Coping and support

Making school or work adjustments

If your child has albinism, begin early to work with teachers and school administrators to take measures to help your child adapt to classroom learning. If necessary, start with educating the school professionals about albinism and how it affects your child. Also ask about services that the school or workplace offers to assess and meet needs.

Adjustments to the classroom or work environment that may help include:

• A seat near the front of the classroom
• Large-print textbooks or a tablet computer
• A tablet computer that can be synced to an interactive whiteboard (SMART board) at the front of the room, allowing the child to sit farther back in the classroom
• Handouts of the content written on boards or overhead screens
• High-contrast printed documents, such as black type on white paper, rather than using colored print or paper
• Enlarging font size on a computer screen
• Avoiding bright light in the learning or work setting
• Allowing extra time for taking tests or reading material

Coping with emotional and social issues

Help your child develop skills to deal with other people's reactions to albinism. For example:

• Encourage your child to talk to you about experiences and feelings.
• Practice responses to teasing or embarrassing questions.
• Find a peer support group or online community through agencies such as the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH).
• Talk to a mental health professional who can help you and your child develop healthy communication and coping skills, if needed.