A nystagmus sufferer and mother of one
Dear Mother of nystagmus sufferer: I have nystagmus myself as does my 10 year old son. He was diagnosed with it from about the age of 3 months. His ability to see at close range is good but distance is a problem. His emotional and verbal development were a little delayed but he is now fully caught up with his age group. He functions in a regular classroom setting with minimal modifications. It is mostly a matter of making others sensitive to his condition. He seldom uses the bookstand or magnifiers provided to him by the CNIB, preferrng instead to read very close up. However, the strain of reading can be tiring and now that he is entering Grade 5, I expect the font in his text books may be reduced and he may wish to use the magnifiers. Do not worry excessively. I grew up with little, if any consideration given to the condtion. Both my son and I have limited abilities in team sports but only because our hand and eye cooridnation is not very good. We do, however, bike, swim and even ski with everyone else. My son is reaching his academic potential, is a complete whiz on computers and enjoys TV. I am a successful professional woman as is my sister who suffers from the same condition. I hope this helps to encourage you. C in Canada