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Part of Bella’s diagnosis of Septo-Optic Dysplasia infringes upon her vision (read as: her optic nerves are very, very small, and it is believed that she can maybe see the difference in extreme change in light, but it is not certain at this time). We knew about Bella’s diagnosis and visual impairment prior to our decision to adopt; however, even being as prepared as as we could be, there have been definite challenges along the way. Almost one month in as a family of five, I’ve clearly noticed the way Bella’s visual impairment has touched our interactions with her.
If your baby has a visual impairment, there are certain adjustments you can make right off the bat. For starters, we never just rush over and pick her up as one might do with a baby who does not have a visual impairment. If Bella is crying, fussy, hungry, whatever–we speak to her as we start moving toward her. Even her midnight feedings include conversation. I think it’s made a tremendous difference in Bella’s response to us. She can link a voice to a familiar touch, and my hope is that it’s helping her “learn us” as we learn her.
We also try to explain everything in great detail as we go along; from bath time to play time to grocery shopping, we talk to her–a lot. While she might not grasp all subtleties at almost five months of age, I feel it’s a good habit to get into as early as possible. When Bear or Beauty want to “show something” to Bella, we discuss how well we can describe said item to her in full detail. The kids talk to her all day long, and even though she’s not speaking back, she’s proven herself a very able-bodied listener.
The aforementioned elements have been quite easy to get used to; however, Bella’s occassional facial responses have taken us all some time to understand. Don’t get me wrong–her expressions are absolutely priceless and adorable. But sometimes, Bella puts on what I call her “unsure” expression–her eyes grow very wide and she looks immensely concerned, maybe even a little scared. I know she’s not scared of us, but rather, she’s just unsure of her surroundings and doesn’t understand all that’s transpiring in her vicinity. Additionally, her smiles are limited. Since smiling is a learned social response, she doesn’t flash them out like other babies her age. She does smile, though, and coo when she’s happy, but it’s unrealistic to think that she has an inborn, automatic response at her at the tender age of almost five months old to return the wordless smiles we flash her way. But let me tell you…when she turns on the smiles, she can light a room.
Tomorrow marks one month since we became a family of five, and this has been such an amazing time for us all–learning our sweet Bella as she learns us in turn. While we’re nowhere near the “expert status” for parents raising a visually impaired child, it’s been an amazing journey so far and we are blessed to travel these roads alongside our Bella.
