How the SEND Local Offer is developing
Special School Eye Care Service
Following a successful pilot of a Special School Eye Care Service, NHS England is engaging with stakeholders, special schools and the public to share the learning and develop the model for all special schools from 2024 to 2025.
The Special School Eye Care Service is an in-school eye examination service for children in special school settings in England. The aim of the service is to improve access to eye care services for all children with a learning disability.
Children with a learning disability are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem, and over 40% require glasses. Whilst free NHS sight tests are available for all children, the Government recognises it can be difficult for children and young people who attend special school settings to attend high street sight testing services and that special schools benefit from receiving personalised advice about how to improve their environment for learners with visual impairments.
The benefit of having Special School Eye Care Teams includes:
- Identifying previously undiagnosed visual impairment in children who cannot access regular visual assessments
- Providing direct communication of outcomes to teachers, enabling them to offer appropriate educational opportunities
- Providing easy read reports for parents, carers, teachers and other health care professionals
- Signposting resources and strategies for parents and teachers of children with visual impairment
- Building confidence and capability in children to engage with annual visual assessments - reducing undiagnosed visual loss in adults with learning disabilities.
Under the Special School Eye Care Service, the following services will be offered:
- visual assessments
- refraction tests
- dispensing of glasses