Support for children with additional special educational needs

Service for children with a visual impairment (SCVI)

Many children who have a visual impairment also have additional (sometimes complex) needs.

Support is provided by the SCVI for these children in pre-school, mainstream and special school settings in collaboration with professionals from other disciplines. Early intervention is seen as a priority.

Working with parents and carers

We offer parents and carers:

Information about the nature of their child's visual impairment and the impact this can have on their general development
On-going assessment of the child’s functional vision
Advice on ways of stimulating vision and the other senses
The loan of appropriate toys and equipment
Information about support groups, National organisations and local contacts
Help and continued support as their child enters school

Working with education settings

In the school setting the SCVI seeks to work closely with staff to provide:

Information about the implications of visual impairment and additional needs
Advice on the use of visual stimulation and other methods of developing visual skills
Observation and assessment of the child’s functional vision
Suggestions on ways of helping the child to develop compensatory strategies (for example, tactile or listening skills)
An Individual Access Plan that sets out ways in which the effects of a child’s visual impairment can be minimised and/or:
A contribution to a ‘Personal Communication Passport’, highlighting ways in which the effects of the child’s visual impairment can be minimised
Input to the child’s (or young person’s) Individual Education Plan, together with advice on curriculum planning and teaching strategies
Training opportunities (both formal and informal)
Attendance at Annual Statutory Review meetings, and submission of a report