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RNIB Children’s Services

Conference: Visual Impairment and Autism

Date:              Monday 28^th February

Venue:        Create Centre, Bristol

Cost:              £125 professionals / £45 parents

The relationship between visual impairment and autism is a matter of considerable debate among professionals working with children with complex needs. This conference provides an important opportunity to discuss the similarities and differences between the two disabilities in terms of causes, behaviours and teaching approaches.

Speakers include:

•         Professor Linda Pring - Chair in Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London

•         Ros Gibbons - Deputy Head, Wandsworth VI Specialist Teaching Service

•         Adam Ockelford - Deputy Director, RNIB Education and Employment

Chair: Judy Bell - Schools' Partnership Officer, RNIB

Speaker biographies

Professor Linda Pring - Specific areas of interest include: cognitive psychology - including cognitive neuropsychology - with an emphasis on reading and memory; the psychology of visual handicap; and talent and intelligence in relation to autism and savant syndrome.

Professor Pring recently headed a European Science Foundation funded research project, with an international group of experts from Europe and the United States, looking at tactile graphics for use by children and adults with visual impairments. She is the author of 'Autism and Blindness: Research and Reflections' (September 2004) 

Linda will be discussing the similarities and differences between autism and blindness from the cognitive and biological perspective.

Ros Gibbons - Ros has worked for many years at Linden Lodge School in London and, more recently, as Deputy Head of the Wandsworth VI Specialist Teaching Service. She is also a Regional Tutor for the University of Birmingham mandatory training course for teachers of children with visual impairment and has recently completed a Masters degree focusing on the needs of children with visual impairment and autism.

Ros will be looking at inclusion and how best to support children, either within a specialist provision or mainstream class, communication and behaviour, and the issues surrounding dual diagnosis.

Judy Bell

Judy Bell has worked in the field of visual impairment and multiple disability for many years, most recently as Headteacher of RNIB Sunshine School in Southport and acting head of RNIB Rushton Hall School. She also led RNIB's Schools Partnership scheme to promote good practice in visual impairment in SLD schools, which resulted in the two key publications 'Exploring Access' and 'Exploring Quality'.

In addition, other professionals in the field will be running practical workshops to explore the various issues surrounding visual impairment and autism.

Who should attend:

Teachers, support staff and multi-agency professionals working with children and young people with visual impairment and/or autism, paediatricians and parents.

For further information and an application form, please call

0117 934 1704 or e-mail: E&ESouthWest@rnib.org.uk