Any Year 2 Teachers Here? Question For You?

[saggyhairyarse]

Background: My DS 7 has nystagmus. This basically means that is eyes tremor and when he looks at a whiteboard for example, he needs to look at it head on and stand/sit closer to it because his vision is impaired (he is not long/short sighted but because his eyes 'wobble', his brain cannot process the image quickly enough to make it clear).

DS is not behind as such but we have been told that he is hindered because if an activity is not straight ahead of him, he has to get up to look at things head on and go back to his seat and this uses up time (they have picked up the pace now).

So my question is this, would it be unreasonable to ask that he always sits straight ahead to the activity (not jsut the whiteboard)? They work in groups so this might mean a whole group moving. Would that be really disuptive?

That is what needs to happen but I don't want to ask for them to do something that is compeltely unreasonable (I have an 18m child so have not helped out so don't know how these things work).

TIA

that is not at all unreasonable.
I am a Y2 teacher and would happily work things for your child to be able to do this as much as possible.

Thanks for your speedy reply!

That is good to know. I don't want to be a PITA and a part of me thinks that he will have to find his own techniques to deal with it but if he is expected to work at a certain pace then I think he needs a bit of help to do it.

Does he have an IEP? What you've suggested could well be worked into the IEP (Individual Education Plan) - might be worth talking to the school SENCo

I have previosly had a student with a similar problem. I had no difficulty in making sure she was in an appropriate position for an activity. I would definately have a word with the teacher. If you don't get a suitable outcome speak to the head

No, he doesn't have an IEP, but he is doing a 'test' with the SENCo when we go back for suspected dyslexia so will have a word and get on the case.

And thanks LMM, I will deffo speak up!

I've taught a child with nystagmus and sitting straight ahead of the board was no problem. He wold sit in different positions on the carpet but knew that if he couldn't see then it was fine to move.

Does he have the visual impairment team involved as they may come up with other ways to help (it was suggested I used yellow for photocopying to help him, which I did for a while until I asked him if it made any difference and he said no! Though I never used darker paper for him.)

No, no one involved at all. To be fair has been fine until this year though.