Working Towards Improvements

This post is a result of a parent question about the expectation of improvements for their child.

Improvements are possible but depend on the areas of the brain that are damaged. In individual children, we can’t know what level of damage is done and to what areas damage occurred. This is not yet well understood or well imaged medically. Therefore, improvements in visual attention and visual recognition must be an expectation for all children.

I never limit children’s access to learning by making a prediction about what they can or can’t learn. If you meet a person who feels they can see into the future and predict an outcome for a child, get away from them as fast as possible! This is often used as a justification for the discontinuation of service. For many services, deciding to discontinue service is based on what schools or insurance companies are will to pay for, sadly.

After working with kids for 38 years, I have learned that children do all kinds of things that doctors, teachers and therapists say they can never do. I focus on creating learning opportunities at the child’s level with the greatest expectations for improvements. With children with seizures, I try to create predictable and repeatable experiences so they have access to learning when they have moments when they are seizure free and alert.

If you expect improvements from a child, you might get it. If you don’t expect improvements, you are guaranteed to never get it.

There are lots of great ideas on the Perkins School for the Blind CVI NOW website.