admin, Author at ConnectCenter

Orientation and Mobility for Grade Schoolers

A girl wearing glasses sitting on the floor in a classroom.

What Is Orientation and Mobility? Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is the teaching of concepts, skills, and techniques needed to orient to surroundings and to move independently and safely in the environment. To learn and master these skills, a child who is blind or has low vision commonly works with an O&M specialist upon diagnosis through […]

Helping Your Child Who Is Blind or Has Low Vision Learn How to Make Friends

A group of three students walking into a school.

Tips for Promoting Friendships Most people and adults are somewhat social by nature and being able to form ongoing relationships contributes in an important way to your child’s overall development. However, your child is blind or has low vision may need help from you and other family members in learning how to make and keep […]

Everyone Needs a Role Model

An elementary student working with an older student to learn about a trumpet by feeling the buttons.

Your child might already have a role model. This is someone they really admire and want to be like. It could be a family member, like an older cousin, or someone at school, like a favorite teacher. Sometimes, a role model is someone famous they know about from books or TV, like a tennis player […]

Talking to Your Daughter About Menstruation

Close up photo of teenage girl picking sanitary pad out of a green box.

When and how to talk to a preteen girl about her first menstrual cycle are questions most parents or caregivers struggle with. Although some families find this a difficult subject to discuss, it’s important to make sure your daughter is prepared for the physical and emotional changes she will undergo. Understanding what is happening to […]

Reading and Making Tactile Books with Your Child

Hands using scissors to cut paper with tactile materials behind to make a book.

Reading to your child helps them in many ways. It teaches new ideas, improves talking skills, and prepares them for learning to read. If your child is blind or has low vision, you can make reading more fun by using books with things to touch. This is called tactile reading. Even if your child has […]