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BY KELLI ORDAKOWSKI
Look up. Squeeze one drop into the pocket in your lower lid. Don't blink, wipe your eye, or touch
the tip of the bottle on your eye or face.
Close your eye. Keep closed for two to three minutes without blinking. Optional: Gently press on
the inside corner of your closed eyes with your index finger and thumb for two to three minutes (to keep the drops from draining into your throat and getting into your system).
Now imagine doing this with a 2, 3 or 4 year old child multiple times a day.
OBJECTIVES
To understand what childhood glaucoma is and who it affects To determine what causes childhood glaucoma Understand treatment options Have a better understanding of ways to incorporate technology into your
classroom for vision impaired students
STATISTICS
Congenital Glaucoma occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 births 80% of childhood glaucoma sufferers are diagnosed within their first
year of life
Light sensitivity
Vision Loss
It is important to keep in mind that many times there are no outward symptoms of childhood glaucoma unless it is due to heredity.
Eye Drops are the least invasive type of treatment. These eye drops are to help decrease the pressure building up inside the eye before the optic nerve becomes damaged. Surgery is the second option. There are many types of surgical procedures one can have done to help drain the eye or to help the eye to produce less fluid.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
There are many different teaching strategies that can be used with children who have childhood glaucoma. It is really going to depend on how much vision is impacted and each student will be different. Teachers should observe the student and use the vision teacher as a resource. Some strategies that can be used are: Standing close, over verbalizing directions and encouraging tactile exploration. Teachers should provide manipulatives when appropriate. Using a slant board to reduce glare can be very beneficial to some students. Having contrasting colors when using a worksheet, making the print large and allowing the students access to braille if need are also great strategies. The most important thing as an educator you can do is to set expectations high! Setting the bar high at the beginning enables the student to reach up and grow!
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
There are many great community resources available in Maryland.
ALL SENSORY TRAIL FOR VISION IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
www.youtube.com/watch? v=da_RbOYHgPc&sns=e m
Do you know anyone who has childhood glaucoma? Are there any students in your school system that are suffering from this condition? What are some things as an educator that you could do to help this student?
REFERENCES
American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (2012). Glaucoma for Children. Retrieved from www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/55 Anderson, D. (2009). The optic nerve in glaucoma (15ed., Ch. 48). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Drager, J. (1988). Classification and therapy of glaucoma in childhood. Fortchritte der Opthalmologie, 85 (1), 63-69. The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (1996-2014). Childhood Glaucoma. Retrieved from www.chop.edu/healthinfo/childhood-glaucoma.html The Glaucoma Foundation (2014). Childhood Glaucoma. Retrieved from www.glaucomafoundation.org/childhood-glaucoma.html