Albinism

What is Albinism?Albinism is an inherited condition where the body is unable to produce normal amounts of melanin. There are different types of albinism:

Oculocutaneous albinism: the eyes, hair and skin are affected

Ocular albinism: only the eyes are affected.

How is vision affected?Generally, vision is poorer when there is less melanin pigment in the iris and retina of an individual. Visual acuity can vary between individuals. Typically, central vision is reduced and an individual will still have good peripheral vision.

Eye conditions and symptoms commonly associated with albinism include:

Photophobia: the iris is usually pale and thin with gaps in it and the retina is pale. Pigment of an iris and retina will absorb light entering an eye. In an individual with albinism, light is not absorbed well, resulting in light sensitivity and blurry vision. Polarised sunglasses and broad brimmed hats reduce the effect of glare. Some individuals may require a specific percentage of tinting on their glasses to assist with glare indoors.

Foveal hypoplasia: is underdevelopment of the fovea. The fovea is the central part of the macular

on retina. The fovea is the area of the retina responsible for fine detailed vision and colour differentiation. Foveal hypoplasia results in reduced sharpness of central vision and the ability to see fine detail.

Nystagmus: is a repetitive involuntary movement of the eyes. This constant movement of their eyes contributes to blurry vision. Individuals often have fluctuations in their vision throughout the day, especially when they are ill, stressed or fatigued. Many individuals with nystagmus will have a null point, a particular head and eye position where the best vision is obtained because the nystagmus eye movements are the smallest and slowest.

Refractive error: is caused by the shape of an individual’s eye. The shape of the eye causes light rays entering the eye to focus behind or in front of the retina. This also contributes to the blurry vision. Wearing glasses can help improve visual acuity. However, due to foveal hypoplasia and nystagmus, the visual acuity will still be reduced.

Strabismus (lazy eye, squint or turned eye): may occur in individuals with albinism. It can result in reduced

RIDBC is Australia’s largest non-government provider of therapy, education and cochlear implant services for people with vision or hearing loss, supporting thousands of adults, children and their families, each year.

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vision in the turned eye and may require treatment, such as patching, eye exercises or surgery to align the eyes and improve binocular vision (using two eyes together).

What can be done? Reducing glare can help ease the

symptoms of photophobia:oWearing a hatoWearing sunglassesoWearing indoor tinted glasses

Wearing specific dark contact lenses which assist in reducing light entering the eye

oClosing blinds when direct light sunlight is entering the room. Ensure evenly spread light to prevent glare.

oEnsure lighting is not too bright with diffusers and position reading lights behind the shoulder, rather than in front.

Ensure visual strategies are provided in the classroom to assist students with albinism:oProvide individual copy of board

work.oProvide high contrast lines on

writing paper.o Incorporate strong colour contrast

into daily activities and classroom situations.

oReduce the amount of print and detail on a page may assist students to attend better to printed material. Visual clutter should be reduced (where possible) on the white board, interactive whiteboard, worksheets and other reading materials.

oAllow periods of eye rest as students may experience eye fatigue.

oEnsure material is large enough for the student to see detail. This can be achieved by the use of low vision aids (near and distance), screen magnification or by physically enlarging it.

Ensure regular reviews with an Ophthalmologist to monitor eye health.

RIDBC is Australia’s largest non-government provider of therapy, education and cochlear implant services for people with vision or hearing loss, supporting thousands of adults, children and their families, each year.

T:

1300 581 391 | E: info@ridbc.org.au | www.ridbc.org.au |  @ridbc |  @ridbc

References:http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/resources/vi&multi/eyeconds/Albin.html

http://albinismaustralia.org/about/what-is-albinism/

Old RIDBC albinism fact sheet

RIDBC is Australia’s largest non-government provider of therapy, education and cochlear implant services for people with vision or hearing loss, supporting thousands of adults, children and their families, each year.

T:

1300 581 391 | E: info@ridbc.org.au | www.ridbc.org.au |  @ridbc |  @ridbc