| Working with Children with Visual Impairment
Under Five
Hospital doctors and other professionals refer
children to the
Visual Impairment team when there is concern
about a child’s vision.
Staff in the team then work with children and
their families to provide the level of help and
support which will meet the needs of each child.
The team works in homes, child development
centres, playgroups and nurseries, assessing and
teaching children alongside other key workers.
Information, advice and introductions to relevant
voluntary organisations, and other support groups,
are provided. Strong links are maintained between
all the agencies involved with the child and
family.
Families who use an Asian language at home may
also be supported by a member of the team who
speaks their language.
A weekly playgroup for groups of children and
their parents is run at Adderley Children’s Centre
in Saltley. This is organised by staff in the team
and provides valuable opportunities for parents to
meet and support each other.
There is close liaison from the team with
teachers in resource bases, in mainstream schools
and special schools for the visually impaired, as
well as local mainstream schools, so that each
child has a smooth transition into school.
In Schools
Specialist teachers assess each child’s
functional vision and provide information and
advice about specific eye conditions and the
implications for learning. Advice and training is
given to school staff to ensure children have
access to the curriculum, and that they are
appropriately supported within the classroom and
school environment.
The team has specialist staff, materials and
equipment to provide and facilitate access to the
National Curriculum. Teaching is provided for some
children for specific purposes on an agreed basis.
Concessions and modifications for end of key stage
assessments and examinations are recommended, as
appropriate.
The particular difficulties and needs of
children are assessed and monitored in
co-operation with parents and staff in schools.
Close links are maintained with medical agencies.
Individual Education Plans are drawn up and
reviewed regularly in partnership with key people
involved with each child.
Opportunities are provided for children to meet
other pupils with visual impairment on outings,
fun days and national sporting events, such as
swimming, athletics and football.
Working with Students in Colleges
The Team for Children with Visual Impairment
supports students entering further education. A
range of services are available including
assessment, detailed reports on eye conditions,
advice on the management of the visual impairment
in the classroom, and in-service training for
tutors.
Provision for the student may include in-class
support, tutorials, examination revision,
recommendations and adaptation/modification of
materials used in class.
Links also occur with other outside agencies e.g.
Connexions Service, RNIB and Birmingham Focus.
Sharing Information
The Team works together with parents and
carers to share information with other
professionals in education and the health
services, who may be involved with the child. This
ensures a consistent approach to working with
children, their families and staff in schools.
When it is decided to carry out a statutory
assessment of a child’s special educational needs,
staff liaise closely with all concerned, so that
the child’s needs are clearly identified and
information about appropriate provision is given
to the local authority.
How to refer
The team operates an open referral system.
Referrals can be taken from many sources including
parents, schools, social services and health
services (eg: consultant ophthalmologists,
orthoptists, doctors, nurses, paediatricians and
health visitors).
Training
The Team for Children with Visual Impairment
provides a range of in-service training courses
for parents, teachers, learning support staff,
students, and also for professionals in the health
service. We also provide a range of information
leaflets which explain about the implications of
different eye conditions on development and
learning.
If you would like further information about the Service or an in-service training session, please contact us at
Vauxhall Gardens.
The team also provides a counselling service for children with visual impairments and their parents.
There is a range of
Support Organisations
for families with children who have a visual impairment.
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