Venetia sent me an article recently about teaching children to see without eyes. I finally had the chance to read and watch this YouTube video. It really resonated with me for a number of reasons.
Congenital Cataracts
Firstly we have a daughter who was born with congenital cataracts – something that is very rare but slightly more common in children with Downs. Frustratingly there was successful research done in Australia with stem cells. My cynical mind assumes this didn’t go any further because there’s no money in it. As that isn’t available we are lucky enough to live in a country where she could be operated on before she was six weeks old meaning she wouldn’t be blind.
Learning to See
Her journey has been interesting to witness and makes me wonder if we can teach children to see without eyes. We were told by her surgeon she would need another operation when she was a year old to insert lenses into her eyes that would give her long distance sight. She would always need glasses but they wouldn’t be the thick ones she’d need without the lenses inserted. Something told me to wait and when she was four another surgeon told me I had been right as research is coming back that it’s best to wait a few years.
Wearing Glasses
Wearing glasses has been frustrating as she will be ok with them for about half an hour then hurl them off – who knows where they will land! The other day she threw them across the audience at our local panto! But what we’re finding is that, despite everything being blurred, she’s coping really well without them. She can pick up tiny objects, she notices when a crumb lands on her leggings, she sees tiny spots of paint or a graze on her hand and will throw a ball and catch it. Many people don’t realise she’s in fact very short-sighted.
How Little Do We Actually Know?
According to Dr. Ulrich Warnke once we have learned to see without using our eyes, everyone is able to see in almost the same quality as with eyes, whether eyes are closed or blindfolded.
The article that I’ve linked here explains, “Just as you, as a child, learned to walk, speak, and perceive our world in your early childhood (as babies), so did you acquire the ability to see. Scientists researched that it takes at least 9 months for your eyes, if your eyes are healthy, to look nearly as you do today as an adult. When you look with your eyes, information is being perceived and sent to your brain. Our brain receives this information and translates it. This is how the picture in our head that we call seeing arises.”
Further Reading
There’s even a book called ‘Seeing Without Eyes” which shows others are looking at it. As home educating parents it would be something really interesting to explore. However, watching our youngest grow will also show us a new path and make us question another part of our lives!
It’s a fascinating topic and one I’m keen to learn more about. Venetia has suggested we try and get hold of the lady in the video so watch this space!
