Finding out about your child's vision impairment

Children and young people's vision can be affected by one or several medical conditions. The same medical condition can affect different people in different ways.

Your child's vision impairment could have a number of causes, and sometimes it's not possible to find the cause. Your child may also have more than one medical condition, such as glaucoma and cataracts.

Vision impairment can happen when a medical condition affects one or more parts of the visual pathway. This includes:

• The eye - the eye may not be able to gather all the visual information around it or send this information to the optic nerve.
• The optic nerve - the optic nerve may not be able to transmit all the visual information from the eye to the brain.
• The brain - the brain may not be able to process all the visual information it receives from the optic nerve into recognisable images.

Your child's ophthalmologist (a hospital consultant who specialises in eye conditions) or optician will use eye tests to assess how much your child can see. They may refer your child to a neurologist if they think there could be a condition affecting the brain.

You can ask questions or jot down notes during the consultation if you need to. Once your child has a diagnosis, you can find out more information about common medical conditions in our eye health section.

For less common conditions, see our information page on rare eye conditions.

Information from RNIB and other sources can help you to understand your child's condition, but it's important to discuss it with your ophthalmologist or optician to understand how it might apply to your child.

Eye tests can be carried out even when your child is very young. However, it might take a few visits to the hospital before your ophthalmologist can give you a reliable estimate of your child's vision.

The way children use their vision also develops during the first seven years of their life. This might mean your child needs new glasses more frequently in the early years, and it's a good idea to ask around to find a child-friendly ophthalmologist in your area.

You may also be interested in reading our Guide to eye clinic appointments.

You can find out more about the professionals supporting you and what they do on Who does what in eye care?

Take a look at our other resources on the health, education, social and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people.

If your child has some vision, staff in education settings need to know how they use it in everyday situations (this is called functional vision). Your child's teacher may not have taught anyone with vision impairment before, so they may need support from you and specialist education professionals.

You and your child can play an important part in this process. Share what you know about how your child responds to different visual stimuli (for instance, lights and different colours). You could also tell staff if you observe them viewing things more easily on one side than the other.

If your child is diagnosed with vision impairment, they should be referred to a Qualified Teacher of children and young people with Vision Impairment (QTVI) by their eye clinic.

It's essential that a QTVI assesses your child’s needs to check how they use their functional vision in everyday situations. The QTVI may then recommend specialist provision that supports your child's development and access to education.

QTVIs work within a local authority or education authority Sensory Service and provide support on a visiting (peripatetic) basis. They can carry out functional vison assessments, make recommendations and provide support on an ongoing basis.

This support can start when your child is a baby at home, and continue through to nursery, school and college. Your child may see their QTVI more frequently if their environment or needs change. Similar specialist support is available in higher education and employment.

Find out more about education and learning. 

If your child has recently been diagnosed, you may be wondering what to do next. Understanding your child’s vision impairment page brings together resources to help you understand your child’s vision impairment and find support.

Here are some of the terms that ophthalmologists or other health, education and social care professionals may use to describe your child’s vision impairment:

• Functional vision – how your child uses their vision in everyday situations.
• Ocular vision impairment – when one or more parts of the eye are not functioning properly.
• Cerebral vision impairment (CVI) – when there may not be a difficulty with the eyes, but the brain doesn't process the images properly. Find out more on our CVI Factsheet.
• Combination – some children may have both; CVI and ocular vision impairment.
• Visual acuity – a measure of how sharp or clear your child’s vision is. Eye health professionals may check this using a Snellen or LogMAR chart. These charts use letters that decrease in size as you move down the chart. For younger children or children with additional needs, they may use pictures such as Kays pictures. These results are often recorded as 6/24 (Snellen) or 0.6 (LogMAR). The results in the above example would mean that during the test, the child could see at six metres what a fully sighted person could see at 24 metres.
• LP and NLP - LP stands for Light Perception. It means someone can see the difference between light and dark but cannot distinguish images. NLP stands for No Light Perception. It means someone is unable to see the difference between light and dark.
• Visual field – the total area your child can see while looking at a fixed point without moving their head. This is often measured in degrees of vision. You may be told your child has better vision on a certain side or in a particular area of their visual field.
• Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) – a certificate issued when the results of your child’s vision assessment in the eye clinic meet certain visual acuity or visual field criteria. The CVI acronym can sometimes be confused with Cerebral Vision Impairment so you may need to be clear which is being used. Find out more about the criteria for certification.
• VINCYP Pathway – this is an eye health pathway in Scotland that replaces the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) for children and young people aged 0 to 16. The VINCYP and CVI eligibility criteria are different. Young people aged 16 and over are encouraged to contact their ophthalmologist to see if they meet the visual criteria for a Scottish CVI.

If your child has Cerebral Vision Impairment or certain eye conditions, glasses or contact lenses may not be helpful. Speak to a professional about other ways to help your child make the most of their functional vision.

You can find out more about specific eye conditions and looking after your eye health in our information about your eyes.

We also have advice for parents on finding out about your child's eye condition.

You may also be interested in reading our Guide to eye clinic appointments.

For more resources to support children, young people and families following a diagnosis, see: Understanding your child’s vision and Parent Pathways.

RNIB provides free, specialist advice and support for children and young people with vision impairment – from birth to age 25 – and their families.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or you’d like more information about anything mentioned on this page, we can help.

We offer:

• family, early years and transitions support
• support for education professionals
• advice about accessible books, toys and learning materials
• opportunities to meet and talk with other families.

Please contact our Helpline on 0303 123 9999.