Paediatric Eye Service
Children in special schools
Our team of orthoptists and optometrists specialise in assessing and treating child vision and eye co-ordination problems across South Birmingham.
We are currently commissioned to provide an Eye Service for children up to the age of 11, in 5 special schools in South Birmingham:
- Calthorpe
- Victoria
- Longwill
- Dame Ellen Pinsent
- Cherry Oak
- Uffculme
Children with special needs are 28 times more likely to have visual problems than other children. They are also more likely to not be able to access regular optician testing and attend multiple hospital appointments.We feel that their education should be disrupted as little as possible and therefore will endeavour to carry out as many tests/treatment in school.
All new starters to the school are offered a full orthoptic assessment by the paediatric eye service team.
All follow up appointments also take place in the school setting so as to cause the least disruption to the child and their education. Parents are given the choice to attend. We keep them fully updated with letters sent after every appointment.
We have dedicated paediatric optometrists who provide a refractive service (glasses tests) within our community health centres.
If further treatment or opinion was deemed necessary, we would refer on to the hospital eye service.
Children can be discharged from the service if it is felt that they could cope with a high street optometry test. Up to and after the age of 11, if it is thought that the child would not manage an eye test at a high street optometrist, we would invite them to attend one of our four community clinics.