by Daniel Parker, RDPFS Contributor:
In an effort to raise awareness about cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI), September has been declared CVI Awareness Month. As explained in this article from Grin Eye Care, CVI is one of the leading causes of vision loss in children in the developed world. It occurs when “the brain’s visual centers suffer damage, injury, or have structural abnormalities. As such, people can have CVI from birth or get it later in life.” According to Perkins School for the Blind’s CVINow project, fewer than 20 percent of children with CVI are diagnosed, due to lack of awareness. These children have trouble focusing on people’s faces, reaching for objects, and seeing things at a distance. Although there is no cure for CVI, vision rehabilitation can help those with the condition to make the most of the vision they have, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).
Educational Insights and Resources
Gaining literacy skills is among the greatest challenges for children with CVI. Fortunately, many resources on the Internet are dedicated to adapting materials for children with CVI, both to allow them to function in the short-term and improve their skills long-term. Paths to Literacy provides many resources, including Diane Sheline’s article Literacy for Children with CVI: Overview and Implications for Different Phases. Above all, Sheline stresses that parents must be actively involved in assessing what their child would benefit from most, because every child’s CVI case is unique. She also links to examples of CVI-friendly books for children. Another post from Paths to Literacy discusses CVI resources for teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs), including CVI overlays, providing “materials that help integrate developing visual skills into functional contexts”; how to instruct a child with CVI and limited motor control; and building a “CVI toolbox.” Finally, Paths to Literacy’s CVI Awareness Month post lists a number of internal and external resources, including informational and training videos, specific websites for parents of children with CVI, and many of the links listed above.
