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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Original poster

anyone has a child who is sight impaired

11 replies

longagegap · 09/12/2009 14:34

Hi my son is near 18 months and has had problems from he has been 5 months old . He has never fitted into anything , he is delyed in all of his development , i was told on monday that he is severely sight impaired and can see stuff that is shiny , mirrod and lights . Does anyone else child have a problem like this and be able to give me some ideas on what i should do to help him . He cant walk or talk , he can only sit really . would be great if someone could give me some ideas, from toys to everyday things

OP posts:
claudialyman · 09/12/2009 15:04

Re toys: My son greatly enjoys helium balloons, tied to the strap of his buggy or chair. They tend to catch the light and be very shiny. (ive been told not to leave him alone with them as not really meant for under-3s) Eye clinic thought they were great to encourage hand-eye co-ordination and tracking. He loves some of the vtechtoys with flashing lights and flashing ultra-bright fairylights in his room. If his difficulty was only diagnosed this week you must be still in shock. Have you been referred to any services or support?

sarah293 · 09/12/2009 17:39

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Original poster
longagegap · 09/12/2009 21:47

thanks claudialyman ... i wasnt that much in shock as he has already had a brain pattern test 6 months ago for this sight and they had told me it was of a 4 month old baby at that stage , but was a shock saying what he can see now , although i dont full agree as he does love people and smiles for everyone , its small things that are plain that he wont look at . Its hard cos everything is a gussing game as he cant tell me what he can see . He is being sent out a teacher that deals with sight impaired children

Thanks Riven, i will try doin that , i think he'd really enjoy it

He also has over problems as he has low tone in his arms , legs and trunk . He doesnt play with anything really as he puts everything to his mouth all the time ...

Thank you for the ideas x

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RaggedRobin · 09/12/2009 22:15

Hi,

It?s just as well Christmas is coming up as there have been some great ideas. You mentioned that your ds is aware of bright things. Does he track them? That would probably be his next step. Torches are great for this, different sizes of torches can be lots fun, shone through different coloured plastic cups to give coloured light. If you move the lights around, this will give your ds opportunities to track light.

You could make a shiny mobile using lots of reflective surfaces. Projected light can be interesting. This winnie the pooh light projector is voice activated so it can also give your ds some control over what he is watching.
Little balls with flashing lights are good for rolling along the floor to stimulate your ds?s lower field.

A bag of household things, like wooden spoons, cardboard rolls, pots and sieves are good for encouraging tactile exploration, and not expensive.

bigcar · 10/12/2009 11:33

some of the vtech toys are good, especially ones that have noise when the lights flash, helps with location and tracking. Dd3 has a disco ball a bit like this that's a definite favourite. The sensory impairment team here are great as are portage who lend toys. It's also worth checking out any sn toy libraries near by.

mary21 · 10/12/2009 18:13

Hi
Both my sons are visually impaired. Older one registered severly sight impaired. Younger ones VI is mild. The teacher for the visually impaired will hopefully be really useful. Big ,bright and contrast are useful things to think of when selecting toys. My oldest, now 12 used to love lying under fairy lights, (out of reach) Also loved it if I danced round the lounge wearing a glitter wig. (glad we were alone) If you have a special needs toy library near you they may be helpful for ideas. the yahoo group PVIC (parents of visually impaired children ) may be helpful too

Original poster
longagegap · 11/12/2009 09:01

Hi thanks everyone with your ideas , i dont have a special needs toy library near me

He has fairy lights in his room that go over his cot but he cant reach them and mirror roll on places round his bedroom . My son is the same Riven his eys are fine its his brain that is the problem , he has other problems as well , and is waiting to see if he has full hearing . He looks at people and smiles loads so when i'm telling people he has a problem no-one believes me . Which can be a bit annoying at times as he looks like any child of his age . I'm just trying to put myself in his shoes to try and explain were we are goin and were he is goin to sit and what he is feeling . I know when the teacher comes i'll be able to ask more questions , Thank you everyone you's have been such a great help xx

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Lauree · 13/12/2009 23:16

I remember my son's portage worker telling me about a young child with visual difficulties who only really responded to anything yellow. does your DS have a favourite colour?

Original poster
longagegap · 15/12/2009 00:16

Hi Lauree he likes black and white patterns and will look at them , as for coloured things he doesnt seem to notice them really , he is hard to work out what he likes and dislikes as he doesnt really play with anything . He enjoys people so much and when i have him out without fail someone stops to talk to him . He will look at you for a few mins . He has stared reachin out more for things , he has only started to do this for a month but he is starting to do it more and more which is great to see

OP posts:
bigcar · 15/12/2009 10:51

just wondered if you'd seen this, it's free and you should be able to get a pack either through your health visitor or library.

Original poster
longagegap · 17/12/2009 08:35

Thank you very much bigcar He loves books , i'll go and ask my library about this

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