How common is nystagmus?
By John Sanders
This article first appeared in the October 2006 issue of the UK Nystagmus Network’s online Netletter.
That’s an FAQ which we can’t answer as well as we’d like to, because we don’t yet have enough information. Our best estimate is somewhere between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 2,000 based on feedback from medics and scientists. Certainly, some research into the prevalence of nystagmus currently underway in Leicester in the UK supports those figures.
Straw polls
Our own occasional straw polls of teachers working with visually impaired children are hardly scientific, but they do show consistent results. In many parts of the UK, around half or more of children who are assigned a specialist VI teacher have nystagmus.
Paul White, our Information and Development Manager, confirmed our previous findings by asking VI teachers at this year’s Sight Village exhibition in Birmingham: “How many of the children/young people you work with have nystagmus?” The answers were as follows:
Northampton.…………………an estimated 50%
Rotherham…………………...4 out of 11 children
Denbighshire………………...over 50%
Birmingham………………….above 50%
Flintshire……………………..a quarter of 70 children
Gloucester…………………..40 out of 85
Stoke…………………………4 out of 6
Staffordshire…………………20 out of 35
Sandwell……………………..at least 25%
Derby City……………………half of 46 children have nystagmus
Derbyshire County Council…50% of 290 children and younger adults
Cause for concern
If anything, in some cases, the numbers may be under-reported. As one teacher noted, where a child’s nystagmus is secondary to another eye condition, it may not show on the pupil database.
This is disturbing, since if teachers are not aware that a child has nystagmus they are less likely to provide the support necessary to compensate for the condition. As a result, typical nystagmus features such as a null point and slowness to see might not receive the attention they deserve.
© John Sanders, October 2006
Email: John Sanders
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