Feeling a little sad - update on the kidlet

Aw, that does suck. Is there a way she could get directions through sound instead of sight?

Glasses or contacts?

Ok so cheer isn't going to work and honestly my ass was way too big to do cheer, too. I don't have a vision problem but I see things in the reverse from everyone else. Someone jumps to the right? I think left. Yeah a real talent there, trust me. Plus I wasn't nearly cool enough to cheer and I was musically talented. Can the kidlet do something like piano? She can learn Suzuki where you learn by ear. Or violin? That is a good method to start with and she can progress and be visually impaired all the way to blind and still amazingly talented! (Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder...need I say more?)

Remember, me and my big butt couldn't clap my hands and skip at the same time yet I perfected the Swan by Sans Saens in my first year and won an award for that. My Tarentella by J. S. Squire was also very, very good! My Bach in G major sucked rocks, though.

Just food for thought!

^^^ That, too. I just remember doing gymnastics in grade 10. Not since age 3 with Bela Karoly but age 16 and being completely TALENT FREE. That means no talent. Kidlet might have real talent. They may have to accommodate her further.

I only suggested music because I was the least likely to enter the Olympics. Physical activity is very good for her and especially her mental health as well as physical as she may start to develop issues with losing her sight. (I know I would  ) so additional coaching for cheer might make sense. 

We are just an uber musical family. My sister played piano beautifully. My mother played very well. I played cello. My son did RCM to grade 8 to get a high school credit and then did jazz piano for 2 years. My father played a calculator like a pro (he is an accountant and not musically inclined!) 

Oh, how terrible for her! But maybe they will be able to come up with a solution? Blind people compete in both biathlon and dressage, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Rainbow, there ares one accommodations that could be made but it will require a commitment on her part as well as the coaches. I assume routines are done ahead of time? Routines can be filmed with an iPad and she can view them and practice at home until she knows the routine and the moves so when directions are given, she already has a good idea of what is expected. The coach will also need to use very specific instructions for example, move three feet to the right instead of "move over there". To a visually impaired person "over there" has no meaning whatsoever. It should be easy to mark where she is to stand by using bright tape (fluorescent yellow, pink). It will be hard, but it isn't unworkable.

Remind me again her eye condition? How much vision does she have right now? I know that I had sent you a lot of suggestions to use at her IEP a few moths ago. How did that work? Tell me a little about hr vision teacher. I assume she has one, right? I am a teacher for the visually impaired and have been for longer than I care to admit (ha!) so I have come across many situations that, with creativity, can be solved. Again, the key in to work together with the coach to do the best thing for your girl. Is this cheering done at school or is it a private gym?

This so sad for your daughter and I hope that something can be worked out but if not, this may be simply pushing her in another direction as Elannah suggested. You want her to be happy but also safe. I give the coach a thumb's up for giving you a heads up because that isn't always an easy thing to do and often is not done well. Good luck to your daughter and a huge congrats on the silver win last weekend.

Are you working w/a support agency for visually impaired teens? If not, I would suggest it. You are a mama, not an island and resources are vital. Get help for yourself, Rainbow. You need it, too. There is lots of compassionate care out there for you, as well.

Technically if she is visually handicapped, I think they HAVE to provide her resources to still participate. My dd's had 3 fellow students,all from the same family, with the same genetic disease, that the school worked around things for them, so they participated in any activity they wanted. Band, choir, wrestling, theater, speech, etc. There has be be a lot of resources out there, as there are my blind people.

My first thought was wondering if the trainers and coaches were really more concerned about her getting hurt...and were hoping to eliminate that possibility by having her quit due to the low vision.

What about solo dance? Surely there are some visually-impaired dancers out there.

Talk to the vision teacher. See if you could hire her privately for a one time consult. She could work with the coaches and offer strategies that would make it doable. That is her area of expertise. If she doesn't feel she is knowledgeable she likely knows who you need to talk to.