EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION

Once a child is introduced as a client to BCVI, the staff members begin to encourage him or her through activities & playing which will help build confidence and an awareness of the world around them.

Children as young as 4 or 5 years old are introduced to braille & other skills that will prepare them to be enrolled in a regular primary school along with other children in the same age group. Families are shown how they can work with their child to improve mobility, co-ordination & communication skills.

One-year-old Aziel is blind from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). However, with the help of our trained Rehabilitation Field Officer (RFO), he is growing up and developing within his family like any toddler. He is the second of two children and his sister Claudette, who is also blind due to ROP, is a large part of his life.

Aziel, as well as our other clients, are trained in their homes among familiar people & objects. The goal of this method of training is to familiarize the child with his or her daily & constant surroundings. The goal for Aziel at this time in his young life is to help him reach his milestones and then prepare for his integration into preschool with his sighted peers.