Assessments by the Vision Impairment team
We can only assess children who have been referred to us by NHS ophthalmology (Eye Hospital).
What happens at an assessment
Some children require advice only support via a one-off consultation, where we share resources and signposting with parents/carers and the child’s setting.
For most children, we will carry out an assessment where we will observe the child playing or learning and talking to parents, carers and those who work with the child.
Assessments are very informal in the early stages. We play games and activities with the child to stimulate their vision and assess the impact on the child due to their vision loss. We can even use their own toys as part of the assessment. We use brightly coloured objects for babies, and when the child is older we use black and white pictures.
When the child is of school age and old enough to read letters, they are tested with letters using various print sizes.
Where the assessment takes place
If your child is under 5 the first visit and following assessments will take place in the home.
If the child is at school the assessment will be arranged to take place at school. You are welcome to attend the appointment and meet with our teacher adviser.
Who will assess your child
Your child will be assessed by one of our teachers called a Specialist Teacher Adviser for Vision Impairment or STAVI for short.
If your child has severe or profound vision impairment, we may refer you to a member of our team called a Qualified Habilitation Specialist. They will assess the mobility and independence needs of your child.
When the assessment will happen
We will assess your child's vision at least every year while they are actively receiving short-term or long-term STA support.
Sharing your assessment information
For children who meet our criteria for short or long-term involvement, a new referral report is written and shared with you and other professionals who may work with your child after the assessment. We usually do this after one visit but if the child is very young we may make several visits to the family before writing a report.
Next steps
After the initial assessment, we will determine ways in which we can support your child. This could be about their ability to function in their daily life or access the curriculum at school.
The package of support we provide may include a one-off consultation, short-term intervention or longer-term involvement. The frequency of our visits and any future assessments will depend on the needs of your child. Most children are seen more often while we ensure appropriate support is in place. Our involvement will then reduce but can resume if needs increase or when your child is due to transition to a new placement.