SOCIAL RESEARCH NUMBER: 39/2019 PUBLICATION DATE: 12/09/2019 A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of educational interventions to support children and young people with vision impairment Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg. This document is also available in Welsh. © Crown Copyright Digital ISBN 978-1-83933-152-7 A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of educational interventions to support children and young people with vision impairment Author(s): Graeme Douglas, Mike McLinden, Liz Ellis, Rachel Hewett, Liz Hodges, Emmanouela Terlektsi, Angela Wootten, Jean Ware* Lora Williams* University of Birmingham and Bangor University* Full Research Report: < Douglas, G. et al (2019). A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of educational interventions to support children and young people with vision impairment. Cardiff: Welsh Government, GSR report number 39/2019.> Available at: https://gov.wales/rapid-evidence-assessment-effectiveness- educational-interventions-support-children-and-young-people-visual-impairment Views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and not necessarily those of the Welsh Government For further information please contact: David Roberts Social Research and Information Division Welsh Government Sarn Mynach Llandudno Junction LL31 9RZ 0300 062 5485 [email protected] Table of contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 5 2. Methodology ........................................................................................................ 13 Stage 1: Literature search and inclusion/exclusion criteria framework ................. 13 Stage 2: Refining the search ................................................................................ 16 Stage 3 and 4: Assessing the quality and Data extraction .................................... 22 3. Characteristics of the evidence ............................................................................ 30 4. Intervention summaries ........................................................................................ 38 Communication ..................................................................................................... 39 Literacy ................................................................................................................. 45 Low vision training ................................................................................................ 58 Teaching strategies (including mathematics) ........................................................ 64 Access to examinations ........................................................................................ 71 Mobility and independence ................................................................................... 73 Social and emotional functioning .......................................................................... 79 Use of technology ................................................................................................. 83 Teaching support .................................................................................................. 85 Inclusion ............................................................................................................... 87 Welsh language .................................................................................................... 89 5. Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 92 Overview of the evidence ..................................................................................... 92 Reflections upon the type of available evidence ................................................... 95 Definitions of interventions, the role of assessment and educational specialists .. 97 Navigating the balance between educational strategies ....................................... 99 Implications for Wales ......................................................................................... 104 6. Bibliography of REA evidence ............................................................................ 106 7. Annex A: Database sources, search terms and data extraction ......................... 116 1 List of tables Table 1: Vision impairment educational strategies – summary descriptions of 13 educational strategies .................................................................................. 14 Table 2: Number of results from each database for each sensory field, plus totals after removing duplicates............................................................................. 16 Table 3: Working definitions of categorisation of sources ........................................ 18 Table 4: Vision impairment interventions – number of sources categorised as ‘intervention’ under each of the 13 educational strategies (plus other). ....... 19 Table 5: Vision impairment good practice – number of sources categorised as ‘good practice’ under each of the 13 educational strategies (plus other) ............... 20 Table 6: Matrix table to derive confidence in the robustness of EMPIRICAL STUDIES (Commonly experimental, trial and case study designs).............................. 24 Table 7: Matrix table to derive confidence in the robustness of LITERATURE REVIEW articles .......................................................................................... 26 Table 8: Summary of quality rating ranges by strategy for the identified interventions (total of 54 sources; two sources appear in two strategy areas) .................. 30 Table 9: Summary of the study designs (54 studies)................................................ 31 Table 10: Summary of national research settings (54 studies) ................................. 31 Table 11: Summary age range (54 studies, age groups not mutually exclusive) ..... 31 Table 12: Summary of nature of disability (54 studies, disability groups not mutually exclusive) ..................................................................................................... 32 Table 13: Summary of the interventions linked to each educational strategy area (total of 54 sources; two sources appear in two strategy areas) .................. 32 Table 14. Complementary interventions - ‘Access to learning’, ‘Learning to access’ and a balanced approach (evidence is categorised as strong, moderate and practice) ..................................................................................................... 101 Table 15: REA stage 1 databases .......................................................................... 116 Table 16: Types of materials – inclusion and exclusion criteria .............................. 120 Table 17: Relevance – inclusion and exclusion criteria .......................................... 120 Table 18: Working definitions of categorisation of sources – (1) 'excluded/not relevant'; (2) 'good practice'; and (3) 'intervention'. .................................... 123 Table 19: Inter-rater analysis for the quality scoring (N=21 studies) ...................... 126 2 List of figures Figure 1: Relationship between overarching conception in the field of vision impairment education and how this links to targeted interventions .............. 11 3 Glossary AAC augmentative and alternative communication ALN additional learning needs BAUK braille authority of the United Kingdom, now: UKAAF (UK Association of Accessible Formats) braille the most commonly used tactile reading and writing system by people with vision impairment who cannot access print materials CCTV closed-circuit television (a type of LVD) CP communication partners CTD constant time delay CVI cortical vision impairment ECC expanded core curriculum educational strategy umbrella term used to describe an area of intervention (e.g. literacy, communication) LMA learning media assessment LVD low vision device (optical or electronic) Moon a tactile code used by some people with vision impairment as an alternative to print or braille O&M orientation and mobility PECS picture exchange communication system QHA qualified habilitation assistant QHS qualified habilitation specialist QTVI qualified teacher of children and young people with vision impairment REA rapid evidence assessment SEN special educational needs TTT talking tactile tablet UEB universal English braille VI vision Impairment VISO voice input/speech output 4 1. Introduction 1.1 The Welsh Government commissioned the University of Birmingham to undertake a rapid evidence assessment (REA) into the extent to which interventions to support learners affected by vision impairment are effective. The purpose of the review is to facilitate the planning and delivery of early, timely and effective interventions to support children and young people with vision impairment. 1.2 The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act (the Act) received royal assent in January 2018. The Act introduces a new additional learning system, which has three overarching objectives: a unified legislative framework to support all children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN) from birth up to the age of 25, where they remain in education an integrated, collaborative process of assessment, planning and monitoring which facilitates early, timely and effective interventions a fair and transparent system for providing information and advice, and for resolving concerns and appeals. 1.3 The Act provides for a single plan – the individual development plan