Pop-Up IEP

2. "We were excited to discover how well your child can see!"

Why is this statement problematic?

Partial vision can be complex and/or fluctuating; therefore it is easy to draw incorrect conclusions about how children see their environment. There is an important distinction between children’s ability to see something and children’s ability to accurately understand what they are seeing. Just because children see something does not mean that they are able to see things clearly or in their entirety (whole objects) or that they see everything in the same way all of the time. Lighting, contrast, size, distance, spacing, clutter, fatigue, and medications can dramatically alter what a child can see in any given situation. Many children use their partial vision very well. This however does not mean that they are fully sighted; accommodations are still necessary.

Possible Responses for Parents/Advocates

“We feel good when Michelle can see things, too. Unfortunately, it is hard for us to tell what she sees without conveying to her that we doubt her ability in fully understanding the item or concept. Often she tells us she sees something and then we realize later that she didn’t see as much as we had thought. We don’t want her to feel bad by questioning her ability to fully understand an item or concept. Consequently, we want to make sure she knows that seeing is not the only way to know something. We describe things to her and encourage her to get information for herself by asking questions and getting up close to objects so she can explore them using all her senses. By doing these things, we have helped her gain better understandings of items and concepts within her environment.”
“Whenever Mark relies exclusively on his vision to do things, whether it is walking, reading, or playing, we find he becomes extremely fatigued within a very short time period. His experience with the activity can turn from enjoyment into hard work. This causes him to feel frustrated and give up. We are all happy when Mark uses his vision successfully. Still, we also know that he needs to have non-visual ways to do things, too; ways that help him maintain his stamina as tasks become longer and more complicated. This will allow him to continue to enjoy what he is doing and engage in activities for longer periods of time.
“We never discourage Abby’s use of vision. However, there are times and conditions when using touch or hearing are more effective than using vision alone. We encourage her to determine what works for her in each situation and to ask questions if she does not understand or needs assistance. We want her to learn that all her senses are wonderful and she should use the techniques that work the most efficiently, effectively, and safely in different situations.”

Read the Law

Additional Information

Collabortive effort between the
National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities
and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children