Look at the questions most frequently asked by parents

Parent of a child interested in participating in some of the programs that "Mali dom - Zagreb" provides needs to report to the relevant Centre for Social Welfare (jurisdiction is determined by the place of residence of a parent and child) and submit an application for a specific type of service (Early Intervention, Temporary services and Daily based services at Mali dom).

Centre for Social Welfare then reefers the application to "Mali dom Zagreb", so  parents and child are invited to the official Admission commission where assessment and observation that takes place for receiving services that are daily and temporary  based  in the months of June, July and/or at the end of August and throughout the year for admission in Early Intervention Programe.

It is necessary that the Admission  Commission concludes that the said program is appropriate for a child who was invited to the observation of the commission and that the program has vacancies. Otherwise, the parents and the child are referred to other professional service programs or placed on the waiting list for "Mali dom -Zagreb".
In the case when a parent uses the status of the caretaker parent,  Social Welfare Act allows the child to use Temporary service  for a maximum of 12 hours a week. Facilities that provide Temporary services are organized in accordance with the Act and the Guidelines of the Ministry in charge according to their capabilities and resources.

Specifically Temporaryl services in „Mali dom - Zagreb" are organized under the Agreement with the relevant ministries by providing specific services of individual and individualized work for children with multiple disabilities and children with visual impairments and additional multiple disabilities one or two times a week for 2 - 3 hours .

Remaining time allowed, up to 12 hours a week, beneficiaries  can use within another service provider.
After the birth, child can already see the light and contrast between light and dark. The first month it is looking at illuminated surfaces, light sources and objects that reflect light. At that time, a child does not necessarily exhibits a clear response to visual stimuli, so it is difficult to assess whether they see it or not (even though the child during this period should notice the difference between light and dark). Around the third month social smile occurs, which means that the child smiles to a familiar person when he sees it. If a child does not respond with a smile to a familiar face, but only to its voice, you should check out his vision.
Involuntary eye movements are called nystagmus and can be a sign that a development of fixation is disturbed. As soon as you perceive these movements with your  child, you need to visit an ophthalmologist.
It is possible that your child has cerebral visual impairment. With such visual impairments that arose due to problems with the optic nerve or the visual region of the brain, it's specific that the vision varies. It is often thought that these children are careless and do not want to see what you offer them, but they maybe really do not see what is required of them at that moment. These children should be given more time and higher contrast targets in order to "see" something, since the passage and processing of visual information in the nervous system is slowed.
For a large number of children who are totally blind it's hard to accept new items into the hands, and some materials they do not accept ever (plush toys). Children with visual impairments gain most of the information about the world through touch, and their hands being "the eyes to the world" are very sensitive to touch. It might help that you put the item under their feet (barefoot or in socks), so it can be examined by the feet first, that are much more robust than hands. When you give a certain object to a child,  you don't put it straight in the palm, but you place it lightly at the top of the palm, so if the child wants to accept it , it will just turn its hand and take it. Always verbally announce to the child that you'll give him something, and when he takes it just let him examine what it is by himself.
Your child will show you what kind of toys  interests him the most. If it is completely blind, offer him various sound toys (e.g. rattles) and toys with vibration. Preferably  as many toys possible made ​​of natural materials (wood) and the natural materials themselves, from the environment (rice, pasta, beans, earth, grass, sand, water, etc.). Often such materials can be more stimulating to a child than expensive toys. If a child has remaining eyesight make sure that he also has toys of clear colours and shapes, and objects of daily use (a disc that shines light, Christmas decorations, shiny cellophane are very stimulative to observe, rustle and play with).
Children who are totally blind or have very low remaining vision, often exhibit certain behaviour common for them which we call blindisms. Pressing eyeballs with fingers (hands) is one of these behaviours. It gives the child a sense of comfort and is often performed in certain situations where they feel unsafe. The child should be warned about such behaviour and it shouldn't be allowed because it is socially unacceptable, increasing the likelihood of eye infection, and by not using its hands to gather information from the environment, the child remains robbed even for tactile information.
It is possible that your child has motor disturbances, so we recommend an examination by a physician. But it is also possible that the child's motor skills are developing slowly due to visual impairment. Children who can see have strong incentives from the environment to reach for objects, turn after them, and at the end to crawl to items that attracts them. Unfortunately, children with visual impairments do not have that  much incentive and should be further stimulated to move. They may also have a fear of movement in space because they do not see its limits, obstacles, elevations, etc.
It is possible that a child refuses food because he doesn't see what enters his mouth. He recognizes familiar food by smell, so he accepts it. When feeding a child you should describe the food he will eat, let him try it out with his fingers, and even to get completely dirty with food. That's the best way for him to get to know what it is and accept that it doesn't compromise him.
It was considered before that the remaining eyesight will deteriorate if used, but today ophthalmologists and vision experts encourage the use and practice of remaining sight within all activities. In order to develop the eyesight better, it is necessary to carry out visual stimulation or visual exercises, adapting the environment so it is visibly stimulating to a child and use visually interesting toys and materials. Various tools were created that enable better utilization of remaining vision.
It is possible that your child has a remaining vision for light that facilitates orientation and movement, but according to criteria for determining the degree of visual impairment it is blind. Children who are blind, especially since birth, are very well trained in using the remaining senses to make up for a lack of vision. They use hearing perfectly and have a very sharp sense of smell for different scents and can easily find their source. A child who is blind can recognize you by the way you walk, the sound and rhythm of your steps, or will recognize your scent even though you remain silent. It is necessary to encourage the kids to use and train these senses so later they'll be able to better and easier orient in space and move around.
There are some stereotypical behaviours that are specific to children with visual impairments, and these you have listed are the most common. A blind child has the need to move about like a child who sees but often because of fear of space and possible injuries, they find ways to move around in place or on the smaller surface. It is also common that when they are happy and dancing, they spin around in a circle in order to dance on the smallest space possible.
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