The Visual Impairment and Autism project is investigating the approaches and strategies used with children who have both visual impairment and autism. It will run until August 2010.
UPDATE: Conference details now available
Details of the VI and Autism Conference to be held on 18th-19th November 2010 in London are now available. The Conference will share current research and practice and showcase the findings of the Project. More details and booking information on our Conference page.
Introduction to the project
Children who have visual impairment (VI) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are a very low incidence group. However, their needs tend to be poorly understood and meeting those needs presents a considerable challenge to schools. Approaches used for fully sighted children with autism rely heavily on vision and are likely to be inadequate for those with little or no sight.
It is clear that there is an urgent need to improve provision for children who have both visual impairment and autism. This is the reason for the project.
The project's full title is:
Children who have visual impairment and autism: identifying and sharing practice which best enables this very low incidence group to achieve their potential in educational settings.
How long will the project run for?
Funding for the project was secured in June 2008 and it got under way formally on 1 September 2008. It will run for two years to 31 August 2010.
Please note: we are not able to provide advice about meeting the needs of individual children. We simply do not have the resources to do so.