G E Clarke
Guide Dogs Assoc of South Australia & Northern Territory Inc, Client Services, Adelaide, Australia
Neurological vision impairment can seriously impede best outcomes for a client undergoing a rehabilitation program following a Cerebral Vascular Accident or neurological incident. It is essential for the client's well being, attainment of rehabilitation goals, ongoing safety, discharge planning and assimilation back into regular daily activities that the neurological vision impairment is addressed from the early stages of the rehabilitation process.
The role of SEETEC to most professionals in the rehabilitation field is unknown. SEETEC is a service provided free by specialised trained Orientation and Mobility Instructors from the Guide Dogs Association. Instructors work as part of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to provide vision assessment and unique vision training techniques. These skills encourage the client to learn new scanning strategies, which allows them to safely and consistently compensate for their neurological vision loss. Safe mobility in all settings is the focus of the SEETEC program.
A client may be referred for assessment by SEETEC Orientation and Mobility Instructors from the acute hospital, rehabilitation hospital, supportive accommodation setting and family and carers. Referrals may be made by neurologists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, rehabilitation specialists, family medicine practitioners, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nursing staff, family and carers.
This paper will discuss the assessment and unique training methods which are carried out, by specialised trained Orientation and Mobility Instructors, to achieve client goals and safety following a neurological vision impairment.
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