Page 72 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

72 ■ Learning to read For parents and carers, often one of the most difficult and distressing parts of finding out their child has a vision impairment is knowing how to talk to their child about it. This challenge has been amplified during Covid-19 because support from professionals has been difficult to access at times, with non- emergency visits to medical professionals often being cancelled and face to face support groups ceasing. So the pull to hold off on having these conversations is heightened. This lack of support for parents has a knock-on effect for the children and young people they care for. There is no set way or right time to have a conversation with a child about a vision impairment. If a child starts asking questions about their sight, it’s a great opportunity to have that conversation. An important aspect is making sure that parents and carers feel supported and have all the information they require. They are the experts when it comes to their individual child and there are several resources available to support with that difficult but essential conversation. Over the last year, parents also reported an increased concern about their children being able to talk to other people about their eye condition. This may be friends, family, school staff or any other individual they are in regular contact with. This was possibly due to notable differences in the way students with a vision impairment were accessing online classes and resources. RNIB believes that raising awareness and understanding of ■ Emotional confidence SEN113 “This supports understanding and acceptance” vision impairment is essential. Many sighted people do not know what it actually means to be registered severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted). Various websites, resources and apps are available to model how a particular vision impairment may affect individuals as well as give specific information on the variety of different eye conditions. If awareness of those around children and young people with vision impairment can be raised, this supports understanding and acceptance. Some children find it useful to give explanations of their eye condition themselves; some prefer to have a class presentation/ discussion. It could be held by a class teacher or another professional who can help the child’s classmates know more about different eye conditions and how the child sees and accesses the world around them. Education settings may have a general discussion about difference and diversity if this feels more comfortable. The importance is that children and young people feel supported and understood, and that they can access the same provision and experiences as their peers. When a child or young person is having to deal with issues affecting their wellbeing, it will inevitably have an effect on their educational attainment. Education settings should be aware of the additional emotional and social support that may need to be put in place for students with a vision impairment. It is vital that parents, professionals and all those around children and young people with a vision impairment are aware of the additional concerns they may have, and work together to support them to feel equipped to overcome barriers. RNIB has created a series of podcasts in partnership with a Specialist Vision Impairment Clinical Psychology service which start to address some of these emotional support issues, but it is imperative that specialist provision such as a QTVI and RQHS are contacted and their advice sought about the needs of any child with a vision impairment. senmagazine.co.uk Visual impairment About the author Craig Brown is Specialist Lead for Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) UK in the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). rnib.org.uk/children @RNIB @RNIB