Case Studies

Ana

Ana is deafblind. Her parents were desperate for support in coping with her unique needs, but very few services were available. They eventually took her to Eminescu Kindergarten in Bucharest, which, with Sense International (Romania)'s support, had set up Romania's first specialist deafblind unit.

Ana's progress has been astonishing. Specially trained teachers encouraged her to explore her world and, confident and happy, she loves painting and playing with other children. Her parents are now able to look forward to her future deveopment.

Denisa

Denisa was born deafblind and has heart problems as a result of rubella during her mother's pregnancy. At first, doctors were extremely dismissive of Denisa and were pessimistic of her chances of survival.

Prior to receiving any support, Denisa was unable to communicate and banged her head to get her mother's attention. She is almost three years old now and has recently been referred to the School Centre for Inclusive Sensory Education in Oradea.

Since she started at the school she has learned to communicate with her mother using signs. For example, when she wants to have her face washed she rubs her palms on her cheeks.

Denisa has low residual vision which means her field of vision is severely limited. She loves playing with bright lights and loves to see the flashes of light close to her face. Her teachers use Christmas lights to stimulate her vision and encourage her to communicate through play.