Abstract
Vision problems can lead to negative developmental outcomes. Children with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome are at higher risk of vision problems, and these are less likely to be detected due to diagnostic overshadowing and difficulty accessing eye-care. Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are statutory documents, introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 in England, with the intention of integrating provision across these domains. Vision issues should be reported in these plans, and recommendations made about appropriate adjustments for them. We analysed the EHC plans from 53 children with Down or Williams syndrome. Our results showed significant underreporting, especially for children with Williams syndrome, and little explanation of what adjustments should be made. We also report pockets of good practice.
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Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the parents and children who shared their Education, Health and Care plans with us for this study, and the Williams syndrome Foundation for funding this project. We would also like to thank Donna O’Brien and Sonal Rughani for their helpful discussions and feedback.
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Harvey, H., Ashworth, M., Palikara, O. et al. The Underreporting of Vision Problems in Statutory Documents of Children with Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 4553–4556 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04520-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04520-5