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How will this affect my child or
me? (Continued)

Optical aids will be helpful. Seek assistance
from a Low Vision Specialist to determine
which aids will be best suited for your
individual needs.

Utilize a white cane to assist in determining
drop-offs on curbs and stairs.
Treatments (Continued)


Classroom seating
adjustments should be
considered.

Seat the child in the
front row.

Location should avoid glare from a side
window or the lighting from above.

Avoid shadows.

Overhead projectors will be challenging to see
due to glare.

Large Print materials may be needed. This
will depend on each individual child.

Materials should have high contrast.

When using a CCTV (closed circuit
television), it is helpful to have the screen on
the reverse polarity setting. This places white
letters on a black background and can reduce
the amount of glare the student is receiving.

Think about the child’s social needs when
determining what adjustments need to occur at
school and which can be done at home.

Nystagmus (twitching) can be partially
corrected with contact lenses or surgery.
Operations on the muscles that control eye
movement can reduce twitching and improve
vision. Other simpler methods can be used,
such as head tilts or closing the offending eye.
The weaknesses associated with strabismus
(weakness of the muscle controlling eye
movement) can be remedied with therapies
beginning at about six months. A preferred
method of therapy is eye patching the preferred
eye to promote development of the
underdeveloped. Muscle surgery has proved to
be only partially effective at vision correction,
although it is very effective at fixing the "Lazy
Eye" that is sometimes associated with
strabismus.
Photophobia is usually addressed by
prescribing dark or tint-adjusting lenses for
exposure to bright lights. However, many
patients prefer just to wear a hat or visor.
Resources
Alan, R. (2005). Albinism. Retrieved July, 2008, from
EYE CLASS 2008
Albinism
Information
http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/yourhealth/healthgate/getcontent.asp?URLhealthg
ate=2222573.html%22
King, R., & Summers, C.G., & Haefemeyer, J., & LeRoy, B. (n.d.). Facts about
Albinism. Retrieved July 2008, from http://albinism.med.umn.edu/facts.htm
Oetting, W. (2002). New insights into ocular albinism type 1 (OA1): Mutations and
polymorphisms of the OA1 gene. Retrieved July, 2008, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11793467?dopt=Abstract
Windsor, R., & Windor, L. (2004). Albinism: Low Vision Considerations. Retrieved
July 2008, from http://www.visionww.org/drswindsor-albinism.htm
Deborah Brruening
Amy Hansen
Cori McGehee
Luci Pool
Albinism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2008, from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001479.htm#Causes,%20inciden
ce,%20and%20risk%20factors
Albinism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2008, from http://www.lowvision.org/albinism.htm
Treatments for Albinism
Ocular Albinism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2008, from The National Organization for
Helpful Websites:
Albinism and Hypopigmentation
Although most vision problems associated with
albinism cannot be fully cured, many can be treated with
normal or special eyeglasses.
website:http://www.albinism.org/publications/ocular.html
Ocular Albinism. (2008). Retrieved July 2008, from
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=ocularalbinism
Treatment of Albinism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2008, from
http://www.geocities.com/judice363/bio_p/treatments.html
http://www.albinism.org
http://albinism.med.umn.edu/facts.htm
http://albinism.med.umn.edu/
Ocular Albinism...simply defined!
Ocular albinism in an inherited
condition in which the eyes lack
melanin pigment. The skin and
hair show normal or near-normal
coloration. Albinism is present at
birth, and it is usually diagnosed based
on the infant's appearance. If necessary, genetic
testing can be done to confirm a diagnosis, but this
is not routinely done.
Visual System Affected by
Albinism
There are a number of components of the visual
system affected, depending on the severity of the
problem:

Iris – The colored part of the eye is called the
iris. A reduction in coloring (pigmentation) of
the iris, and the retina, which is the lightsensitive tissue at the back of the eye can result
in a condition called photophobia.
Pigmentation in the eye is essential for normal
vision.

Retina – The retina is responsible for capturing
light rays that enter the eye. These light
impulses are then sent to the brain, via the
optic nerve. The lack of pigment during the
development of the eye causes an abnormal
development of the retina and affects the
formation of the nerve pathways from the eyes
to the brain. Adults with albinism often
describe their vision as lacking fine detail.
Why is pigment important to our
vision?
The lack of pigment during the development of the
eye causes an abnormal development of the retina
and affects the formation of the nerve pathways
from the eyes to the brain, which causes decreased
visual acuity or low vision that cannot be corrected
to 20/20. Adults with albinism often describe their
vision as lacking fine detail.
The lack of pigment in the eyes causes various
vision problems:

Reduced visual acuity from 20/60 to
20/400 and sometimes as good as 20/25 in
African-Americans

Nystagmus - involuntary back-and-forth
movement of the eyes,

Strabismus - crossed eyes or "lazy" eye

Photophobia - sensitivity to bright light
and glare.


Fovea – The fovea is the center most part of
the macula and is responsible for our central,
sharpest vision. It has a high concentration of
cones (photoreceptors) that allow you to
appreciate color. With ocular albinism, the
fovea does not develop completely,
presumably because melanin pigment is
needed for the growth processes that normally
occur before birth. Therefore the eye cannot
process sharp light images or color.
Nerves - The nerves from the back of the eye
to the brain do not follow the usually pattern of
routing. From the normal eye, nerve fibers go
to both sides of the brain, that is, the same side
as the eye and the side opposite from the eye.
From the eye with ocular albinism, more of the
nerve fibers cross from the eye to the opposite
side of the brain.

Muscles - The extrinsic
muscles of the eye come
from the bones of the
orbit and are movable
due to broad tendons in the eye's tough
outer surface. There are six such muscles
that function to move the eye in various
directions and, although any given eye
movement may involve more than one of
them, each muscle is associated with one
primary action. As a result, the eyes move
together so that they are aligned when
looking at something. A person whose eyes
are not coordinated well enough to produce
this alignment is said to have
"strabismus".
How will this affect my child or
me?
The extent of albinism can differ between each
person with this condition. Here are some
things that you may need to keep in mind when
living with albinism.

Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen year
around and adequate clothes for outside
tasks.

Wear sunglasses to help with photophobia
and glare.