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themildmanneredjanitor · 28/03/2010 14:07

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Katymac · 28/03/2010 14:19

She has had (what has been diagnosed as) a conversion disorder for just over 4 weeks

We are really struggling to cope - she has very little sight - there are thousands of threads (all over the place), I am feeling so lost & a bit abandoned (even tho' things are happening relatively fast.......it just doesn't feel that way)

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Katymac · 28/03/2010 14:24

DD wants to turn the cat into a seeing eye cat......as she doesn't really like dogs

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geordieminx · 28/03/2010 14:28

Is there not a function on her fone to turn the sound keys on? Most have it - in the settings somewhere?

Katymac · 28/03/2010 14:39

Thanks yes (but it took me ages to find it)

& when it turns on you have to set Date & Time & formats & stuff - you must be able to turn that off too, surely?

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Katymac · 28/03/2010 15:29

Anyone else with ideas?

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geordieminx · 28/03/2010 17:21

Sorry, no experience at all of VI.

Have you had a look to see if there are any useful forums about?

crescent · 28/03/2010 17:50

Have you looked at the RNIB website, that has lots of useful gadgets like a little talking clock or watch.

10 days must feel like forever just now. Wish you all the luck in the world for your DD.

minimu · 28/03/2010 18:09

Katymac I have a blind DD who become blind after an illness. We have had time to get used to it and she has been blind for 3 years now.

I have seen your other threads and hope things improve for your daughter soon.

When my DD went blind, she has a twin and three younger brothers, I found that they were the best ones to teach me how to deal with the situation. They dealt with it without emotion. Don't get me wrong they were sorry etc but they treated her just the same. On practical things they just accepted that her sight had changed and helped when she needed it. (I was busy worrying about the future what I had to change how she would ever cope etc!) but they just dealt with things as and when.

That has now been the family motto. You will find depending on how long it takes for her sight to return that she will be adapt to things quite well. To start with my DD could not get dressed on her own but very soon she worked this one out. She learnt by feel what the clothes "looked" like and around the house you really would not know she has lost her sight.

We are all careful to not leave things on the floor (she is the only one who does this!) and we do not move things around, we also have a set place for most things so she is pretty self sufficient in the house.

She loves audio books and has learnt to touch type. She does have software on her pc which allows her to facebook etc.vital for a teenage daughter!

The RNIB have been great and she has a watch she can feel for the time, she is lucky in that her twin will help her outside but she is fiercely independent. Sometimes her sight means she can not do family chores but she can manage to get around Top Shop!

I can understand for you that things at the moment are so uncertain - for us it was definately she has lost her sight which may actually have been easier to get our heads around but it is not the end of the world and your DD will amaze and make you incredibly proud of how she gets on with life as mine has done.

I would stand back a bit and she what she needs you to help her with. You may be surprised that it is different to what you think she needs.

(Oh I saw your shopping thread - what we do is put my blind DD in charge of pushing the trolley and then one of us goes in front and then holds the front of the trolley and guides her around - you may get the odd banged ankle if she is not listening but all adds to the fun!). She will get the correct pasta of the shelf if you ask her she does so mych by feel. Have had a few problems with tinned food expecially with a lovely little brother who does find it so funny to swop the tinned soup around with tinned custard! But she has got wise to that now and sniffs it all first!!!

Things she can do are far greater than things she can't do. She has even learnt to pluck her own eye lashes (how she does that is beyond me!!!! She says she can feel if they are wrong). She goes to concerts, loves music, does dog training with me, even plays noise tennis, she cooks.

My OH races classic cars and she has even driven a bit around goodwood race track -

It honestly will get better for you all and there is a really good future ahead of you being blind for my daughter is a challenge but not an insumontable one. loads of unmunsnetty love coming to you.

If I can help please do yell

themildmanneredjanitor · 28/03/2010 18:11

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Katymac · 28/03/2010 19:54

minimu - you are so kind to post, like you I am planning & panicking about the future; your daughter sounds a very strong and capable young lady, (I think her mum might be too) - thanks for the tips

TMMJ - we just don't know how long it will last - I don't feel she has had all the tests she should have before this diagnosis was made.

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PixieOnaLeaf · 28/03/2010 20:03

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Katymac · 28/03/2010 20:26

Thanks - I don't know whether to be more worried about the anxiety or the eye problems

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wannaBe · 28/03/2010 20:43

katie we have spoken before:

In terms of colour you could get her one of

these

In terms of her mobile what does she use it for? Texting etc? And is her sight sufficiently limited that she can't do this at all now?

Dh bought me an iphone for my birthday so I have a nokia e51 with talcs (accessibility software) sitting on my desk. It is totally accessible with speech, and your dd could use it for texting and even for facebook if she is that way inclined as it's a smart phone with internet access.

I'd be happy to lend it to her if you think it would help?

If things don't improve in the long term then a tactile watch would ultimately be the answer (those talking ones are ugly intrusive horrible things ).

Katymac · 28/03/2010 21:01

Wow - what a clever machine!!! I want one myself

ATM the phone is purely for safety - she gets lost at school sometimes & scared at others so we needed to be able to get quick help

It is so unfair that her friends have to have to walk her round & for them to have that responsibility - Thanks for the very kind offer but I would be afraid that it could be too easily taken from her

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