How do the Vision Educators at Partners for Pediatric Vision and the Eye Doctors work together?
Pediatric eye doctors specialize in diagnosing visual impairment and if glasses, surgery or other visual aids may be beneficial. Doctors with training in Low Vision specialize in determining the extent of a child’s functional vision. They prescribe glasses or other low vision devices like hand held or video magnifiers or telescopes to allow a child to use their vision to the greatest extent possible.
Our partner eye doctors also provide recommendations for how to help a child strengthen the use of their vision in cases where vision can improve. During the exam, our Vision Educators provide suggestions and demonstrate activities that help children with learning accommodations. Families are given information, resources and guidance about their child's diagnosis and follow up education and support services are ongoing until a child turns 18.
Vision Educators currently work alongside Low Vision Optometrists at these pediatric eye clinics:
University Eye Center at Ketchum Health
5460 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 463-7500
University Eye Center at Ketchum Health
3916 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90037
(323) 234-9137
Here's what our partner pediatric doctors say about working with PPV:
“We love working with PPV! The Vision Educators provide a value-added experience for our patient’s as well as valuable support services for parents. Partners for Pediatric Vision provides such amazing follow-up for our families and brings a closer connection to our clinic and the services we provide. Additionally, our collaboration helps our young doctors learn the educational perspective needed to treat children with visual impairment and understand how to work closely with early interventionists and school districts to provide necessary services. It’s a wonderful partnership and it has changed the way we work with families."
Catherine Heyman, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Associate Professor, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs,
Southern CA College of Optometry Marshall B. Ketchum University
“I’ve worked with Tori for many years with children and young adults who have impaired vision. Partners for Pediatric Vision (PPV) is a local nonprofit that provides patients and their family members with academic support, activities of daily living services, and family emotional support as the child/young adult (as well as their parents) navigates life with chronic eye disease or systemic health conditions with vision sequelae. Her team is highly skilled in working with infants, children, and young adults so they can learn compensatory strategies at an early age to reach their potential in academic & daily life. With the parent’s consent, I arrange for them to meet Tori & her team virtually during my Low Vision Exams. Oftentimes, parents are so relieved when they discover there’s an organization to help their child navigate daily life and learn what academic accommodations are available. Parents often don’t realize there’s trained therapists and personnel that work with people who have impaired vision including young people with special needs.”
Linda Pang, O.D.
Low Vision Optometrist & Medical Optometrist
Kaiser Permanente