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The Liverpool Visual Assessment Team: 10 years' experience
Child: Care, Health and Development
|January 1, 1986
Summary
The Liverpool Visual Assessment Team (VAT) evaluated 254 visually handicapped children over 10 years. Findings highlight diverse causes, including more cerebral blindness than expected, impacting educational needs.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Special Education
Background:
- The Liverpool Visual Assessment Team (VAT) was established in 1975.
- It operates as a multidisciplinary service for evaluating disabilities in visually handicapped children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the team's membership and practice patterns.
- To analyze data from 254 children evaluated over a 10-year period.
- To discuss the educational needs and implications of the 1981 Education Act for visually handicapped children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patient records from the VAT.
- Descriptive statistics on demographics, etiology, diagnoses, and educational placements.
- Comparison of observed diagnoses with predicted prevalence.
Main Results:
- 254 children were seen over 10 years, with a mean referral age of 4.2 years.
- Only 46% had isolated visual handicaps; etiology was known in 58%.
- Genetically determined visual handicaps were associated with normal intelligence; cerebral blindness was more prevalent than retinopathy of prematurity.
Conclusions:
- The VAT provides essential multidisciplinary assessment for visually handicapped children.
- Cerebral blindness is a significant diagnosis in this population, requiring specific educational support.
- The 1981 Education Act has implications for the educational provision and integration of visually handicapped children.