Blind Childrens Center

4120 Marathon Street, Los Angeles, California 90029 (323)664-2153

A family-centered agency serving children with visual impairments

IN THIS REPORT...

Marvin Cautious yet curious

Marvin has continued to make small, yet consistent strides towards independence.

Marvin was born with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) which is a congenital, hereditary, bilateral eye disorder that often leads to complete retinal detachment in both eyes. In some cases it can also be accompanied by severe developmental delays.

Marvin started out in the Blind Childrens Center infant program at a young age. He still had some residual vision when he began, but he lost it in mid-year. He suffered a spontaneous, bilateral retinal detachment, which is common in children with this condition. Marvin immediately underwent surgery, but the surgery had limited success leaving him with a small amount of light perception. Shortly after surgery Blind Childrens Center staff noticed some regression in all his skills. A once outgoing little boy who loved to explore his environment by pushing a small cart around, now refused to move.

Taking baby steps, Marvin began cruising around the furniture in the room being very cautious yet curious about what was around him. Outside he would use his whole body to map out his surroundings.

In his third year Marvin went into teacher Grace’s classroom. In her class he continued to progress. He started to make steps toward walking independently. At that time he was still very hesitant about moving around, but he wanted to explore, so he would walk slowly sideways or on his knees. Little by little he started accepting the mobility device “the pusher.” During his year with teacher Grace, Marvin suffered from seizures and had to be hospitalized. Eventually the seizures were controlled and he was back in school.

Although he made limited gains in speech that year, he was more willing to accept hand over hand guidance to explore materials and complete activities that were challenging for him. His teachers were very patient and dedicated, giving him ample time to explore. Teacher Grace describes Marvin as a very “strong willed child.” Clearly, it is that strong will that has helped Marvin bounce back from the set backs he has encountered.

Marvin has continued to make small, yet consistent strides towards independence. In his fourth and last year, he transitioned into teacher Rachel’s room. He immediately began to use the cane, instead of the pusher. At first he wanted to explore the limits of his cane by swinging it up in the air, taping it on different surfaces and dragging it behind him, but now you can see Marvin moving around campus using his cane appropriately. After Christmas, Marvin’s mom approached the staff at Blind Childrens Center and asked “when is Marvin going to get a cane to use at home?” She said that on Christmas morning Marvin asked for a cane.

His language has blossomed, and although he speaks in a very quiet manner, and generally will not respond to direct questions, he will definitely let you know what is on his mind. It’s exciting to see Marvin explore the playground. He uses every part of his body to make better sense of where he is. All his senses are constantly at work and you can see it in his face as the information enters and starts making meaningful connections for him.

The Blind Childrens Center staff remembers Marvin from the very beginning when he completely lost his vision and was afraid to move. Now, we watch as he drags his mother out by the hand saying “let’s go home,” with a big smile on his face. His smile is contagious and no matter what is going on with him, that smile is always there.