Who is this book for?

About this book

What do you need to know to provide an accurate and meaningful assessment for a child who is blind or has low vision? In this book, you will gain the background knowledge and the practical skills you need to assess blind and low-vision students. The book’s first three parts provide foundational knowledge, including an overview of the visual system and visual impairments, the impacts on a child’s development, and an introduction to educational services for visual impairment. The fourth and fifth parts discuss psycho-educational assessments in blind and low vision children, including working with the child’s educational team, choosing and interpreting tests, making adaptations and modifications, setting up the assessment room, and interpreting the results. The sixth and final part is a special section for Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) who collaborate with psychologists. In the appendix, you will find key resources for further information and suggestions on how to connect with others doing this specialized work.

The information in this book provides psychologists with the first step towards competency in assessing blind and low vision children. After reviewing this book, you are encouraged to seek case-based consultation in order to put your knowledge into practice.

Authorship

This book was jointly developed by Jennifer Engle from the Vision Impairment Team at Sunny Hill Health Centre, Adam Wilton from the BC Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired, and May Nguyen from the California School for the Blind Assessment Center team. The authors are also grateful to Marnee Loftin, who contributed valuable material to the course that was the precursor to this book.

Cite this book

Engle, J. A., Nguyen, M., & Wilton, A. (2024). Psycho-educational assessments of blind and low vision children. BCcampus. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/vision/