Vision Education & Services

A teacher works with a visually impaired young boy.

RIVESP helps students who are:

Blind
Have low vision or
Other vision challenges like Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI)

We provide:

Direct instruction to teach important skills
Consultation services to support learning in the classroom

Our team works with students ages 3 to 22 in schools across Rhode Island.

Eligibility, assessment and referrals

Who can get a vision assessment?

A visually impaired student reads a braille book as a teacher sits next to him.

The request must come from the school district.

A child can get a vision assessment if they are visually impaired.

Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

A child can also get an assessment if they have an eye condition that may get worse over time.

An eye specialist (ophthalmologist) should confirm a diagnosis. This report should explain the child’s vision and include eye test results. e request of a parent, teacher or administrator.

What is a Functional Vision Assessment and why is it important?

A teacher works with a visually impaired young boy wearing glasses in a classroom as another child looks on.

Students referred to RIVESP may receive a Functional Vision Assessment (FVA). A certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) completes this assessment.

The FVA helps find out if a student’s vision affects how they learn in school. The TVI may look at how the student:

Reads and writes
Uses classroom materials
Works in different classroom settings
Uses glasses or other vision tools

The FVA gives ideas for:

Accommodations
Modifications
Or special teaching that helps the student learn and access the general curriculum on their own.

The TVI may also complete a Learning Media Assessment (LMA).

The LMA helps decide the best ways for the student to read, write, and learn.

This may include

print
braille
audio
other tools

A student may use more than one learning method, and their needs may change over time.

How can I submit a referral?

A young girl sits in a chair reading a braille book.

The request must come from the school district.

The supporting documents include:

Referral form
District “Consent to Evaluate” form or prior written notice (if applicable)
Eye report from ophthalmologist (required)
Eye report from optometrist
RIVESP “Authorization for Release of Confidential Information” form
Current IEP or 504 Plan (if applicable)
Medical reports (if applicable)
Other reports (OT, PT, educational, prior FVA/LMA/O&M assessments etc.)

Please include any additional information that may be helpful to our providers.

Referral Form and Releases

Online Referral Form

Release of Information Form (English)

Release of Information Form (Spanish)

Districts must submit all referrals using the online form. If you do not have the required information or require assistance, please contact Stefanie Davit at sdavit@ric.edu or call 401-456-8752.

After sending the referral request

RIVESP coordinator will contact the school district
The start date depends on when a certified TVI is available.

The school district is still responsible for providing services using all available resources to do so.