Who is eligible for LightHouse Little Learners services?
LightHouse Little Learners serves families of infants, birth to three years of age, who are blind or have low vision, are deafblind, have neurological visual impairment, such as Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI); or whose developmental delays include blindness or low vision.
Cerebral Visual Impairment, also known as CVI, is the most frequent cause of visual impairment during childhood in industrialized countries, including the United States.
- CVI refers to damage to the visual brain that leads to disordered vision and/or disordered visual perception of any type or severity. Eyes may be fine.
- Each young child who has a CVI diagnosis may have very different characteristics from another.
- A child with CVI served by LightHouse Little Learners may have reduced visual acuity, difficulty picking out an object or person within a busy visual background, face recognition may be absent; the child may also have reduced contrast sensitivity or color perception. Visually guided movement may be affected, such as inaccurate reach, as well as difficulty with spatial awareness or how the child positions themselves in space.
What services does LightHouse Little Learners provide?
LightHouse Little Learners is a home-based, family-centered early intervention program provided in the family’s home and community.
Specialists in blindness and low vision provide information about the child’s visual diagnosis and partners with the family to adapt play-based activities and daily routines to encourage the child to participate at their level.
Services are provided in-person when permitted and/or by video tele-practice such as Zoom.
If the child attends daycare or an early intervention program, Little Learners Specialists will consult with the program staff so the child can take part as fully as possible in daily routines and activities.
Specialists accompany families during the child’s important medical appointments (such as pediatric ophthalmology and neurology visits) when needed.
The LightHouse Little Learners Specialist is a full member of the child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Team.
What counties are served by LightHouse Little Learners?
LightHouse Little Learners Program plans to offer services throughout northern and central California.
Please inquire if LightHouse Little Learners Program has services in your area.
Is there a cost to families for LightHouse Little Learner services?
There is no cost to families for LightHouse Little Learners Program services.
LLL participates in the California Early Start system and is a vendor for the Regional Center which provides funding to agencies that provide services to families of children who are eligible.
In the future, LLL will receive funding for services to families of children, birth to three years of age, who are eligible for services from Local Education Agencies such as school districts or county offices of education.
Where can I find more information and make an inquiry about LightHouse Little Learners?
The LightHouse website is a great place to get information about LightHouse Little Learners.
We welcome your inquiries by phone:
Direct dial number: 415.694.7657
Video Phone: 415-255-5906
By email: littlelearners@lighthouse-sf.org
