Low Vision Evaluations

Over 30% of children’s vision disorders are missed.
According to a study by the National Institute of Health, nearly one third of America’s preschoolers fall through the cracks of vision screenings. Meeting Street recognizes the prevalence of vision problems in children of all ages and the limitations of many vision screenings, which is why our evaluations are conducted by an Optometrist specializing in pediatric low vision and a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. The goal of our low vision evaluation is to help a child and his or her family members and service providers understand the child’s visual functioning in order to maximize independence, learning, development and quality of life.

Children who may benefit from a low vision clinical evaluation may:

Referral process
Before obtaining a low vision evaluation at Meeting Street, you need to see an ophthalmologist for a medical examination of your child’s eyes. With these results, our low vision clinic is able to provide you with the information, resources, support, and strategies to help your child see and move through his or her world with maximum independence. Once you have a medical diagnosis from an ophthalmologist and your referral packet is complete, we can schedule you for an appointment.

If your child is enrolled in school, please speak to your school teacher or district’s special education department to discuss your child’s vision needs. Through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 process, your child’s educational team can recommend a low vision clinical evaluation and contract with our clinic to provide this service in a timely manner.

If your child is under the age of 3, you can access our Low Vision Clinic at no cost through your child’s Early Intervention (EI) program. If you are not currently involved in an EI program, Meeting Street can offer these services to you. If you have concerns about your child’s vision, please contact Meeting Street’s Early Intervention program at (401) 533-9104. Early Intervention programs have direct access to no cost evaluations that are conducted here at Meeting Street in conjunction with the State of Rhode Island’s Office of Services for the Blind.

Payment Information
Meeting Street does not accept insurance or Medicaid for low vision evaluations. Direct, self-pay is accepted. If your child’s IEP team recommends an evaluation, we will contract directly with your child’s school district to provide these services.