September, CVI Awareness Month, calls attention to Cortical or Cerebral Visual Impairment, “the leading cause of visual impairment in children in the United States and other developed countries…” This commemoration involves sharing current knowledge about CVI and “life-changing access” for those affected by it. With CVI, the pathways of the brain that process visual information conveyed through the eyes are damaged. CVI can result in visual problems ranging from mild to severe. A child may have trouble with tasks such as responding to what they see; recognizing faces or objects; seeing part of what is in front of them; or reaching for something as they look at it. Diagnosis involves taking a medical history, an eye exam, brain scans, and other tests measuring the ability to perform daily activities or schoolwork. “For some children, vision gets better over time, but everybody is different.” Early intervention and therapy, including educational support and other special services, are a must to help children “develop and learn.” Students with CVI receive support from professionals, such as Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs), who assess the educational impact together with a collaborative educational team that includes parents or guardians. Instruction can focus on how to increase the children’s ability to complete functional tasks, make choices, and learn successfully. Orientation and Mobility specialists (O&M) can help children to maximize safe and independent movement within their environment. Learn more from National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) and by checking out an article from Future in Sight entitled “September is CVI Awareness Month, so let’s dive in and learn a bit more!” For suggested strategies for literacy activities and resources, visit the Paths to Literacy webpage announcing that September is CVI Awareness Month!
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