A couple of months ago we were able to get Quinn assessed for visions services through the school system. The evaluator did a complete assessment on how Ocular Motor Apraxia impacts her learning and if it is causing a deficit. They weren’t convinced it is showing a deficit right now (because reading is just starting) but they offered many recommendations to assist her in the classroom to help make her learning easier.

The evaluator (a doctor) was also looking at her social interactions as it relates to the vision disorder. She tends to hang in the background and stay away from active areas when in groups or on the playground so there were recommendations to help her feel safer in her surroundings. She also will choose friends who are less active and rambunctious than other children.

I have a report I’ll post one day because I want other OMA parents to be able to see the recommendations that were made because a lot of the things are easily incorporated into day to day life. The vision department said they’d check in on Quinn and be available throughout the year if any of the teachers had questions or concerns relating to vision and her learning.

The special teacher came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked if it would be okay if we modified her IEP (individualized education plan) to include vision services since they will be available to consult, in other words, so the department gets credit for assisting Quinn. I excitedly said “Yes!” to the modification. The modification means that it is official. This is a HUGE victory for Quinn. Because I know for certain there will be vision issues. As far as I know Quinn is the first child who sees 20/20 and has a visual impairment modification on an IEP. I am thrilled for Quinn and also that this could mean that other kids with the same or similar problem won’t be shut out of vision services like Gage.

Three years ago Gage was denied for vision services from the same county. While I believe I should have fought harder for this, I did feel that the special ed department was meeting his needs (at the time and now). I do however, think that a vision professional might have been able to validate me on the points I tried to make relating to the impact of OMA on his learning and ways he could be helped. Because he can see 20/20, people forget he is visually impaired. Not by their standards at the time. And I will say that Quinn’s OMA is more noticeable and her coping skills aren’t as good as his were (at that age) so she needs the “visual impairment” label more than he did.

Score one for Team Quinn.