An investigation into the process and impact of introducing the ‘colour coded eye’ to learning assistants working with pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties and cerebral visual impairment

Abstract

With vision being our most powerful sense and cerebral vision impairment (CVI) being a growing concern in our special schools, it is crucial that support staff working with children have a thorough understanding of both CVI and how to support their individual levels of functional vision. Creating an inspiring new innovation to support learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) was the focus of this research. Using an approach provided by the Education Endowment Foundation, questionnaires were given to all 49 support staff; training via PowerPoint was then provided to volunteer participants who also spent time using the innovation in the classroom. The main findings were that the training increased participants’ overall confidence in CVI and how to support learners with a visual impairment. Using the innovation in the classroom also positively impacted the participants’ daily practice. Potential challenges such as ensuring staff all have a thorough understanding of the innovation and having a suitable learning environment for visual work were identified.