Studies show that 80% of everything a child learns comes in through their eyes. When that sense is interrupted, their ability to reach important milestones is significantly threatened. Through our Pediatric Low Vision Program, we work with each child, to ensure they have a solid foundation for future success, teaching them how to navigate life with visual impairments and empowering them to gain confidence, and learn how to be independent and self-sufficient. In 2022-2023 we will serve approximately 700 children from 32 counties in the tri-state region, through our Pediatric Low Vision Clinic, Adaptive Sports, Resource Center, and Lending Library.

Pediatric Low Vision Services have grown tremendously over the past six years. We have grown from serving 96 children annually, to an anticipated 700 children in 2022-2023. We are serving more children than ever, with a greater breadth and depth of services than ever before. Until now, each of these pediatric programs has operated parallel to, and independent of one another. We are excited to bring them all under one umbrella, our Pediatric Low Vision Programs, so we can provide a more cohesive and comprehensive service delivery model, maximizing the impact of our programs and ensuring no child or family falls through the cracks. To do this, we have installed a Manager of Youth and Low Vision Services who will oversee all of our pediatric programs, developing and refining our overall strategy for outreach and education of caregivers and patient families.
 

Program Objectives:

Objective: Provide comprehensive pediatric clinical low vision evaluations for children between the ages of 3-21 years old. We anticipate serving 700.
Outcome measure: Number of children served through the Pediatric Low Vision Clinic.

Objective: Provide bi-monthly adaptive sports and leisure opportunities for BVI children. We anticipate serving up to 40 children.
Outcome measure: Number of Adaptive Sports activities offered each year.

Objective: Provide optical devices, non-optical devices, and/or other assistive technologies to children with low vision, free of charge. We anticipate providing 300 devices.
Outcome measure: Number of optical devices provided to each child.

Objective: Provide instruction and consultation to parents and teachers related to the functional use of vision, especially related to the use of optical devices for all the children that we serve by completing a follow-up appointment to confirm the appropriateness of any recommendations and to address any questions or concerns the family or educational team may have after the low vision evaluation. We anticipate serving 20 families.
Outcome Measure: Number of consultations and one-to-one sessions with children and families through the Resource Center.