Our team offers advice and guidance, appropriate for your child or young person’s age and needs (in line with the SEND code of practice)
What does our team offer?
- Help families understand the diagnosis / implications of visual impairment.
- Ensure that pupil and parental voice is captured to promote collaboration
- Carry out functional vision assessments to determine how your child or young person is using their vision.
- Advise schools and settings on strategies for curriculum access to promote independent learning.
- Develop self advocacy skills
- Teach specialist skills e.g. Braille, Touch Typing or using assistive technology.
- Liaise with other professionals involved with your child or young person.
- Contribute to statutory processes.
- Effective signposting to other organisations that can offer additional advice
Pre-school Children
- Provide direct support to babies, young children & their parents/carers in the home and/or early years setting to support the early development & learning through play.
- Offer support & ideas on how to create a visually stimulating environment e.g. good lighting, reduced visual clutter, minimal noise.
- Ideas on which toys allow your child to develop and use their vision e.g. good colour contrast, tactile features.
Schools and colleges
- Offer advice in mainstream & special school settings on strategies for curriculum access which develops independent learning.
- Support and work collaboratively with school staff on how to adapt & modify teaching & learning resources to ensure access to the curriculum.
- Advise on access arrangements for tests and exams.
- Provide appropriate training for staff to raise awareness of visual impairment.
- Demonstrate teaching strategies/model good practice to school staff.
- Offer advice on your child or young person’s learning environment to give them confidence to achieve their best.
Transition
As your child moves from pre-school to primary, primary to secondary and secondary to post 16 college, we plan and work with settings to ensure the transition process is a success. We offer awareness raising training, transfer of information and ensure that specialist equipment is in place in the new setting before your child starts.
Training
We offer training courses for parents, teachers, teaching assistants and other professionals.
For more information, please contact Lian.Badcock@devon.gov.uk or Claire.L.Hayter@devon.gov.uk.
Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment
Find out more about the new Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment that has been developed to support children and young people with vision impairment access an appropriate and equitable education.
Devon’s graduated response
The graduated response tool has been developed to support Devon schools. The tool outlines some of the practices and adaptations that are part and parcel of Quality First Teaching (QFT): the inclusion of all pupils in high-quality everyday personalised teaching.
Accessing support
Schools wishing to access SEND support should complete the Request for Access form.