Parental Support

We provide lots of different types of support for your child as they transition from one educational area to the next. This can include the transition into nursery/primary and onto secondary, college, university or employment.

• Raising awareness of visual impairment in the staff through training.
• Preparation visits to the new setting.
• Environmental audits of the new setting including recommendations for adaptations if needed.
• Recommending specialist equipment and technology and helping the school to set this up.
• Mobility support for the new route or familiarisation with the new environment.
• Team around the child (TAC) meetings with all professionals and the parents planning together.
• Annual Reviews and Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) meetings with professionals and parents.
• Providing and supporting the parents with information to enable them to make an informed decision on the next phase of their child’s education.
• Signposting parents and students to additional support eg. charitable trusts or employment support.

We run a weekly sensory session for parents and their children (aged 0-5).

When: Every Thursday morning from 9.30-10.30 or from 10.30-11.30.

This is a great opportunity for parents to come together and talk or get support and advice from a Qualified Teacher of Visual impairment (QTVI).

There is a fully equipped sensory room with many light toys and stimulating visual resources for your child to interact with in a fun environment. 

We can provide parents with support and recommendations for working at home with their child. This can include;

• learning Braille alongside your child,
• using technology effectively to support your child’s visual needs,
• suggestions for suitable toys/books,
• signposting parents to events and leisure or sport activities for after school, the weekend or school holidays,
• supporting your baby through the developmental stages of their pre school life. We can show you how to implement and follow the Developmental Journal, which is adapted for babies and toddlers with a visual impairment or blindness.

There may be times when either parents or their child may need emotional support. We can provide support for this or signpost them to other support as needed. This may include counselling or becoming involved in peer group activities with other parents of children with visual impairments or for the children themselves to get involved with others who share their experiences.

We can also assist with suggestions for developing social and independence skills. These may include;

• teaching about facial expressions and gesturing,
• developing skills for recognising or finding friends or familiar people in busy settings,
• knowing who to ask for help and how to talk/explain about their visual needs,
• developing life skills such as organisational skills, dressing, shopping, handling money, using transport.

The RNIB also offer a counselling service for people affected by sight loss.
RNIB - Counselling Service
They also offer a support service for family, friends and carers who support people who are affected by sight loss.
RNIB - Family, Friends, Carers Support

Here are a few of the Charities we regularly recommend to parents. Also see our Reading and Braille sections for additional Charitable Trusts

• VICTA (Visually Impaired Children Taking Action): Providing support and activities for young people up to 25. They can also provide grants for specialist equipment.
• Through Scarlett’s Eyes: YouTube account by a parent for parents providing information on everything from eye conditions to emotional support and mobility to technology
• Contact A Family: Advice and information on all disabilities and your rights as the parents of a child with a disability. 
• Wonderbaby: Useful information for parents on educational apps, sensory resources, Braille toys, stages of development for children with a VI, eye conditions etc. 
• Look - Supporting Visually Impaired Young People to Thrive: Providing support, information and activities for young people and families.
• Sense: Providing information and guidance for families supporting a child with multiple sensory loss (deaf/blind)
• RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) Useful information on everything to do with sight loss
• Nystagmus Network: Supports people affected by the condition and leads the research into finding a treatment. 
• Little Bear Sees: Information, support and advice on Cortical Visual impairment.

Sometimes it may be difficult to understand how your child sees the world. If your child has had their visual impairment since birth, it may be the only way they have ever seen the world. The following list are autobiographies by blind or visually impaired authors:

• Peter White; See it My Way (BBC Radio Presenter)
• David Blunkett; On A Clear Day (Politician)
• Victoria Nolan; Beyond Vision (Paralympic Rower and Mum)
• Marla Runyan; My Life as I See It. (Olympic Runner)
• Rachel Scdoris; No end in sight (Sled Dog Racer)
• Erik Weihenmayer; Touch the Top of the World. (Mountaineerer)
• Sabriye Tenberken; My Path Leads to Tibet (Teacher and World Traveller)
• Derek Paravicini; In The Key of Genius by Adam Ockelford (World famous pianist, blind from birth who also has autism)
• Andrea Bocelli: The Autobiography (Opera singer)

There are many more to explore, as well as biographies about famous people who are blind or visually impaired eg. Stevie Wonder, Helen Keller, Louis Braille etc.

The following are some useful links for podcasts on all things to do with blindness and visual impairment.

Ouch! Podcast (BBC) - a weekly BBC podcast on disability by people with disabilities

In Touch - Peter White's BBC4 Podcast Series - current affairs and news for visually impaired people

The Blind Spot - Podcast - A podcast sharing news and the views of blind and partially sighted people.

How to Become Batman - the story of a blind man who says expectations have helped him see - David Kish on growing up blind and using echoe location

Podcasts produced by blind people, plus a few suggested by visually impaired people  

The following is a list of some books we recommend for primary aged children.

• Dan and Diesel; Charlotte Hudson, (EYRs and KS1)
• Moles Sunrise; Jeanne Wills (EYRs and KS1)
• The Patch; Justina Chen Headley and Mitch Vane, (KS1)
• Lucy’s Picture; Nicola Moon, (KS1 & 2)
• The Black Book of Colours; Menena Cotton (KS1 & 2)
• Rainbow Joe and Me; Maria Diaz Stron (KS1 & 2)
• See the Ocean; Estelle Condra (KS2)
• Through Grandpa’s Eyes; Patricia MacLachlan (KS2)
• The Seeing Stick; Jane Yolen (KS2)
• A Picture Book of Helen keller; David A Adler (KS2)
• A Picture Book of Louis Braille; David A Adler (KS2)
• The Sound of Colours; Jimmy Liao, (KS2)
• Looking Out for Sarah; Glenna Lang (KS2)
• Books for Kids - For Little Eyes  - More books that raise awareness of visual impairment for children.

EYRS (Early Years), KS1 (Key Stage 1, KS2 (Key Stage 2)