Kinder Student Feeling his Way

KINDERGARTEN is a big step in life, but Cruz Parker, who was born blind, is taking it in his stride and his parents are glad he is just like any other kinder student at Aberdeen Primary School.

Cruz was born blind because his optic nerve did not properly form when he was in the womb.

When Cruz was three months old his parents noticed his eyes were not tracking and following things, so they had him tested and discovered he had optic nerve hypoplasia.

His mother, Addie Leigh Parker said their world changed with the diagnosis but the first advice they were given was to treat him like their other children.

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“Once we found out we were put onto the Royal Blind Society and Vision Australia and the advice they gave us straight up was just put him through life as you would any other kid,” said Ms Parker.

“He went to Aberdeen preschool and those same kids are now with him at Aberdeen Primary School and they are used to him being just Cruz,” she said.

“He was a bit of a novelty when he started school, but that will wear off and he’ll be like any other kid in the playground, which is what we want,” Addie Leigh Parker said.

Aberdeen Primary School was well prepared for Cruz to arrive, they applied for government funding to install tactile indicators on the ground for the cane, and equipment in the classroom such as a braille writer and special drawing paper, but the enthusiasm and attitude of the teachers is what has made the difference.

“The school is all decked out with yellow dots, they were doing that in term three last year to get ready for him,” said Ms Parker.

“They’ve been very accommodating and very easy to deal with, so as parents it has been easy and Miss Hunt has just been beautiful,” she said.

Hannah Hunt said she hoped would be the kindergarten teacher this year so she could teach Cruz.

“When I heard that he was coming I hoped I could be his teacher to have this experience so I am really excited about it,” Ms Hunt said.

“It’s an absolute joy, it’s making me a better teacher because I have to be more explicit with all of my instructions,” she said.

“I can’t be using visual cues, which I’ve realised how much I rely on, so I have to explain verbally every little detail if I am describing a picture,” she said.

“It increases the language of the other children in the classroom to and I’ve already found that the language that they are using is a lot higher from how I now teach,” said Hannah Hunt.

Megan McLean is a vision support teacher who has been with Cruz since preschool and describes her role as bridging between the teacher and Cruz in the classroom.

“I’m the braille specialist and the orientation and mobility specialist so I do all of the cane training and I help the teacher to adapt the main school curriculum so that Cruz can access it at the same time, so it might mean turning a story into brailel and then teaching him how to write in braille, so as they do a sound we do a sound in braille, so he is learning at the same pace,” said Ms McLean.

“The students are also learning braille, as they learn a sound they also learn what it looks like in braille, so they are familiar with it and makes Cruz more a part of the class,” she said.

“He was really nervous about starting school, but this school has a fabulous transition program and we did an extension to that, sat in on classes, got a feel for the room and the different sounds and he got used to the kids and the routine and then the kids from his preschool joined us,” she said.

“A lot of these kids have known him through sport and preschool, so he is well known in the school and the older kids know how to keep an eye on him, so it is a perfect setting for him, the school has been fabulous,” she said.

“He is funny, he is hilarious, very strong willed which will be good in the future, he is a real character with a wicked sense of humour, but can also be incredibly shy, loves music, but he is a sweet child as well with a beautiful heart and I can see he is just turning a corner understanding the world, his place in the world and his place in the classroom and what learning is about, so it is a very exciting time,” Megan McLean said.

Cruz was asked what his favourite thing was about kindergarten and his response was, “motorbikes and ice-cream trucks.”

After plenty of joking with the teachers he finally said, “I like sitting on the magic carpet and listening to stories.”