Definitions
Visual impairment is a low incidence condition affecting approximately two children per thousand. There are many causes of blindness and partial sight and the effect of particular conditions is unique to the individual. The broadest definition is that vision can be considered to be impaired if, even with the use of contact lenses of glasses, a person's sight cannot be fully corrected.
Very few people can see nothing at all. Some may be able to perceive light and be able to use this information to know where a window is, or a light source, and be able to orientate themselves in a room. For some people a visual impairment will mean that they can see up to a certain distance. Others may have a reduced field of vision and may only be able to see objects held directly in front or to one side. Some people will see blurred images, for others what they see appears to be constantly "dancing up and down ", others may have patches of vision which "disappear". Some people may have difficulty perceiving depth and perspective. Some colours may be easier to see and others effectively indistinguishable or invisible. Some people may be able to see fine detail close up and others again may be able to perceive bold outlines but not details.
A child who has little or no vision from birth will need greater help to understand visual concepts than a child who has had some sight prior to their sight deterioration.
Some children may have more minor sight difficulties, perhaps colour blindness or a squint in one eye, a lazy eye. These may have only a limited effect on their learning and may not warrant individual education plans. However, if there is any doubt about a child's vision it should be thoroughly investigated and assessed. The first person to contact is one of your local education authority's qualified teachers of visually impaired children.
Over half of the children and young people who have impaired vision have additional special needs. Where this is the case, the totality of the individual's needs must be addressed by a multi-disciplinary team of health, education and social work professionals.
Further information can be found on the following Internet sites:
Paediatric Development and Behaviour homepage
Lists top rated web sites for visual impairment.