Vision care programme for children and young people in Special Schools in Wales

1
Vision care programme for children and young
people in Special Schools in Wales
Nathan Davies With thanks to the Welsh
Government, Dr Barbara Ryan, Nicola Crews and Dr
Maggie Woodhouse
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Structure of presentation

• Background to vision care programme
• Aims of vision care programme
• Piloting the vision care programme
• Main challenges and solutions
• Summary and conclusion

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Background to vision care programme

• Funded by Welsh Government
• Collaborative project
• 2008/09 44 Maintained Special Schools
• 4115 pupils (4059 f/t, 56 p/t)
• 70 (n2882) of pupils male
• 12 (0.3) of the 3974 pupils in Special Schools
  with a Statement had visual impairment identified
  as their major need
• (StatsWales)

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Literature review

• Literature suggests increased prevalence of
  refractive error and visual impairment, e.g.
• 97 out of 923 (10.5) children with learning
  disabilities were found to have visual impairment
  (Nielson, Skov et al. 2007a)
• A study involving 719 children with learning
  disabilities, aged 4 to 15, found significant
  refractive error in 44.8
• (Nielsen, Jensen at al. 2008)

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Postal survey

• Sent to all 44 Maintained Special Schools
• Follow-up carried out
• QTVI support
• Response rate of 88.6 (n39)

6
Vision screening

• 47.4 (n18) of schools reported that vision
  screening did not take place
• 23 out of 24 schools (95.8) reported that it
  would be useful for routine vision screening to
  take place
• The survey results and a literature review
  provided the impetus for the vision care
  programme

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Aims of vision care programme

• To determine the prevalence of visual impairment
  and uncorrected refractive error among pupils in
  Special Schools.
• To determine the effectiveness of assessing the
  vision and eye health of pupils in Special
  Schools.
• To ensure that every pupil in a Special School
  receives appropriate and timely vision and eye
  care and, if required, receives support from
  other relevant services.

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Piloting the vision care programme

• Three generic Special Schools and one specialist
  resource centre invited to pilot the project
• Approximately 300 pupils
• All reported that vision screening did not take
  place
• Pan-Wales

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Obtaining consent for pupil participation

• Worked with schools to send home information
  packs about the project, including consent form,
  to every 'parent'
• Consent form for children and young people
  included
• Invited parents to indicate how they would like
  glasses dispensed if needed

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Optometric eye health check/ visual assessment

• Carried out in school by the two project
  optometrists
• Eye drops administered if needed
• Staff from school invited to attend assessment
• Parents invited to attend

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Referrals

• If we find that a child or young person has an
  eye condition or sight problem that needs
  treatment, we will refer them to ophthalmology/
  orthoptics.
• We will also refer pupils to education support
  services if needed.

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Main challenges and solutions

• Missing information on consent forms
• Developed additional form to collect missing
  information
• Schools contacted 'parents' for missing
  information
• Ensuring that assessment timetables are
  convenient for school, pupils and parents
• Worked closely with school staff and parents

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Summary and conclusion

• Pilot phase continuing in Autumn Term 2011
• Aim to have an evidence-base to inform future
  provision of eye care services for all children
  and young people in Special Schools

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Contact details
Nathan Davies Children's Low Vision Advocate for
Wales Email Nathan.davies_at_rnib.org.uk Phone 0
1558 650281