Integrated education of visually handicapped children: lines of communication between the professionals in charge.

The local teacher has the immediate responsibility for the integrated education of the visually handicapped child. He gets frequent information and assistance from the county special teacher who is responsible to the public for the educational progress. When the child has his annual opthalmological examination, his medical history is explained and related to the performance of the child at an informal meeting. At this meeting, the ophthalmologist learns to understand the educational problems and the teachers learn what the pupil can see and the conditions under which he functions. All parties take great interest in the pupil's life after school hours, both as to leisure and to his relations in the family group. The parents are continually informed both by the teachers and the ophthalmologist, and a report of the medico-educational meeting is sent to the child's local physician and local ophthalmologist as well as the National Registry of Blindness.