By Angie Rowe
Angie Rowe is the president and CEO of Beyond Blindness in Orange. She is a statewide advocate for special education and inclusion, serving in leadership roles with the California Association of Special Education Schools and the California Agencies of the Blind & Visually Impaired.
I still remember a mother who sat across from me, exhausted and worried.
Her son was bright, curious and full of energy. But preschool had become a daily struggle. He seemed frustrated during activities, avoided group play and often appeared distracted. Friends and family reassured her that he would “grow out of it.” Teachers weren’t sure what was wrong. Neither was she.
What no one realized at the time was that he was experiencing significant vision challenges that made it difficult to engage with the world around him.
Once those challenges were identified and the family received support, everything began to change. His confidence grew. His communication improved. He started participating more fully in the classroom. Most importantly, his parents no longer felt alone.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of supporting thousands of children and families at Beyond Blindness, Orange County’s only nonprofit provider of early intervention, education and enrichment, and family support services for children with visual impairments and other disabilities. While every child’s journey is different, one lesson stands out above all others: The earlier we recognize that a child is experiencing some sort of challenge — no matter what type of challenge it may be — and provide support, the greater the opportunity for a child to thrive.
In my experience, parents often arrive at our doors feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. What they discover is that early intervention doesn’t just support a child — it gives an entire family confidence, direction and hope.
Success in the classroom begins long before a child walks through the school’s entrance. Here’s some of what I have learned working with children and families for decades.
Listen. Observe. Trust your instincts.
Parents are the first experts on their children.
Many vision and developmental challenges don’t announce themselves in obvious ways. Instead, they appear in subtle moments that are easy to overlook. A child may sit unusually close to books or screens. They may struggle to track moving objects, avoid eye contact, become frustrated during learning activities, or seem hesitant in unfamiliar environments.
Kim Lizarraga, one of our teachers of students with visual impairments, sees this regularly. “Sometimes children compensate incredibly well,” she says. “Adults may not immediately realize they’re struggling to see or process information clearly.”
This is much more common than many people realize. Young children may develop behaviors that seem harmless or simply part of their personality — such as holding books very close to their face during story time. Families and caregivers may initially assume the child is especially interested in the pictures or details on the page. However, when attentive adults notice patterns and ask questions, those observations can lead to important conversations with healthcare providers.
Further evaluation might reveal an underlying visual impairment or other developmental need. Early identification and intervention can make a significant difference, providing children with the tools and support they need to fully participate and thrive alongside their peers.
Trust your instincts as a parent if you get the feeling that something is off. Seeking answers isn’t overreacting. It’s advocating.
Early screenings are key
The first five years of life are the most important developmental years a child will ever experience. During this period, the brain is rapidly building the foundations for learning, communication, movement and social development.
Too often, difficulties aren’t identified until academic struggles emerge.
For example, research shows that vision challenges are more common than many parents realize. According to UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, one child in five has a vision problem that no one knows about, yet many children enter school without receiving the screenings they need.
The good news is that support doesn’t need to wait. When concerns are identified early, families can gain access to therapies, educational support and resources that can dramatically influence a child’s future.
In fact, there are many organizations that provide pediatric healthcare screenings at no cost to families. For example, at Beyond Blindness, we partner with ophthalmologists at Ketchum University to host free pediatric eye screenings on our Santa Ana campus every Thursday.
Local Regional Centers, including those in Orange and Riverside counties, also provide free community pediatric health screenings and referrals in partnership with nonprofits like ours and Families Together.
Inclusiveness and collaboration
Success in school isn’t only about academics. It’s also about belonging.
One of the most encouraging shifts in education today is the growing emphasis on inclusive classrooms, where children of all abilities learn and grow together.
At Beyond Blindness, we partner with Orange County Head Start to provide our inclusive learning environment to children and families in need across Orange County. We see the benefits every day.
I recently watched a group of preschoolers working together on an art project. One child needed extra support navigating the activity. Before an adult could step in, another child quietly moved beside him, described what was happening and helped him participate.
No one instructed her to do that. She simply recognized a friend who needed support.
Moments like these remind us that inclusion benefits everyone. Children learn empathy, adaptability, patience and collaboration. They learn that differences are not barriers but part of what makes a community stronger.
For families, inclusive environments provide something equally important: hope.
Parents see children of all abilities thriving together rather than being separated by their challenges. They begin to envision futures defined by possibility rather than limitation.
How to be your child’s best advocate
One piece of advice I would give every parent is this: your voice matters.
School systems can feel intimidating. Evaluations, meetings, acronyms, paperwork — all of it can leave families wondering whether they’re asking the right questions.
Advocacy doesn’t require confrontation. It often begins with simple yet powerful steps:
- Keep organized records of evaluations and communications.
- Request screenings or assessments when concerns arise.
- Prepare questions before meetings.
- Ask for clarification when terminology feels overwhelming.
- Focus conversations on your child’s strengths as well as their needs.
Most importantly, trust what you know about your child. No teacher, therapist or administrator spends as much time with your child as you do. Your observations are invaluable.
And remember, advocacy is a journey. You don’t need all the answers on day one.
Don’t wait
The most important thing parents can remember is that you don’t have to wait until a child is struggling to seek help. Every child deserves to walk into a classroom feeling confident, capable and ready to learn.
Over the years, I’ve watched children take their first independent steps, say their first words, make their first friends and accomplish things their families once feared might never be possible. I’ve watched parents transform from feeling overwhelmed and uncertain into confident advocates for their children.
Those transformations rarely happen because of one breakthrough moment.
They happen because someone noticed. Someone asked a question. Someone sought support. And when a child is seen, understood and supported early, remarkable things can happen.
Sometimes the most important step toward success in the classroom is simply knowing you don’t have to take the journey alone.
