What can parents do?

1. Talk to your child.
You must act as your child's eyes, telling him about the world around him. A great example of this comes from the Association of Retinopathy of Prematurity and Related Diseases, or ROPARD. "When you are in the supermarket, explain to him what you have bought, let him feel the size and weight of the objects. Talk about the difference in temperature as you walk to the freezer aisles." This form of exploration can be done with many other daily experiences.

2. Be consistent.
When your child begins to graze along furniture or walks independently, try to keep his environment familiar, that is, keep the furniture placement the same so he can learn his way around by lay of hand.

3. Let him play.
Low vision or blind children should be allowed the same experienced as a typical child. Play with him outside, take him to the zoo and let him feed the animals, finger painting can be fun as well.

4. Help outsiders understand.
Family and friends may feel intimidated when interacting with your child. Ease their worries by giving tips on how to do so. Verbal cues are very important. For instance, my mother-in-law always greets Jacob by holding his hand and saying "Hello Jacob, this is your Grandma." This allows him to hear and feel his grandma's presence. Soon he will learn the different voices of those close to him.

5. Take care of yourself.
"Sometimes it is hard to remember that caregivers with a child who has special needs often need to take care of themselves too. Allow yourselves the right to take breaks from the daily need of caring for your child," another great tip from ROPARD.

Having a preemie is tough for any parent, but when that preemie grows up with a disability like vision loss, your strength is truly tested.

"We make the decisions that can affect our children's lives forever and that's the really hard part about being a parent of a preemie."  C. Sturgeon