Referral Criteria – Deafblindness

We have a duty to:

• Identify, make contact with and keep a record of children and young people living in Devon who have multi-sensory/deafblind impairment
• Undertake specialist assessment for children and young people (0-18 years) who have multi-sensory/deafblind impairment (deafblindness)
• Ensure that appropriate services are recommended, and provided, to children and young people who are assessed with a multi-sensory/deafblind impairment and who may not be able to benefit from mainstream services, or services aimed primarily at blind people or deaf people who are able to rely on their other senses.

Conditions in scope

Requests for service will be accepted for children and young people with sight loss that results in clinical/functional vision impairment that meets one or more, of the following criteria:

• Certification of sight impairment/severe sight impairment
• An identifiable ophthalmic condition which has the potential to interfere with the acquisition and development of skills necessary for communication, orientation, mobility, independence and safety
• A visual acuity of 6/18 or worse.
• A restricted/incomplete visual field
• A near visual acuity of N14 or worse

or when there is evidence of:

• Cortical/cerebral visual impairment resulting in visual processing deficits impacting on visual ability to interpret or functionally use vision in development of orientation, mobility, independence and safety skills.
• Neurological conditions resulting in additional needs such as social, emotional or behaviour difficulties which may be the outcome of an underlying visual condition.

We will undertake assessments in line with deafblind guidance where there is a clinical condition or diagnosis of visual/hearing and/or additional sensory impairment resulting in a dual or multi-sensory impairment.