Special Needs Program

Vision assessments for infants and children with special needs

Research shows that children with disabilities are at higher risk of having or developing visual impairment. Helping these children overcome their visual disability is not as simple as a quick trip to the eye doctor and a prescription for eye glasses or contact lenses. Many children with disabilities have developmental or neurological problems that preclude the use of traditional vision tests like an eye chart. Parents, teachers, doctors, early childhood specialists, or therapists are typically the first to notice when a child has a vision problem, but parents need a place to go for help after this discovery is made. With a referral from a pediatric ophthalmologist, we perform free vision assessments for special needs infants and children. This program began in 2001 with an endowment gift from the Crystal Charity Ball and has grown substantially over the past several years with the support of local foundations.