Area 9: Health: Social, Emotional, Mental and Physical Wellbeing

This area of the framework recognises that children and young people with vision impairment need targeted teaching to support the development of their mental and emotional resilience in a world that should be inclusive (Area 1), as well as their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. This area is important for all children and young people with vision impairment, across the full spectrum of developmental and communication stages. This area includes working with the family of the child/young person, as well as providing support to professionals to ensure the needs of the child/young person are understood.

For more information regarding this element of the framework, please download the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) and accompanying guidance.

Examples of targeted intervention approaches

Access to specialist support, such as mentoring or counselling. This should include support for children and young people across a wide range of developmental and communication stages, and those whom English/Welsh is not their first language.
Supporting early attachment and relationship building, emotional development and emotional resilience, including signposting to other services. This includes supporting the child/young person to understand different types of emotions and knowing how to respond if things go wrong.
Developing self-advocacy and problem solving skills.
Self-confidence, self-efficacy and agency, ensuring children and young people with vision impairment feel that they can have an influence and impact on their world and on the decisions that are made regarding their education and life.
Self-awareness, e.g. recognising and understanding anxiety and depression.
Self-esteem, recognition of strengths.
Social skills, including awareness of social norms and awareness of non-verbal cues which may be missed and confidence to interact with others independently.
Personal identity, and the potential benefits of meeting others with vision impairment.
Understanding of vision impairment, including being able to:
- communicate with others about their vision impairment and how it affects their experiences, needs and requirements;
- respond to questions regarding their vision impairment;
- correct assumptions others make about their needs and experiences;
- participate in health related appointments as independently as possible.
Acceptance of vision impairment – establishing one’s own identity in relation vision impairment and disability.
Making and maintaining relationships (attachments, familial, peer and romantic).
Sex education.
Participation in sport/social activities, including supported access to disability sports groups for children/young people with complex physical/learning/VI needs.
Personal safety – keeping yourself safe as an individual with a vision impairment.

Use of resources in practice

When using resources signposted via or downloaded from RNIB Bookshare, consideration should be given to any health and safety risks that might be involved and it is the responsibility of the user of these resources to undertake an appropriate risk assessment where applicable. RNIB assumes no responsibility or liability to the extent permitted by law for any injury, loss or damage incurred as a result of any use or reliance upon the information and material contained within or downloaded from RNIB Bookshare.

Resources:

Developing emotional resilience

Paths to Literacy Blog: Building Resilience in the Home and at School (External). US website with a range of resources about teaching students with vision impairment. Blog post about emotional resilience in CYPVI with specific strategies to promote the development of resilience.
RNIB: Developing emotional competence (PPT, 390KB) (External). PowerPoint presentation on ways to help CYPVI develop emotional resilience, from Dr Gail Bailey, Child Psychology Consultant. Presented at the RNIB Independence Conference (2013). Hosted on VIEW website.
Mary Kitzinger Trust: MKT Newsletter February 2019 (External). Mary Kitzinger Trust focuses on the psychology of children and young people with vision impairment or those with developmental disabilities. This newsletter includes a number of articles on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in children with vision impairment.
LOOK UK: How to Stay positive (External). Tips from LOOK UK mentors for CYPVI on how to stay positive.
RNIB: Emotional support for children and young people with vision impairment - podcasts for parents and carers (External). RNIB have produced a series of podcasts for parents and carers about emotional support for CYPVI. Includes talking to CYP about their sight condition. Although aimed at parents and carers, they may also be of interest to QTVIs and other professionals.
UCAN: videos on social and emotional wellbeing (External). UCAN is a creative and performing arts cooperative for young people with vision impairment. This is UCAN's Vimeo channel, where they publish videos on a range of topics of interest to young people, parents and carers.
Sight Scotland: Mindfulness for pupils with visual impairment and complex needs (External). This video demonstrates strategies that can be used to help children and young people with a VI and complex needs to relax. It looks at breathing techniques, body awareness and the use of sensory stories.

Developing Self-Advocacy and Problem Solving Skills

Guide Dogs: Self-advocacy for young people with a vision impairment (External). A guide on how to self-advocate for young people and for parents to share with a younger child, to give them tips for when you’re not around.
Look UK: Advocating for your needs when you transition to Further Education (External). Tips from a young person regarding transition to further education. The page also includes a question and answer video lead by young people.

Downloadable Resources

Milton Keynes Sensory Team “I Believe in Me" Self-Advocacy Programme

This self-advocacy programme was designed to help support children with a vision impairment transition from primary school Year 6 to secondary school.

Personal identity, understanding and acceptance of VI

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: information for children (External). Moorfields has produced information for children about eye conditions, how the eye works, tests and treatments, and eye health. May also be of interest to QTVIs and other professionals.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: information for teenagers (External) Moorfields has produced information for teenagers about eye conditions, how the eye works, tests and treatments, and eye health. May also be of interest to QTVIs and other professionals.
National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation: teen spotlight (External). This US National Organisation for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has developed content for teenagers.
Albinism Fellowship UK and Ireland: FAQs (External). Albinism Fellowship has some FAQs about Albinism (teachers and parents could adapt for children and young people).
Visual Impairment Network for Children & Young People (scot.nhs.uk) External). The Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People (VINCYP) in Scotland explains a wide range of sight conditions in accessible and straightforward language. Would be of interest to parents and young people, QTVIs and other professionals.
LOOK: peer mentoring (External) LOOK provide peer mentors for those with a visual impairment. The mentors come from a variety of backgrounds and have different VI needs and experiences. They are committed to supporting other young people with VI. Here, you can find more information about mentoring and how the service can be accessed.
LOOK: How to talk to your child about Usher Syndrome (External). In this article, LOOK provides advice and information from clinical psychologist Dr Ian McCubbin for parents on how to talk to their child about Usher Syndrome. Includes issues of self esteem, confidence, resilience and identity.
RNIB: Tough Talks: talking to children about sight loss (External) RNIB’s ‘Tough Talks’ guidance for parents on how to talk to their child about his/her vision impairment. In developing the guide, the authors spoke to parents of children with VI and young people and adults with VI about what was most helpful to them.
RNIB: Aiming High for Children With Low Vision (External). Article explaining the importance of low vision assessments, what they are and how they are important to supporting the child's independence and emotional wellbeing.

Social skills

Perkins School for the Blind: Five ways to help a child who is blind develop social skills (External) Developing social skills in students who are blind (External). US school hosting a range of resources about teaching students with vision impairment. This page offers some suggestions and activities for helping children who are blind develop social skills.
Perkins eLearning: Social Skills for Children and Youth with Visual Impairment (External). An eLearning module on teaching social skills to children with vision impairment, from this US school. Aimed at QTVIs.
RNIB: How to Make Sure Learners With Vision Impairment are Socially Included (External). Article on making sure learners with vision impairment are socially included. This article focuses on learners with additional needs and gives tips and suggested resources to use.
RNIB: Inclusive Playground Games all Children can Enjoy (External). RNIB offers practical tips on ensuring the playground is accessible to all children. The article includes information on toys and activities, getting the space right and making sure the space is safe for the child to run around. Published 2016.
RNIB: Improve the Experience of School Lunch (External). Article discusses how to improve the experience of lunch for a child with vision impairment. The article covers: accessing the menu, what is on the child's plate, from support to independence and 5 ways to make lunch pleasant. Published 2015.

Downloadable Resources

Wiltshire Sensory Service Eye Believe in You (External). This is a social and emotional intervention programme designed over the last 10 years by the Vision Support Service in Wiltshire and shared with many local authorities; it was featured in VIEW Teach (issue 2 2020). It is be used by an adult (with VI training/knowledge from sensory service) with a child/young person (CYP) in hourly sessions over 6 weeks. It includes: how the eyes work, the CYP’s own eye condition/s, improving self-advocacy, how CYP prefer to be supported, and equipment they use to access learning. CYP also get to practice difficult questions and how to react in a range of situations. At course end the CYP can make an optional presentation with the help of the course facilitator. It also includes a 3-week transition programme to help CYP moving from Primary to Secondary school. Designed mostly for mainstream settings it has been also used/ adapted for CYP with more complex needs. Wiltshire Sensory Service Eye Believe in You (External) the original version has been adapted for use with a screen reader. This may be useful for adults with a vision impairment (VI) working in schools or for those working with CYP who are SSI/Blind.

Planning, Teaching and Assessment Resources

Making relationships and sex education

Guide Dogs: buddy dogs for children (External). Information about their Buddy Dogs for Children Services.
VIEW and LOOK - webinar for professionals on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) (External). Recording on YouTube of a webinar for QTVIs and education support staff.

Participation in sport/social activities, including supported access to disability sports groups for children/young people with complex physical/learning/VI needs

UK Government: Physical activity guidelines: disabled children and disabled young people (External) The UK Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for disabled children and young people (2022). The information is available in braille: details on how to obtain a braille copy is on the website.

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