#1 Get Ready- 30 Posts in 30 Days!

I am taking part in WEGO Health's National Health Blog Post Month 2012 (NaBloPoMo.)  That means I will publish 30 posts in 30 days to promote health activism. It will be a challenge, but it will also force me to share things I might not otherwise share.

Get comfortable at your computer this month. Soon you will know way too much about Tommy!

We get new readers every day and I'm sure some new people will find this blog due to this blogging challenge.

Who is Tommy?
Tommy is three-years-old and he recently started preschool at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. He loves school, music, exploring new places and dancing. Tom stayed at home with me his first three years. He had two months of daycare at a blended program (sighted and blind children) at his school before he was enrolled in classes. His transition has been remarkable and he is blossoming.
 

Hi! I'm Tommy.

What do you mean blind? People always what to know what Tom can see. You will have to ask him and right now he really can't tell you. He doesn't have enough sophisticated language to explain what he sees so we all have to wait for that information. He has the ability to see light and a VEP (vision evoked potential) test he had this summer told us that his brain is getting information from his eyes. The thing is; it doesn't really matter what Tom can see. He is blind. What matters to me is how he functions and getting him what he needs to live his life.

More about being Blind.
Thomas will be a Braille reader. He is beginning his education at a school for blind children but will transfer to his home district for kindergarten. Some schools for the blind are now set up for children with multiple disabilities and do not provide a typical academic education. Medicine is so good that many diseases and conditions that used to blind children are now treatable or vaccinated against. There just aren't that many blind children today.

However, there will always be children who are blind and need specialised training and education. Tom will have the ability to go to school with children from his own neighborhood because children with special needs are mainstreamed in public school. I feel like we are getting the best of both worlds because he will get intensive training in blindness skills during his early childhood years and then get to go to a school where he can learn to live in the sighted world.

Braille and orientation & mobility training (O&M) are the keys to independence for people who are blind. I would expect any sighted child to be able to read and move independently and I expect the same for Tom. Watching Tom walk with his cane is the cutest thing and makes me so very proud. It is nice to get stared at because people are impressed with him and not because they pity him. If you met Tommy pity would be the furthest thing from your mind; believe me! He is happy and busy enjoying life.

This blog is about all things Tom. He does things a little differently, but he does it all!

If you are new to Tom's blog you can catch up by reading these posts:

Our story - The beginning, at least!

Answering Your Questions - So how does Tommy do .....? Find out here.

A Blind Toddler? - Yes, Tom is blind!

Resources - Find out what resources are available for blind children

Information Helps - The importance of educating friends and family about childhood blindness. Blindness does not mean these kids don't have amazing potential. Dream big!

G-tube guide - The why and how of Tom's g-tube.

On a Dark and Stormy Night - Just for fun.

Welcome new readers!