Who does what in eye care?

Your family doctor (also known as a GP or General Practitioner) looks after your child's general health. They can advise you and arrange further examinations by referring your child to specialists. They can also give or arrange for second opinions on any unclear results.

A paediatrician is a doctor who specialises in children's health. They check the overall health of newborn babies and may work in a hospital or child development centre. You may also meet a paediatric neurologist. They specialise in conditions that affect how the brain works in young children.

An ophthalmologist is a specialist doctor who diagnoses eye conditions and treats eye conditions. They usually work in a hospital. They may refer your child to a optometrist or orthoptist for low vision support. In some cases, they may also recommend a particular medication plan or surgery.

The orthoptist usually works with the ophthalmologist at the hospital, but you may see them in a health clinic or visiting a school. They can test your child's sight and assess how their eyes move and work together. They can also check for conditions such as squints, where one or both eyes turn inwards or outwards, or lazy eye, where the vision in one eye is stronger than the other.

An optometrist, also know as an ophthalmic optician, specialises in measuring your child's sight and may prescribe glasses. They can identify some eye conditions and may work in a hospital, low vision clinic or optician's practice. A dispensing optician can help you choose frames and make sure they fit properly. They can't test your child's sight or prescribe glasses. If your child has been prescribed glasses, they must be encouraged to wear them to support their visual pathway development.

An Eye Care Liaison Officer (ECLO) can help you understand your child’s vision impairment and find the support you need. ECLOs are an important bridge between health and social services and can provide support at an eye clinics. You can make an appointment with an ECLO during or after a visit to an eye health specialist, and they'll help you communicate with the eye clinic, understand information about your child’s vision impairment and access services for ongoing support.

Find out more about Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs)

A health visitor is a trained nurse who visits you at home routinely to check your child's health and development. They can offer advice and support to the whole family. They will be able to help you contact doctors, hospitals and other services in your area.

A Qualified Teacher of children and young people with Vision Impairment (QTVI) is a teacher with additional qualifications and experience in working with children with visual impairment. They are usually employed by your local authority or education authority's Children’s Sensory Service. They work with children across different schools in the area and can support you and your child both at home and at school.

Your local Sensory Service should have at least one QTVI. This is a key contact for you and your child. If you haven't already been referred from the eye clinic to your local QTVI, contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

Most sensory services also have a Registered Qualified Habilitation Specialist (RQHS). They can help your child to develop the skills they need to move around more independently and manage everyday living activities.

They will also advise you how to encourage your child to practice these skills. This may include starting with using stairs or finding an object and progressing through to using mobility aids, crossing roads and using public transport. They may also support with low vision aids for cooking, cleaning and other daily household tasks.

They also advise on equipment for the home and may suggest lighting, colours, or other environmental adjustments to help your child locate door frames, walls and furniture more easily so they can move about at home with more confidence.

When a young person’s sensory support moves from Children’s Services to Adult Services, their habilitation support will transfer to a rehabilitation specialist within the Adult Sensory Services.

This role has different names across the UK, but the responsibilities are similar for each:

• England – Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)
• Scotland – Additional Support Needs (ASN) Teacher
• Wales – Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo)
• Northern Ireland – SENCo or Learning Support Coordinator

All mainstream education settings have a staff member who coordinates disability provision. Several nurseries in an area or group may share a staff member. In a primary school, this may be the headteacher or deputy headteacher. In a secondary school or larger schools, this might be a staff member with management responsibilities. This staff member is responsible for arranging specialist assessments with other professionals and coordinating the support recommended for your child.

A Learning Support Assistant (LSA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) works alongside teachers in education settings from early years through to university. They support individual children or small groups to help them learn effectively in the classroom or wider school environment.

They should receive specialist training related to their responsibilities. They may support your child one-to-one or be in the background and only step in when needed. They may also adapt your child’s learning materials. Other job titles may be used for this role depending on the country, education setting and qualification level.

Your local social services or social work department may have a specialist social worker for people with vision impairment, including children and their families.

Social services staff can provide practical help and advice with things such as emotional support, transport, home help, care assessments and carer assessments. They may also be able to help you apply for grants if it isn't possible to fund some equipment through health or social care.

A physiotherapist uses exercises and specialist equipment to help your child develop physically. This may be important if your child has posture needs due to the way they look at objects or focus on certain tasks.

Speech and language therapists (SALTs) work with children who have speech, language and communication difficulties. They can also advise on strategies to support eating.

Occupational therapists (OTs) work with children to develop their daily living activities such as washing and dressing. They can advise on specialist equipment and adaptations that could help your child become more independent at home. This may include adjustments to lighting, colours, or the arrangement of walls and furniture.

Educational psychologists work with children who need support to access their learning. They'll talk to your child and assess them as they play, learn, and interact with others. They can use this information to develop strategies to meet their educational, social and emotional needs.