The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind Outreach Department offers vision services to young children who are blind or visually impaired. These services are provided through collaboration with the Community Centered Boards (CCBs) in the Pikes Peak, south and southeast areas of Colorado.
Who can make a referral?
- Family member
- Medical provider, such as
- ophthalmologist
- optometrist
- primary care physician
Where to make a referral?
What to expect after the referral?
The next step would be an assessment of the child’s needs facilitated by school district Child Find personnel in collaboration with staff from the local CCB. The Early Intervention Colorado guidelines in the area of vision determine if the child qualifies for vision services. A medical diagnosis of a vision condition as determined by an ophthalmologist is required for a child to receive vision services.
We qualify, what are the next steps?
- CCB or the local school district Child Find team will facilitate a service plan meeting
- services may continue in a home-based environment until the goals established for the child are met or the child reaches three years of age
- transition plan for the child to enter preschool services would be developed with the family, CCB providers, staff from the local district and the teacher of the blind/visually impaired
The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind may assign a teacher of the blind/visually impaired to provide the home intervention services for the following CCBs (counties in parenthesis):
- Colorado Bluesky Enterprises (Pueblo)
- Inspiration Field (Crowley / Otero / Bent)
- Southeastern Developmental Services (Baca / Bent / Kiowa / Prowers)
- Southern Colorado Developmental Services (Huerfano / Las Animas)
- Starpoint (Chaffee / Custer / Fremont)
- The Resource Exchange (El Paso / Park / Teller)
Team Members
Sara Noel, M.A.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Certified Low Vision Therapist