Visual handicap in children

Vision is the primary mode of learning and if it is absent or impaired, other pathways must be stimulated. The range of appropriate services available to visually handicapped children is explained in relation to the school run by the Royal Victorian Institution for the Blind in Melbourne. A period of residential education may be needed for children with multiple impairment. Those whose handicap is primarily visual can usually live at home and have their education integrated with that of their normal peers. Home-based services and parent support systems for preschool and kindergarten age children are outlined. To be successful, they require sharing confidential medical and education information. The school provides a major input to a discussion group of all professionals dealing with such children. Information from the group includes the causes, and educational implications of visual handicap in Victorian children. The commonest pathologies are macular problems and congenital cataract.