Interdisciplinary team performance with students that have low vision due to their diagnosis of Stargardt disease

This study refers to students with low vision or visual impairment that may have difficulties in writing and reading activities and, therefore, show postural alterations as a consequence of having to adjust when getting closer to the materials, as an attempt to see them better. This study is characterized as a case study, in which we will describe the performance of the interdisciplinary team involved in the visual rehabilitation process of a 12 year-old student diagnosed with Stargardt disease. The research team comprised of a Social Worker, Art-Educator, Nurse, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist, Speech Therapist, Ophthalmologist, Orthoptist, Pedagogue, Psychologist and Occupational Therapist. Nine sessions of one hour each were carried out weekly at a school clinic from the State University of São Paulo. The interventions have benefited the student with the use of assistive technology resources, such as telescopic system, electronic magnifying glasses, inclined plane for reading and writing and the enlargement of the lines in the notebook pages. After the intervention, the adopted body posture in the reading and writing activities became more balanced, the scholar was able to keep his head furthermost from the book, as well as more aligned, not showing rotation compensatory movements to the right and inclination, which led to a decrease of the pain in the cervical region. The interventions also allowed the student to show an improvement in the distance and near visual performance. The performance of the interdisciplinary team enabled positive results in the reading and writing activities of the low vision student, and in daily life activities, thus enabling the adolescent's educational and social inclusion.

Underachievement; Low Vision; Interdisciplinary Communication; Posture