ChildVision is delighted to announce the opening of our new Low Vision Clinic in Sligo on 17 July, bringing specialist visual assessment and support services closer to children, young people and families across the North West. Located at Old Nazareth House, Church Hill, Sligo, F91 A243, the new clinic will provide access to ChildVision’s highly specialised Functional Visual Assessment (FVA) service, helping families better understand how a child uses their vision in everyday life and identify the supports they need to thrive.

Understanding Functional Visual Assessment
A Functional Visual Assessment (FVA) looks beyond what a child can read on an eye chart. Instead, it focuses on how a child uses their vision during everyday activities such as:

Playing and interacting with others

Learning and accessing educational materials

Moving safely around their environment

Recognising people, objects and faces

Completing daily tasks independently

The assessment provides valuable insights into a child’s visual strengths and challenges, helping families, teachers and professionals understand how vision impacts participation in everyday life.

Supporting Children with Visual Processing Difficulties
ChildVision also supports children, young people and young adults who may experience difficulties processing visual information, even when eye examinations indicate that their eyes are healthy.
This includes young people who may have an undiagnosed Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI). CVI is one of the most under-recognised forms of visual impairment and is associated with a range of conditions affecting brain development and function.
Where concerns remain about how a child or young person uses and interprets visual information despite receiving a clear ophthalmological assessment, ChildVision can provide specialist assessment and support to identify previously unrecognised visual processing difficulties.Our goal is to help maximise participation, independence and overall quality of life.

Practical Support for Children, Families and Professionals
Following assessment, ChildVision provides tailored recommendations based on each child’s individual needs. These may include:

Strategies to improve access to learning

Advice on adapting classroom and home environments

Guidance on selecting appropriate educational resources

Recommendations to support mobility and independence

Support with communication and participation in everyday activities

We work closely with families to help them understand their child’s visual strengths and needs, offering practical ideas that can be incorporated into daily life at home and in the community.
ChildVision also supports teachers, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), therapists and other professionals through training, consultation and ongoing advice, helping to ensure that recommended strategies are implemented consistently across all settings.

Our aim is to empower everyone involved in a child’s life with the knowledge, understanding and confidence to create environments where they can access learning, build independence, develop confidence and participate fully alongside their peers.

Did You Know?
Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) can affect children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and those born prematurely. Because CVI often occurs alongside other developmental or neurological conditions, it can sometimes go unrecognised despite normal eye health.

Early identification and appropriate support can make a significant difference to a child’s ability to learn, navigate their environment and participate in everyday activities.

Referrals and Further Information
Referrals to the new Sligo Low Vision Clinic can be made through the ChildVision website: Referral Form.

For further information, please contact:
Niamh Duffy
niamhduffy@childvision.ie

Clinic Address
ChildVision Low Vision Clinic
Old Nazareth House
Church Hill
Sligo
F91 A243

The opening of our Sligo clinic marks an important step in improving access to specialist low vision services for families across Ireland.

To be the first to hear about new clinic locations, services and updates, be sure to follow ChildVision on social media and keep an eye on our website.

We look forward to welcoming families to our new Sligo clinic from 17 July and continuing to support children and young people to achieve their full potential.