Bring your karma
Join the waitlist today
HUMBLECAT.ORG

Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2018 - 04 - 30 - ID#8g14ha
7
Son recently diagnosed with Cone-Rod Dystrophy (self.Blind)
submitted 5.275770511831276y ago by captain_tedious
My 2 year old son who was just diagnosed with Cone-Rod Dystrophy. We are still in the early testing stages, so we don't have a good indication of how far it has progressed or how quickly. However, the doctor is telling us to be prepared for him to be legally blind as early as age 6.

I'm still grappling with the implications and what we should be doing for him. If anyone has any suggestions for appropriate resources or information, I would sincerely appreciate it.

Thank you.
LanceThunder 7 points 5y ago
as far as learning how to get by in life, your son will be ok. its hard for sighted people to imagine a world without vision because we haven't developed the skills needed to live in that world. your son is young and still resilient. he will easily pick up these skills. encourage him to use technology and learn how to use a computer the way a blind person would.

-

the real struggle is making sure that your son grows up well adjusted with minimal emotional baggage from the disability. this is easier said than done. if he shows talent in something, push him to develop it to its fullest potential. this will give him the self-esteem he needs to survive later in life.
JackEsq 6 points 5y ago
Hello, fellow parent here. My 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with LCA at 6 months old and has been legally blind since birth. Just to reassure you the feelings you have are completely normal and everything can be very overwhelming.

As for resources, you didn’t mention where you live. Assuming you are in the US, you should look into getting services through the school district. This can happen before they even begin kindergarten. For my daughter the school has been providing a teacher for the visually impaired since she got her diagnosis.

I would also suggest to reach out to other groups. There is probably one for his specific diagnosis. I have met a few families through the $1. Also look into the $1. I would also suggest you take a few classes with $1. The courses will be free for you and have a lot of information about making the world accessible to your son.

If you are interested there are also several organizations that offer free Braille books that I can point you toward.

Let me know if you have any questions or reach out if you need someone to talk to.
mallorypallory 2 points 5y ago
Great advice!
captain_tedious [OP] 2 points 5y ago
Thank you, this is very helpful.
AllHarlowsEve 5 points 5y ago
I'd get in contact with the local comission for the blind and see if they have any local resources.

I'd also check facebook, I know there's some parents of blind children groups.

My only major recommendation is not to coddle him just because he's blind. For every blind person who has the skills to move out when their sighted peers do, there's 3 or 4 blind people who can't even load a dishwasher or do laundry.
War-WarNeverChanges 3 points 5y ago
I was diagnosed with RP at 13\-months, my suggestion to you is to start services now. Get him with O&M, get Braille proficiency started now. It will help him later.
Silverottawa 2 points 5y ago
As a dude who had RP and CRD since birth I am so thankful my mother made me be "normal" this really helped me see the world as what I thought it should be. Besides building self confidence in my abilities to operate in a unique/effective fashion for me. I was able to paint my room and pick my own wallpaper (less glare than paint) I thought I was the king not fully realizing she was helping and confirming my king status. She also left ample time for me to clean up/put away things. Because she taught me all these things i now lead a fulfilling life and not having fear or needing someone to chaperone me! So please raise them as a "normal" kid!
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc   •   HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.