142 s u p p o r t f o r p a r e n t s a n d c a r e g i v e r s
When you first learn your child cannot see well
Learning that a child cannot see well or is blind can be very
upsetting for parents and family. It is normal to feel upset by the
news of your child’s disability and to continue to feel different
emotions in the months that follow. You and your family may feel:
• worry about what to do
I don’t know
anything about
blindness. What
should I do for
my child?
• denial (refusal to believe that
your child will never see as
well as other children)
If I can just find the
right treatment,
maybe my child will
be able to see.
• fears of what it means to be blind
and fears about the future
What will happen
to my child?
How will she get
married or earn a
living?
• guilt about what you might
have done to cause the
blindness
If I had worked less
during my pregnancy,
this would never have
happened.
• sadness, helplessness,
or no feelings at all
(depression)
I feel so
hopeless....
• anger at what has happened
It’s not fair
that this
happened to
my family.
• loneliness
No one else
knows what this
is like. No one
can help.
• shame because
your child is
disabled
What will our
neighbors think?
helping children who are blind