Vision is obviously important in the developmental process of children. When a child has mild to severe visual
impairments, it can greatly affect his/her overall development. Whether the child has other medical issues or
physical impairments, knowledge of how the child sees is critical in laying the foundation for development
throughout the child's life.
Dr. Waldorf is residency trained to work with visually impaired infants and children. He performs specialty exams
called FUNCTIONAL VISION EVALUATIONS (FVE). A FVE is not a medical evaluation, it is an evaluation in
which the characteristics of a child's vision are measured. Dr. Waldorf uses special tests to measure visual
acuity (i.e. 20/20 vs. 20/400), contrast sensitivity (measure of how faded or washed out an image can be before
the child can no longer see it), side (peripheral) vision and color vision. Dr. Waldorf also evaluates if special
lighting is necessary for the child and determines if glasses and/or low vision devices would be useful.
The purpose of the FVE is to give parents,
educators and therapists an idea how well the
child sees. Recommendations are given to
provide visual stimulation to the child, which can
assist in the child's overall development. The
child's parents, service coordinator, occupational
and physical therapists, and orientation and
mobility specialists are all encouraged to attend
the FVE. When the parents and professionals
responsible for helping the child develop attend
the FVE, it allows Dr. Waldorf to address any
questions or concerns regarding the child's visual
function. Dr. Waldorf will also help answer
questions about the child's medical eye diagnosis.
Dr. Waldorf will determine if the child is eligible for
services through the Rhode Island state agency
Services for the Blind www.ors.ri.gov. Dr. Waldorf
can also help the child obtain services from a
teacher of the visually impaired (TVI or vision
teacher) and orientation and mobility (O & M)
specialist if necessary.
If you have any questions about Functional Vision
Evaluations either for your child or for a child you
work with, please feel free to contact Dr. Waldorf
at 401-721-5599.
Dr. Waldorf has worked with children
that have the following conditions:
Information about rare disorders:
N.O.R.D.
For information about ELECTRO DIAGNOSTIC testing in Boston, click here
Below are two examples of how a child with visual impairments might see
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Low Vision Library
Please visit the following websites where you might find information / support that is useful to you.
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Dr. Waldorf has years of experience working with special
needs children, teens and adults. Regardless of the
disability, whether visual, physical or mental, Dr. Waldorf
can provide a thorough evaluation of the patient's visual
system.
Many parents or caregivers of people with disabilities think
that a full examination cannot be done because the patient
will not be able to verbally express what they are seeing.
This is not true! There are several methods to determine
how well a patient sees and whether or not they would
benefit from glasses. It is also possible to evaluate their
eye health without verbal responses.
Dr. Waldorf is very caring and patient when dealing with
special needs individuals. The staff always schedules
extra time to allow all the measurements to be obtained at
a slow and comfortable pace. The extra time also allows
Dr. Waldorf to review parental / caregiver concerns about
the patient as well as review the medical and ocular history.
You can be very comfortable bringing your special loved
one to our office for the best vision care.
Special Populations
