Do I know you? A case study of prosopagnosia (face blindness)

Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, can be a congenital disorder or the result of a traumatic brain injury or developmental problems. This disorder interferes with a person's ability to recall faces and thus recognize individuals, even ones with whom he or she is intimate or familiar. Strangers cannot be distinguished from friends, which creates safety issues for the prosopagnosics. Furthermore, social interactions can be painful and ostracism is common as persons previously met cannot be recognized at subsequent meetings. This article presents a case study of a 13-year-old male and his mother who have congenital prosopagnosia. Information obtained from the student and his mother followed four themes: academic/career, safety, interpersonal relationships, and coping strategies. Examples of these themes and related interventions for school nurses are included.