When Ellie was first seen by our Special Schools Eye Care Service in May 2022, she was already under hospital care for her vision. But no one realised just how much more could be done to support her sight by being seen in a place that felt familiar, with people she knows and trusts. 

Ellie is significantly long-sighted, with a high prescription and astigmatism, which means without glasses she would struggle to see clearly, especially up close. She had already been given hospital glasses, but her sight was still not quite right. 

Thanks to the growing trust between local hospitals and our team of optometrists and eye care professionals, Ellie was formally discharged from hospital eye care services and transferred into the care of our Special School Eye Care Service. 

The team discovered something new - Ellie’s eye muscles had difficulty adjusting focus from far to near. It meant she was still straining when reading or doing close work, even though her glasses corrected her distance vision. 

Being seen in a familiar environment like school really helped. For many children with learning disabilities and autism, a clinical setting can feel unfamiliar and unsettling. But in school, children are with people they trust, in a place they know. This helped the team get the results they needed - something that might not have been possible in a high street optician’s or hospital clinic. 

The solution? Bifocal glasses, designed to support both near and distance vision. Typically, hospital eye care services always put drops in children's eyes that temporarily paralyse the muscles used for focussing for near work, which makes it challenging to assess near work. Our full assessment, and the benefit of seeing Ellie in her school environment, meant she got exactly what she needed. 

“She’s adapted really well to them. Sometimes bifocals can take some getting used to, but Ellie wears hers full time now,” says Malvi, our Special Schools Eyecare Service Clinical Lead 

Her mum, Michelle, was over the moon: 

“SeeAbility have been great with my daughter, and even better that they come to the school to check her eyes. Ellie recently came home with new glasses - even getting off school transport she said, ‘Mum, look!’ She was so happy with them. They were very pretty glasses with little hearts on the arms. Ellie wears her glasses all the time - they fit her perfectly, so thank you.” 

This is what our Eye Care Service in special schools is all about - making sure children like Ellie don’t fall through the cracks. Early detection of issues, expert support, and helping children thrive educationally, socially and emotionally, and all of it happens within a space that’s familiar and safe, their school. 

Our team has now supported over 4,000 children like Ellie and provided more than 2,000 pairs of glasses. Her story is just one - but it shows how seeing clearly, in the right place, with the right support, can open up their world.