Outreach Programs
www.tsbvi.edu |512-454-8631 | 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, TX 78756
VI Referral Fast Facts
For the student who is already receiving special education services and someone suspects vision might be a problem, an eye report that is less than 1 year old must be on file AND corrective lenses (if indicated) must be in place before a Functional Vision Evaluation is requested in the ARD deliberations.
The timeline from recommendation for Functional Vision Evaluation to initial ARD or review ARD begins the moment that recommendation is documented. If this time is eaten up by getting the student to the eye doctor, getting glasses, and securing an eye report, this can (and often does) use up the time needed to complete the FVE and we have to go back to ARD to extend the timeline.
Preferred wording for Consent for Evaluation form: “Functional Vision Screening and/or Functional Vision Evaluation by teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI)”
Best practice dictates that the FVE be completed before the Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) so that the TVI can provide information and any necessary modifications to further assessment.
Facts about the Eye Report:
The eye report must be less than one year old for new referrals.
The eye report does not have to be on the State of Texas Interagency Eye Examination Report form, but does have to include information related to:
· exact measures of visual field (If exact measures cannot be obtained, the eye specialist must so state and provide best estimates)
· corrected visual acuity at a distance and at close range in each eye
· diagnosis; and prognosis whenever possible
The eye report does not have to have the box checked that says “This patient has a serious visual loss after correction” for a student to qualify for VI services.
An eye report with the box checked that says “This patient has a serious visual loss after correction” does not necessarily mean that the student will qualify for VI services.
To qualify for VI services, the student must have 2 documents: the eye report from an ophthalmologist or optometrist, AND the Functional Vision Evaluation/Learning Media Assessment.