Aetiology of Visual Impairment - Essay Sample

Introduction

Visual impairment is defined as the partial or complete loss of vision and the condition still affects the performance of a child even after getting corrected. There are various reasons which might cause visual impairment. These causes range from before the time of birth to the development stage of a child also termed as progressive causes. The first cause of visual impairment before birth is albinism which is a state of partial or total lack of the pigments which affects the optimal development of the child. Children born with this problem usually experience the following symptoms. There is blurriness in the vision, there is the wrong refraction of light caused by the ship of the pupil as well as increased light sensitivity where the eye basically cannot withstand a certain amount of light. Secondly, the Leber's congenital amaurosis is a hereditary disease which affects only one person in a population of 800,000 people. This might be rare but its effects are the loss of vision or complete blindness at birth which is steered by lack of response towards the light by the pupil. Retinoblastoma is another cause of visual impairment before birth which is the retina malignability and the condition calls for the removal of the affected eye or the removal of both eyes (Grenier, M. 2006). In addition, the retinopathy of prematurity is the condition where the child is born underdeveloped and that steers the abnormality of the blood vessels which tend to displace the retina from its initial and appropriate position. The detachment of the retina is the actual lead to the blindness or partial visual impairment.

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Apart from the causes before birth, there are other symptoms which develop after birth and which lead to the visual impairment of a person. First, there are cataracts which are the opacity of the lens and this condition restricts the passage of the eye and as a result, there is a poor vision. In addition, the condition causes photophobia as well as poor colour vision (Ananya Mandal, 2019). Secondly, cortical visual impairment is the problem that is rather caused by the brain than the eye. This condition leads to the unmatched optical ability of the eye where the depth of vision varies between the eyes. In addition, children that are born of this condition might experience degrading in their vision ability as time passes with the absence of health intervention. The third cause of the condition is Glaucoma which is the blockage of the aqueous humour which as result builds up the pressure in the high. There might be the sudden disappearance of vision, the presence of the condition at birth as well as the increased sensitivity of the eye towards the light. Macular degeneration is the fourth cause of visual impairment as this is the component of the eye that is responsible for the central vision. There is a poor colour vision as well s photophobia which develops from the condition.

Symptoms

Children suffering from visual impairment might have similar symptoms but not all the symptoms apply for the optical condition. The first symptom of the condition is less developed motor skills for the children suffering from visual impairment in relation to the children with proper eyesight. It is important to understand that physical activities are a necessity for the growth of the children. The activities include walking, crawling, running among other activities which call for the muscle involvement ("Vision-Based Learning and Children's Eye Exercises", 2019). However, for children suffering from the condition, the physical activities might develop slower with less interest being shown by the child towards the physical activities. Children suffering from this condition should, therefore, be moved to a safer environment where they can be involved in the physical activities thus reducing the delayed response of the child. Secondly, pastoral deviations are a common symptom among people suffering from visual impairment as they hold their heads in positions in the effort of gaining body comfort and relaxation. This condition mostly occurs with people that were born blind and did not have the chance to see the normal human behaviour in terms of the sitting, standing and other postures of people. To counter this situation, students are engaged in body posture activities which allow them to learn the verbal and physical behaviour thus keeping them in comfortable positions (Haegele, Zhu, and Davis, 2017). Thirdly, students suffering from vision impairment might experience delayed body balance and image balance. It is important to understand that eyesight is among the features which promote balance in the body through the correct geographical interpretation thus giving a better choice of balance points in the body. Students with this problem might experience balance problems as a result of failure to engage in physical activities which are meant to strengthen the balancing ability of the body. In order to develop appropriate balance in the body, students are supposed to engage in the movement activities such as dances and yoga for a given span of time. The physical activity levels of the students with the impaired vision condition tend to be lower in comparison to the students with sight. As mentioned in the discussion above, children that are born with the eyesight problem re not very active in the physical activities. Fitness levels related to the student's health with the condition are similar to those of other children. However, the lack of exercising the body affects the body development and the gradual ability in physical activity participation (Grenier, Dyson, and Yeaton, 2005). Therefore physical developers are supposed to create physical programs which actively involve the students suffering from visual impairment in a safe environment. In addition, the guide is supposed to ensure that the pace and ability of the learner are put into consideration in order to make the whole process more efficient.

Treatment(s)

In the effort of treating the children suffering from vision impairment through the administration of physical exercise and vision-related activities, the expanded co-curricular program is incorporated. The program consists of different treatment approaches that might be of much importance (Lieberman, Ponchillia, and Ponchillia, 2013). First, there is the administration of functional activities which involves the use of communication models. Through this, the learner is able to incorporate the physical program in their activities. Secondly, there is the administration of social interaction skills through activities that engage the children with the condition with peers with good vision. There might be simple modifications which might be made to the activities such as an addition of a bell to the playing ball. Thirdly, incorporation of technology in the activities to assist the development of the child is important. There are monitoring devices to assist monitor the heart rates of the children during the play. Also, the presence of the internet will help integrate the gaming options for the children which enhance the results of the activities. Technology in the modern day provides a wide range of options for the activities and guidelines that can be used to issue the treatment of impaired children through Physical Exercise.

Adaptation Guidelines

There are adaptations that need to be incorporated in an environment where children with vision impairment take part in physical activities. First, there is the need to issue guidelines for the activities to be undertaken in which the role is played by the instructor. The guidelines are supposed to help the children with familiarizing the environment. Secondly, there is the need to incorporate sound devices since the children playing will need the hearing sense more. This can be done by introducing beepers to the ground where they play to enable the children to keep track of the ball. Also, there is the enhancement of the visual cues to assist with the residual vision of the child. This includes the introduction of colour and depth exercises to work with the current situation of the child.

P.E Class Sport/Activity

1) Circular Running- In this exercise, a rope is tied from one end on a particular point while the student holds the other hand. The running movement should be circular and the total distance covered by the student is measured by the circumference of the circle. In this activity, a sound device such as a beep can be used at the starting and finishing point to mark the number of laps made.

2) Sighted Guide's Shirt - This exercise makes use of the little ability left for the children with vision impairment. In this exercise, the instructor identifies the colour that is most recognized by the student and wears it on the pitch. The student is therefore supposed to follow the lead of the instructor through the identification of the coloured clothing of the instructor. This exercise best applies in the areas with fewer crowds to prevent possible confusion.

References

Lieberman, L., Ponchillia, P., & Ponchillia, S. (2013). Physical education and sports for people with visual impairments and deafblindness. New York: AFB Press.

Vision-Based Learning and Children's Eye Exercises. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.colemanvisioncenter.com/vision-based-learning-childrens-eye-exercises/Ananya Mandal, M. (2019). Causes of visual impairment. Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Causes-of-visual-impairment.aspx

Grenier, M., Dyson, B., & Yeaton, P. (2005). Cooperative learning that includes students with disabilities. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 76(6), 29-35.

Grenier, M. (2006). A social constructionist perspective of teaching and learning in inclusive physical education. Adapted physical activity quarterly, 23(3), 245-260.

Haegele, J. A., Zhu, X., & Davis, S. (2017). The meaning of physical education and sport among elite athletes with visual impairments. European Physical Education Review, 23(4), 375-391.