Let's now look at how you might use the UK LMA with an older child who has not previously been exposed to the LMA process. We will look at how Mark, a QTVI with three years experience, assesses Mira who is 9 years old and has recently moved into Mark's Local Authority.
Mark first found out about Mira's arrival at the end of the summer holidays and visited her and her parents at home before Mira starts at her new primary school, English Martyrs.
Mark begins the LMA process by collating as much information as he can for Form 1. On the form Mark summarises the report his Sensory Service has received from the Health Authority. The report indicates that Mira has had High Myopia and Nystagmus in both eyes since early childhood. She was being seen every two years by an ophthalmologist up until 2011, when her distance VA was 6/24. Our recent non-clinical assessment of her functional vision suggest her acuity is currently 6/36 and her near vision enables her to read standard print, although she reports that Point 14 Font Arial is more comfortable for her.
Mira's previous school reports provide little information about her use of vision but indicate that her academic performance is just below average. Mark has tried to contact the QTVI in her previous LA but the QTVI (who is the only QTVI in the authority) has left the authority and has not yet been replaced. Mark has spoken to Mira and her family about her previous schooling and the support she received and spoke with Mira's mother to gain as much information as he can about Mira's vision.
Mark also draws on information provided by Mira's Class teacher about what she thinks about Mira's progress since she joined the class.
Mark fills in Form 1 as best as he can, with a view to adding to it as more information becomes available. Here is Mira's completed Form 1.
Mark then uses Form 2 to conduct observations of Mira's use of her senses during her first two weeks at school. He conducts a ten minute observation in class in a Maths lesson. He pays particular attention to her access to the Interactive Whiteboard and her performance in an angle measuring exercise. He records his observation on Form 2. At breaktime, from a discrete distance, he observes Mira's use of her senses in the playground. On another day he accompanies Mira's class on a short field trip to a local farm and observes her use of senses in this unfamiliar situation. Each time he fills in a fresh Form 2, supplementing his previous observations with fresh comments.
This information is useful to Mark to inform the Functional Vision Analysis that the Service usually carries out with children who are new to the Service. Here is the completed Form 2 that Mark filled in during the Maths lesson.
Mark feels he now has enough information to complete Form 3 about how Mira accesses and responds to distance (beyond arm's length) and near learning materials. In his next visit Mark starts to complete the form and adds to it as he observes and supports Mira in lessons. In each session Mark also observes how Mira responds to the teacher's style of teaching, including her response to gesture, facial expression and demonstrations. Mark uses this information in a discussion with the class teacher about inclusive teaching styles and how to support Mira in Maths and other curriculum areas. Here is Mira's completed Form 3.
Mark then moves on to complete Form 6. Since Mira follows a conventional literacy programme and already has an established literacy medium, Forms 4 and 5 are not required.
The primary purpose of Form 6 is to collate what is known about Mira's literacy performance and to establish whether there is any evidence that a change is required in Mira's primary literacy medium or whether she needs any additional 'tools' added to her 'literacy toolbox'. Mark adds to Form 6 a summary of a Functional Visual Assessment he completed earlier.
On Form 6 Mark would normally add the results of any earlier formal assessments of literacy performance (such as the results of SATS tests), but these are not yet available in Mira's case. For the moment he just records the informal measures he has made with Mira's class teacher of Mira's reading rate and comprehension. The reading rate includes both reading out loud and silent reading rates.
He includes observations on Mira's working distances and font size and lighting preferences. Mark looks at samples of Mira's handwriting in her workbooks, noting that her neatness deteriorates the longer she writes.
Later Mark adds the results of a Neale Analysis of Reading Ability (NARA) - this enables him to compare Mira's reading efficency (speed and accuracy and comprehension) against the norm for her age and the norm for other children with low vision.
Mark then summarises the assessments he has made of Mira's handwriting including information about her ability to read back what she has written after time has elapsed.
In a separate part of Form 6 Mark considers the literacy tools needed by Mira to complete literacy tasks currently and in the future. He concludes that Mira is lacking key skills in this area. Here is Mira's completed Form 6.
Mark then moves on to Form 7
The purpose of this form is to identify the literacy tools the pupil is using independently and those where additional instruction or practice is necessary and to determine the level of instruction and support that is needed to improve current literacy/communication skills and establish new ones.
Using the information he has gathered, Mark then makes a judgement about whether Mira has the variety of reading and writing skills she needs to meet her:
Mark concludes that while Mira is appropriately using print as her primary medium, she will benefit from instruction in touch typing and the use of a laptop with magnification and screen reading facilities. Here is Mira's completed Form 7.
On the basis of his findings Mark returns to Form 1 to add a summary of the findings of the LMA and writes up a report for the school and colleagues in his service.