[blindkid] Eye poking

[Rosina Solano]

This is so informative.  I guess ours is a little different though.  Roman rubs or pushes on his eyes.  Sometimes rarely and sometimes quite frequently.  We have been told that we need to get him to stop this "blindism".  I used to try to make him stop, but when he got older I would ask him why he did it and he would respond that it hurts and when he rubs it, it feels better.  After a few years of this, I asked his doctor.  He said that probably is true.  Roman still has some vision, but not much, he had quite a bit a birth, but he has congenital glaucoma and he had valves or shunts put in his remaining eye.  The doctor said that when pressure builds up the valve opens to let the fluid out.  However, if he rubs on the valve it forces it to open.  So he is probably feeling the pressure and releasing the valve before it does it with a little more pressure.
 
Since then I noticed more when he did it.  Sure enough his eye would be swollen or it was when he didn't feel good with sinus pressure adding to his eye.  After I realized that this was a pain management, I just tried to get him to understand okay times for this.  If it needs to be excessive rubbing or pushing he needs to use the restroom.  But an occasional rub is fine as long as he is not in front of the class.  
 
Sometimes it might actually feel better when they rub.
 
Rosina