Preschool Visually Impaired Children: A Demographic Study

Abstract

Intervention services for preschool visually impaired children are known to be critical, but identification and referral must occur before services can be provided. With the passage of P.L. 99-457, services are now mandatory for handicapped children from birth. This study examined a number of demographic factors related to the population of handicapped preschoolers who are visually impaired. Among the data collected were the number of children, their visual diagnoses, the source of referral, the types of services provided, the certification of teachers, and how P.L. 99-457 is perceived to be related to visually impaired infants and young children.