Annual Report Archives

IN THIS REPORT

When entering room three at the Blind Childrens Center, you might notice a room full of mostly boys, or that some of the kids appear to be blind, while others have vision. What a person might not realize is that four of the five visually impaired children in the classroom share the same diagnosis of Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.

This condition, otherwise known as ONH, involves the under-development or absence of the optic nerve which connects the eye and the brain. This condition can also include brain and endocrine abnormalities. The areas of brain function that can be affected involve gross and fine motor skills, intelligence, speech and socialization. Endocrine dysfunction can be managed through daily medication and regular care by an endocrinologist.

ONH is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in young children. Nicholle Malave, room three’s teacher, found that research showed many children with ONH have similarities to children with autism. “This is a spectrum disorder, as is autism,” comments Nicholle. “Each child exhibits similar yet different degrees of dysfunction in a variety of developmental areas.” Because of this spectrum, structure and routine are especially important to these children.

Nicholle personalizes the lessons for each child depending on their cognitive and sensory abilities. In the field of sensory dysfunction, sound is one area, in particular, that affects the children with ONH similarly. “Generally when there is a loud, surprising noise, these children have a very strong reaction,” says Nicholle. While this could be true of other visually impaired children, it is heightened in children with ONH. Another area of hypersensitivity involves touch and taste. The class was recently reading the story “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” To bring the story to life, Nicholle brought in fruit that was described in the book to class. Some of the children explored the texture of the fruit with their hands, others tasted the fruit, and some were able to use a plastic knife to cut the fruit.

Rosalinda Mendiola, the Center’s teacher of the visually impaired, has worked with the visually impaired for 18 years. During that time she has seen a nationwide increase in the prevalence of ONH. “When I first started at the Center, we had one child with ONH.” Rosalinda has helped to develop a multi-disciplinary approach addressing all aspects of this complicated diagnosis.

There are similarities among all visually impaired children, such as delays in concept development and motor skills. Children with ONH may also have prolonged sensitivity to auditory and tactile input, emotional irregularity and challenges with balance. Repetition and routine are very important in the classroom, these children can become hypersensitive to a slight change in routine and become very upset. Therefore, changes in routine need to be managed slowly.

“These children can be a big puzzle,” says Rosalinda, “a team approach utilizing Occupational Therapy (gross & fine motor skills), Orientation and Mobility (independent travel), specialized vision training, Speech Pathology, and family support is critical.”

It is also important that these children participate in an inclusive setting where there are continuous opportunities to interact with the support of typically developing peers.