VIDBE-Q Volume 66 Issue 4
Emily Coleman,
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired,
colemane@tsbvi.edu
I am a mother to three teenage children. I have an 18 year old reluctant to
plan for college, although she would love higher education if only she could make
a decision on how to proceed. I have a 16 year-old who would happily listen to
music all day in his room with a pile of snacks while only coming out to ask for
more food. I have a 13 year-old who has somehow found a balance between
wanting to be with friends and her passion for reading, which requires time alone.
It has taken me 18, 16, and 13 years, respectively, to build relationships with them
and every day provides an opportunity to solidify the trust even parents have to
earn.
My 16 year old, Eddie, was born with multiple disabilities. At four months,
we were told he was blind with a condition called optic nerve hypoplasia. At one,
he was diagnosed with panhypopituitarism. Somewhere around age two, we heard
Trust Before Teaching: Reflections of One
Family's Iterative Process