Feasibility Study
The CVI Project is a 5-year programme of work funded by the government (NIHR) to investigate the prevalence, impact and best way to support children with cerebral visual impairments (CVIs). We have carried out a Prevalence study and looked at the impact and “core outcomes” relating to CVI and these projects are being written up for publication.
Parents of children with CVI have told us that if schools had more understanding of CVI, then support for affected children would be improved. We have used this, and input from teachers and school staff, to design an information package for schools that describes CVIs and how staff can support affected children.
We now need to test whether this package (“intervention”) is effective and does result in improved educational and mental health outcomes for children with, or at-risk from, CVIs. We will first carry out a small-scale Feasibility study during the 2019-2020 school year, with primary schools in 3 local authority areas: Somerset, Gloucestershire and Southampton. The results will be used to guide a definitive national study if indicated.
Only children in Years 3, 4 and 5 will be included so that the study will not interfere with Year 6 children’s SATs tests. Schools who agree to take part will be randomly assigned to either receive our new intervention or to carry on as normal. At the beginning and end of the trial period we will collect data about child behaviour and wellbeing from children, parents and teachers, and compare the results from the schools who got the intervention with the schools who didn’t and see whether providing the intervention made any difference.
All schools will be reimbursed for taking part and given £300 per 30 participating children.
If you would like more information about the study please contact the CVI Project Team by email cvi-project@bristol.ac.uk
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