STA assessments for vision impairment
Our team assess the support your child or young person needs to access learning.
We regularly assess the functional vision of your child. This means how they manage day to day life and how their vision impairment affects their life and learning.
When the child is of school age and old enough to read letters, they will be tested with the appropriate near and distance vision acuity test. Assessments appropriate for a child and young persons' age and stage of development are also used in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
Observations and visits
We will observe the child playing or learning and talk 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.
Your child will be assessed by one of our teachers called a Qualified Teacher for Vision Impairment or QTVI for short. Your child will be supported by a QTVI from 0 to 25 years as long as they remain in education. 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.
Sharing your assessment information
After assessing the child, if they meet our criteria for involvement, a new referral report is written and shared with you and other professionals who may work with your child. 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.
Birth to 4 years
The Qualified Teacher of Visual Impairment we will offer support at home and in your child's early years setting.
Qualified Habilitation Specialist
A Qualified Habilitation Specialist (QHS) supports children and young people, in the home, at their education setting or in the community and at every stage of their development. Referrals are made by the Specialist Teacher Adviser working with the child or young person.