My local Children’s centre has been so supportive to me and Joshua over the last 2 years. Joshua attends an Opportunity group for children with additional needs every week and it has been a life line. It’s just as much for parents/careers as it is for the children everybody understands what you are going through, with things like hospital appointments feeling alone /different. It’s such a nice support network of people. Some children’s centres have groups for specifically visual and hearing impaired children. My Sudbury children’s centre (phoenix) put me in touch with a group (visual impairments) in Ipswich and it was fantastic as i finally met another parent and child with nystagmus. I only went a couple of times as it was quite a distance but was def worth going.
Joshua has so much fun at the Opportunity group and has made such good friends with other children. All the children can be themselves without people judging and watching them. It’s fantastic!
Well i thought i must post a new update as Joshua started Pre School in January. Joshua finds new surroundings quite difficult and has taken a while to settle, but i can now say with confidence he loves it. The teacher is brilliant and is very aware of things Joshua may need extra support in. I arranged Joshua’s visual impairment teacher to go along to Joshua’s first day to help his keyworker to understand his condition and what they need to be aware of. They have set up and I.E.P which is a record of support which has all of his future targets written down and special requirements on, such as must be to the left of a book when sharing etc. I am really impressed with the way the teachers are taking it seriously. He was previously was at a nursery where they really didnt get it. As Joshua doesn’t wear glasses they couldnt understand that his vision was impaired. Everytime i picked him up they were telling me about all the things he could see which yes was lovely but was frustrating that they didnt understand he was probably “coping” rather than reaching his full potential.
The School have ordered a writing slope to help when Josh paints pictures of does and reading/writing which really seems to help him. They always make sure he is postition correctly and at the front when a story is being read or show and tell etc.
I am always going to be open with parents and children about Joshua’s condition and try and teach Josh to do the same. I think when people start to gossip or children start to bully its when they are kept in the dark and are ignorant to what the situation is. I hope that if Joshua is confident about expaining Nystagmus and how it effects him then hopefully people will just except it and treat him the same as everyone else in the class. fingers crossed.
Jen