referral for
educational services

If your child is diagnosed with a visual impairment, it is critical to receive appropriate educational services to enhance your child’s learning and development and to learn skills to compensate for the visual impairment.

Birth to Age 3

There are comprehensive early intervention services for infants and toddlers through local Early Supports and Services Programs. Each region of the state has programs designed to meet the developmental needs of infants and toddlers with special needs. These programs are funded through the Bureau of Developmental Services - Infant and Toddler Program and accessed through local Area Agencies. A list of the Area Agency contacts in your region can be accessed through the Infant and Toddler Program at (603) 271-5122.

Upon referral, an intake will be completed and your child will be scheduled for a full developmental assessment. If deemed eligible (children with established visual impairments are automatically eligible for services), then services will be initiated from a local early supports and services program with statewide support services from the MICE program regarding your child’s visual impairment (see the section on statewide resources for people with visual impairments). The amount of services and goals and objectives will be developed and designed to specifically meet the needs of your child and family using an Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP).

3 to 21 Years Old

Once your child is age 3, services need to be accessed through the local school district. It is the responsibility of the school to provide educational services to all children from 3-21 (or graduation from high school) with special education needs. Contact the special education office at your local school district to access services.

Your child will receive appropriate assessments to determine eligibility for special education. An evaluation should be done by a certified Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired (TBVI) in conjunction with other educators and service providers. Ongoing service needs will be determined following that evaluation.

Your child may also receive additional services specific to the visual impairment which may include Orientation and Mobility services (O&M), Low vision services, Technology support and instruction, etc. All goals and objectives will be designed specifically for your child on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and type and frequency of services will be determined at that time. It will then be determined what type of program your child needs, which may include preschool, regular classroom, or more specialized programming.

Additional educational support, materials, and equipment can also be accessed from ASSETT, a statewide support program to schools serving students with vision, hearing, or communication impairments. For more information on ASSETT, see the section on statewide resources for people with visual impairments.