Mindy Merten

EDSP 5389
Observation Age 14-Age 22
David is a 15 year old male who was born at 24 weeks gestation. David wears glasses
and uses a G-Tube for nutrition and water intake. He uses a wheelchair with assistance and does
not purposefully move the wheelchair on his own. David was diagnosed with Retinopathy of
Prematurity, Cortical Visual Impairment, and Dandy Walker Syndrome.
His teacher of students with visual impairments states that his eye doctor was unable to
assess his visual acuity, but estimates that it is 20/100 or worse without correction. She also
states that he has an oculodigital reflex present which means he will push on his eyes with his
fingers, but this is not related to photophobia or any other condition. He does not have
nystagmus, but he does have ptosis of the left eye. He also has optic atrophy in both eyes. When
observing David, both eyes appeared to be healthy, but he does wear glasses for his high degree
of vision loss.
David does not willingly touch objects that are unfamiliar to him; he prefers items that he
uses regularly. New items must be introduced for small amounts of time using hand-over-hand
guidance. When David hears familiar voices or sounds, he will turn his head in the direction of
the sound and will usually exhibit a smile or laugh. David enjoys social interaction with his
peers, teachers, and parents.
Overall, David enjoys his classmates and his teachers and has made tremendous progress
since his elementary school years. It was stated that he was unable to move around as a child but
has gained more control of his movements throughout the years. The teacher of students with
visual impairments is going to continue working with David on his tactile defensiveness as well
in hopes that he will eventually enjoy grasping and interacting with new objects/toys.