Page 44 - DEDU506_SPECIAL_EDUCATION_ENGLISH

Special Education

Notes follow them. Children can avoid the various eye problems and blindness. Some of the preventive
measures are as follows:
• Breast-feed vitamin A rich colostrum (the first breastmilk) to the new born baby.
• Breast-feed infants for at least one year.
• Start at 3-6 months to feed infants locally available leafy green vegetables rich in vitamin A,
wellcooked finely chopped, and mixed with other food,if possible, to make them more acceptable.
• Include dark green leafy vegetables or fruits in the feeding of pre-school children every day.
• Include yellow-orange fruits rich in Vitamin A (i.e. papaya and mango) in the child’s diet.
• Include fat in the child’s diet, with dark green leafy vegetables, fruit and other sources of
vegetables.
• Pregnant and lactating women should eat food rich in vitamin A every day.
• Administer vitamin A 200,000 IU in oil by mouth to mothers after the birth of the child or
within one month after birth.
• Educate families that night blindness is an early warning sign of xerophthalmia and can be
treated by feeding vitamin A in oil by mouth.
• Teach school children to detect and report night blindness in younger children.
• Take a good and nourishing diet rich in protein and vitamin, such as milk, papaya, mango,
carrot, spinach, egg and fish.
• Protect the eyes from excessive exposure to sun rays, intensive heat, X-rays and injuries.
• Treat diseases like diabetes and syphilis effectively.
• Can not be cured by application of any medicine to the eye or by taking any medicine orally.
• In the beginning eye-sight can be improved with glasses.
• Obtain suitable glasses after gettingthe eyes tested.
• Power of glasses changes with the progress of cataract.
• After maturity of cataract, surgery is needed to restore vision.
• Create public awareness using pamphlets in the local language and other suitable means e.g.
beating of drums, puppet shows etc.
• Organize eye check up camps with the involvement of the local eye hospital or the local
Ophthalmic Surgeons.
• Provide treatment, medicines, eye drops to the patients not requiring eye surgeries.
• Organize eye camp in the central village with the involvement of the village Panchayat, youth
club or any other local organization.
• Arrange the follow up of the cases who have been operated in the camp.
• Arrange for the eye check up of all these cases and provide suitable glasses or eye drops etc.

6.2 Teaching Strategies for Visual Impairment

• Speak to the class upon entering and leaving the room or site.
• Call the student with a visual impairment by name if you want his/her attention.
• Seat the student away from glaring lights (e.g. by the window) and preferably in front of the
class.
• Use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left, etc. in relation to the student's body
orientation. Be specific in directions and avoid the use of vague terms with unusable information,
such as "over there", "here", "this", etc.
• Describe, in detail, pertinent visual occurrences of the learning activities.

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