Hi! I am an Ambassador Girl Scout, a senior in high school, and I have been living with CI my whole life.
This website was created as part of my Girl Scout Gold Award project to raise awareness of Convergence Insufficiency. Convergence Insufficiency affects 1/20 people, so that means that there is probably a student in each class of 30 students who has the condition. CI can affect students’ academic performance, which can lead to lower self-esteem. Although it is common, standard vision exams do not test for CI, so a person can have 20/20 vision and still have CI.
My plan is to increase awareness by creating a website, this website, to provide information and resources for students, parents, and teachers about CI. I also am trying to create an online community of people with CI to share experiences and advice on how to deal with this condition.
I am currently organizing an awareness day at my high school, to inform other students, as well as teacher and administrators about the condition.
The final step is to talk to Parent-Teacher Associations at local elementary schools to inform them about CI and how it can be diagnosed and treated.
I will also talk to elementary school students about CI about what it feels like to be a kid with CI and how it can cause some kids to be slower workers, that it doesn’t make them less smart, and what they can do to recognize if they themselves have CI or if one of their friends might. If students are at least familiar with the condition, it will increase awareness.
I will continue to try and expand the online CI community and hope that my project will help some people understand what CI is.