GROUP OF QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS

The group must include, but is not limited to:

• A licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist; and

• A professional certified in the education of children with visual impairments or a certified orientation and mobility instructor.

CRITERIA

• The licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist determines:

• The child has a progressive medical condition that will result in no vision or a serious visual loss after correction; or

• The child has no vision or has a serious visual loss after correction;

• The visual impairment adversely affects educational performance; and

• The functional vision evaluation and a learning media assessment indicate that, by reason of the visual impairment, the child has a need for special education and related services.

The licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist should provide a statement in a written report of the child's prognosis whenever possible; and 

• Visual loss in exact measures for:

• Visual field; and

• Corrected visual acuity at a distance and at close range in each eye.

• If exact measures cannot be obtained, a statement to that effect and best estimates.

FUNCTIONAL VISION EVALUATION

The functional vision evaluation conducted by a professional certified in the education of children with visual impairments or a certified orientation and mobility instructor must:

• Include the performance of tasks in a variety of environments;

• Require the use of both near and distance vision; and

• Contain recommendations concerning the need for a clinical low vision evaluation and an orientation and mobility evaluation.

LEARNING MEDIA ASSESSMENT

The learning media assessment must be conducted by a professional certified in the education of children with visual impairments and must include recommendations concerning:

• Which specific visual, tactual, and/or auditory learning media are appropriate for the child;

• Appropriate reading and writing media (including the child's future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille); and

• Whether or not there is a need for ongoing evaluation in this area.

FUNCTIONALLY BLIND

• The child will use tactual media (which includes Braille); and

• The tactual media used by the child are the child's primary tool for learning:

• To be able to communicate in both reading and writing;

• At the same level of proficiency as other students of comparable ability.

For a child who is functionally blind, the group must determine the child's strengths and weaknesses in Braille skills.