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4. SCHOOL AND CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS School choice for the child with VI is made according to the current impairment and prognosis of development. Another factor, which needs to be taken into consideration is the level of the intellectual development of a child.The final decision depends on the parents who shall discuss the issue with special teacher or psychologist from the special educational centre. Some specialists prefer to begin with inclusive education directly in the first year at school, which allows contact with other children (able-bodied and with disabilities) of the same age. Other professionals may prefer to postpone inclusive education to the second level of primary education (grade 5), after ensuring that basic learning and social skills have been learned with support of special education and special teachers. It is not easy to generalize the consequences of visual impairment to the child’s development. Particular needs differ from every child and depend on many factors such us personality, aetiology, level of impairment and related problems. In most cases, visual impairment had been diagnosed long time before the child enters school. That means the children and their families were in contact with the support system (early intervention centres) and after that with special educational centres. Starting school attendance is generally important social goal, where the child gets a new role and social status. For children with visual impairment is it also the confirmation of their level of sameness or otherness, as special school is often understood as the symbol of disability. Both solutions, placing a child to a special or mainstream school, may be problematic and lead to stress of the child. Typically, children with visual impairment start compulsory education a year later (at the age of seven). The reasons are usually due to lack of abilities, knowledge and skills related with physical development and social skills. It is also strongly recommended that children with VI attend kindergarten at least for one year (mainstream or special) to gain the skills and abilities needed for successful school education.
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