Premium
A comparison of the perceptions of visually impaired children by their managing optometrists and specialist teachers
Author(s) -
Carter Susan C.,
Hill Adrian R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1046/j.1475-1313.1996.96849775.x
Subject(s) - mainstream , perception , visually impaired , psychology , optometry , medicine , impaired vision , family medicine , medical education , neuroscience , philosophy , theology
The Warnock Report and the 1981 Education Act resulted in the majority of visually impaired (VI) children attending local mainstream schools with specialist support. Such children attend their closest low vision clinic for low vision aids (LVAs). The structure of these two services varies throughout the country and the communication between them is patchy. A group of LVA practitioners and specialist teachers for the VI, were asked to rate a common group of VI children whom they had managed, against a list of 20 provided constructs. The results were compared using cluster analysis, showing some commonality in perception within the optometric and teaching groups, but wide variation in how the child was viewed between the two groups. These results have implications for communication of information between the managing professional groups.