How will my baby's diagnosis affect development?
There are a wide variety of vision conditions which affect children in different ways. Each child is an individual and even children with the same vision impairment may develop very differently. Children with vision impairment might need extra support in their early years development.
It may take your child longer to complete activities and you may be tempted to step in to help or to speed things up. Let your child do things for themselves as much as possible, even if it takes longer. Practising is the best way that they can learn and develop their independence.
Being able to understand social cues and habits such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language and gestures are important in forging relationships, and may go unnoticed or be misinterpreted. Your child may need some help in understanding how non-verbal communication affects the way that people interact.
A child with severe vision impairment might reach developmental milestones later than sighted children due to this need for additional support to develop their skills and understanding of the world. Nevertheless, they can be supported to thrive and reach their potential.
Information and resources on supporting children with vision impairment in the early years can be found on the RNIB website:
RNIB Specialist Advice Service Advisors can give further information on this topic
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