Visiting Teacher Service

The Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) is provided by specially trained teachers to children who are:

• Blind or visually impaired, or
• Deaf or hard of hearing

The VTS also offers support to parents or guardians and schools.

The VTS support can begin shortly following the birth of the child and continue through primary and post-primary education where appropriate.

The VTS can provide information on available education options and assist parents in choosing a pre-school, primary school or post-primary school for their child.

The Visiting Teacher Service is free of charge.

Visiting teachers work with blind and visually impaired children and provide guidance and support to their parents or guardians. They can assess the effects of visual impairment and can advise on each child’s needs now and in the future.

To support students with visual impairments in mainstream schools (including pre-schools), visiting teachers can advise schools about:

• Educational planning
• Suitable teaching methods
• Classroom management strategies
• Recommended assistive technologies
• Making the environment safer for visually impaired children

Visiting teachers conduct assessments, give advice on equipment commonly used by people who are visually impaired, and advise on additional personnel resources, when needed.

Visiting teachers work with deaf or hard-of-hearing children and provide guidance and support to their parents or guardians. They monitor the child’s language development and communication skills, encouraging development of these through everyday activities, interaction and play.

To support deaf or hard-of-hearing children in mainstream schools (including pre-schools), visiting teachers can advise schools about:

• Educational planning
• Suitable teaching methods
• Classroom management strategies
• Recommended assistive technologies
• The acoustic environment of the classroom to help hard-of-hearing children

Applications for home tuition in sign language should be made to the visiting teacher. You can find contact details for visiting teachers on the National Council for Special Education website.

Visiting teachers can refer children for assessment for low-vision aids and teach the child how to use them. Visiting teachers help children develop tactile and other sensory skills and give advice on self-help skills and other skills needed for independent living.

Visiting teachers can also:

• Provide support in developing pre-Braille skills
• Give some instruction in mobility, or refer the child for more mobility instruction, if appropriate

Visiting teachers evaluate the acoustic environment for deaf or hard-of-hearing children and help them manage audiology equipment.

They also make recommendations and support schools in applying for reasonable accommodations provided by the State Examinations Commission.

The service is free.

There is no fee for the Visiting Teacher Service. It is open to all children living in Ireland who need the service.

Before a child is assessed for the Visiting Teacher Service, you must complete a referral form for the Visiting Teacher Service (MS Word).

You must provide an up-to-date audiology or ophthalmology report, with your form.

You should send the referral application directly to the local Visiting Teacher.

Referrals to the VTS can be made by:

• Parents or guardians
• Schools
• Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Eye clinics
• Vision Ireland
• Chime
• The National Hearing Implant & Viani Research Centre

Any health professional who wishes to refer a child should first discuss their concerns fully with the child's parents or guardians.

The VTS will assess your child to find out if the service is suitable for your child. No child is too young to get a visit from the visiting teacher service

The Visiting Teacher Service will also accept referrals where a child's visual impairment or deafness is not their main disability, but makes their overall situation more challenging.

You can find out more the Visiting Teacher Service on the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) website.