Eligibility

Find information specific to referrals for VI services, components of medical vision exams, how to interpret the information in the medical eye report, conducting the FVELMA and other vision specific evaluations.

VI Referrals

When a parent, caregiver, teacher, or member of the students educational team has concerns about a student's vision, they may wonder how to obtain vision services from the school. Services for students who are blind or visually impaired are based on a combination of the student's eligibility and the individual needs that particular student has for adaptations to materials and the need for individualized instruction.  Although each state and district may have a slightly different referral process, this is the typical referral process, but always check with your state's Early Intervention Program (birth - 2) or school system (ages 3 - 21). ​ The following pages will guide you through this process. ​

Medical Vision Exam

The first step in determining if a student is in need or is eligible for school based vision services is to obtain a current eye report (within one year). If the child has not yet received an eye exam from an ophthalmologist or optometrist, this will need to be scheduled and conducted prior to proceeding with the referral.  Having a current report is important as children's vision can change as the child grows and cooperativeness during the exam can change. Students in the Vision Program will need to provide copies of updated reports annually or at a minimum every three years to determine ongoing eligibility. Although the medical exam alone does not determine eligibility, the information contained within the medical report will assist the vision professional in understanding the student's vision and the possible implications. Additionally, evaluation and interpretation of the eye report has a direct bearing on how a Teacher of the Visually Impaired conducts assessments to determine areas of need and necessary accommodations. This report also helps the TVI be aware of any changes in acuity, diagnosis or prognosis. ​

Visual Diagnosis

Knowing the visual diagnosis will assist the TVI in understanding what part of the eye is affected or if the cause of the visual impairment is brain based. Knowing this information is key to understanding the implications and planning accordingly. Additionally, knowing the visual diagnosis will help the TVI understand the long term implications and prognosis. The following is a list of the most common visual impairments along with suggestions for typical difficulties the student with the condition may have.  Keep in mind that students who have a certain condition may not manifest all the characteristics that are described and the condition may not be severe enough to need the adaptations.

FVLMA

In order to determine what services a student needs, a Functional Vision Evaluation and Learning Media Assessment must be conducted. Unlike the medical exam, the FVLMA evaluates how the student uses his or her vision to access information throughout their familiar environment and interact with people and objects in those spaces. This section provides information on the Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment (FVLMA), including information on what it is, how it is conducted, implications and recommendations as well as guidelines for report writing and examples of how to write the report. The results will indicate what enhancements and adaptations may be helpful to maximize the visual potential for each student. ​​

Other Evaluations

​There are additional vision specific assessments and educational assessments the student may require. These pages provide information on them:
History of Visual Impairments
Professional Practice
Vision Professionals
Professionalism
Teacher Resources
Professional Publications
VI Book Resources
Family Resources
VI Referrals
Medical vision exams
visual diagnosis
fvlma
other evaluations