Vision Rehabilitation (Low Vision Support)
Some children have permanent vision loss that glasses or surgery cannot fully correct.
The Cincinnati Children's Vision Rehabilitation Program is led by Terry Schwartz, MD and helps children make the most of their remaining vision.
We provide:
- Thorough evaluation of vision
- Low vision devices, tools, technology
- Literacy assessment
- Advocacy
- Help with classroom accommodations
- Mobility screening
- Links to other community resources
Children ages 3–21 can participate with a referral from a teacher or health care provider.
Pediatric Low Vision Program
Sometimes the solution to a child’s vision issues can be as simple as glasses or contacts. Other times, things are more serious and call for more specialized care. That’s where the Pediatric Low Vision Program can help.
Conditions We Treat
If your child has serious limitations in their vision – or if you suspect they might – your child may need the coordinated, interdisciplinary care that only our clinic offers. Our unique approach uncovers ways a child, their family, and their school can capitalize on each child’s usable vision. We get this 360-degree view of your child’s vision by bringing the eye doctor together with occupational therapists (OTs), certified orientation & mobility (O&M) specialists, and specialized teachers of students with visual impairment (TVI).
Why Choose Us
Our Interdisciplinary Team of Pediatric Experts
At each clinic, your child will meet our in-house TVI, an O&M professional, and, of course, our eye doctor & technician. All of them work together to make your child feel safe and valued, and work with them to find out what makes their vision tick, and how to help them best access the visual environment.
Integration with Your Child’s School
If your child is educated outside the home and has a teacher (like a TVI or TSVI, etc.) or other professional who works with them on their vision, we can include them in the assessment in-person or you are welcome to FaceTime them at no charge. We find this “closed-circuit” approach drives positive change in our kids’ schools by way of successful application of our team’s recommendations.
Relationships with Community Partners
We live by the old saying, “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” In some circumstances, your child may need additional things that our team cannot directly supply, which is why we collaborate with area blindness nonprofits, adaptive sports providers, braille producers, and others who can offer quality, vetted products and services that help raise your child’s quality of life.
Treating the Whole Child
Your child is not just a patient to us. We recognize that all young people have rights, responsibilities, passions, and dreams (regardless of abilities and disabilities). We see it as our mission to treat them as such.
An “Easy” Visit
We pride ourselves on being both light-hearted and child-centered. Typical visits include active and passive observation of your child’s vision through a comprehensive vision assessment. We base our targeted 1-1.5- hour visits on one-on-one conversations about how to work within the young person’s usable vision. Normally, your child will not receive eye drops during this visit, and you will not even see a lab coat or a stethoscope.
No-Cost Vision Aids
During your time with us, we may discover your child could experience improved school or social activities by using things like a lap desk, monocular telescope, magnifying, or lighting devices. If that’s the case, we will provide them for you on the spot for you to take home at no cost to you.
Making an Appointment
Your child’s eye doctor or another healthcare or school professional can refer your child for a low vision evaluation with our team. After we receive and review the referral, our office will let you know that you are on our waitlist.
To be eligible, your child must meet our medical guidelines, and we need a copy of a full eye exam completed within the past year.
To get started, call us at 513-636-3513 or email pediatriclowvision@cchmc.org. A member of our team will help you through each step.
Please note: Email is not a secure or private way to share personal health information.
Preparing for Your Visit
There are just a few simple steps to help us get ready for your child’s low vision evaluation:
- If we don’t already have them, please share your child’s most recent eye exam records. You can tell us where to request them or simply ask your provider to fax them to 513-636-7911. Please have them include “Pediatric Low Vision Program.”
- If your child hasn’t had an eye exam in the past year, we can help you find an eye doctor, or you may visit one in your community. Please ask them to send the results to us. These records help us place your child in the right clinic.
- Think about how your child uses their vision at home, at school, and in the community and be prepared to share any changes or habits you’d like to share with us.
- Let us know if there are other specialists (vision or education) you’d like to join the visit, either in person or virtually. We can help coordinate that.
- If your child wears glasses or contact lenses, please bring them.
- If you’re bringing a young child, feel free to bring favorite toys or comfort items.
- If you’re traveling from far away, our Concierge Services team can help with planning your trip, including travel, lodging and local activities.
On the Day of Your Visit
Our low vision clinics bring together specialists from across Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and from across the tri-state area and beyond.
Because of this, appointments are limited and can be filled quickly and may be hard to reschedule. We appreciate your patience, as many families are waiting to be seen.
- Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for parking and check-in.
- Double-check your appointment location: clinics are held at three different sites.
- Call us as soon as possible if you are running late or need to reschedule.
- Visits usually last 60–90 minutes, and late arrivals may need to be rescheduled.
- Repeated last-minute cancellations or missed appointments may affect your place on the waitlist.
At Your Appointment
Your child and family will meet with a team of specialists who work together to understand your child’s vision and recommend helpful supports:
- A pediatric low vision eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) who specializes in either eye-related or brain-based low vision
- A technician who helps measure and record your child’s vision
- An occupational therapist who teaches tools, technology and ways to make the most of your child’s vision
- An orientation and mobility specialist who helps with safe movement and navigation
- A teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) who supports learning and school success and can coordinate with your child’s school team
Each specialist brings a different perspective and the team works together before, during, and after the visit to create a complete care plan for your child.
After Your Visit
About two weeks after your appointment, you’ll receive a detailed vision report. We can also share it with your child’s eye doctor, primary care provider, teacher, or anyone else you choose.
If needed, we’ll help connect you with additional services such as behavioral health, adaptive sports and recreation, school supports, job-related resources, bioptic driving programs and more.
Contact Us
For more information on the Pediatric Low Vision Program:
- Please have your child’s eye doctor fax your child’s most recent vision exam report to the attention of the Pediatric Low Vision Program to 513-636-7911.
- Email* us at pediatriclowvision@cchmc.org at any time.
- Call the department office at 513-636-3513.
*Please remember that information sent via email is not secure or confidential.
