Running Head: CASE STUDY of CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA
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Running head: CASE STUDY OF CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA
Case Study of Congenital Glaucoma
“The Hot Splinters Group” – Region XI
Dorothy Beam, Jill Cribbs, Debbie Croschere, Emilie Harmon, and Belinda Rudinger
Stephen F. Austin State University
D.J. is an eight year old Hispanic female that was born with congenital glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition where the optic nerve is damaged from pressure buildup inside of the eyeball which is caused by inadequate fluid drainage. Glaucoma can lead to many types of vision loss and even blindness. At present, D.J. is blind in her left eye and has very limited vision in her right eye.
D.J. currently lives with her grandmother most of the time and has very little parental support. Her mother does involve her in family activities and gives her rides to school and doctor’s appointments but she is not a part of the family the way her siblings are. When not in school, her grandmother is her main caregiver.
D.J. did not begin services for visual impairment (VI) or orientation and mobility (O&M) until she was four years old after starting Pre-Kindergarten. D.J. had several corneal transplants that have failed in both eyes and has had a tribulectomy (surgery to increase the tribecular opening so that fluid can drain). Along with glaucoma, D.J. has minimal Nystagmus (eyes move involuntarily) in both eyes and has to wear sunglasses when outside due to photophobia (light sensitivity). In 2005, her ophthalmologist prescribed Cosopt drops for her which is administered in both eyes four times a day in hopes of controlling intraocular pressure. The doctor has also recommended protective glasses to protect her remaining eye sight but she is reluctant to wear them.
When D.J. first began receiving services at age four, she could not even walk up stairs or maneuver around in places that she knew. After receiving services, she began making quick progress and can now go up and down stairs alone while in familiar places. D.J. is very good with using her cane when in the hallways at school but does not use it when in the classroom. She is able to maneuver around any room that is a familiar surrounding.
At the beginning of the 2008/2009 school year, D.J. complained of not liking school and that it was too hard for her. Her teachers also expressed concerns that D.J. was not very engaged during class and did not like to do any academics. It was decided by the ARD (Admissions, Review, and Dismissal) committee to provide additional support in the classroom during core subjects. This was when D.J. began to make huge strides. She started passing spelling tests and began learning to read and write in Braille. She was able to complete assignments and grew stronger in reading and in math. When school first began, D.J. could barely recognize letters and sound them out. By the end of the school year she was reading easy readers with small sentences and was able to perform varying math concepts using manipulatives and tactual aides. D.J. uses a CCTV for all book work though she has to press her eye up to the screen just to see the print. Her extra support teacher brought her a Flipper to view the blackboard but the resolution was not clear enough. D.J. lost interest in the Flipper quickly as a result. She does use handheld magnifiers that are 7x and 10x magnification but mainly relies on the CCTV. Because she still has limited vision, D.J. prefers to read with her low vision eye though she is progressing in her Braille studies.
By the end of the school year her teachers were pleased with the amount of progress that D.J. made over the year. Her teachers now feel comfortable with having D.J. in their classes since the TVI and TVI support have helped by educating the regular education teachers. These teachers were open to suggestions and expanded their teaching methods. Fortunately for D.J., her second grade teacher will now be her third grade teacher. This should help to start D.J. off immediately, along with her classmates, and eliminate the learning curve that comes at the beginning of the school year. Everyone is now waiting to see how much progress she will make next year and is so proud of D.J. for all her hard work and success that she has accomplished.