CVI Iceberg

CVI icebergThe first Start Seeing CVI t-shirt was created with the idea that when an educator looks at a child with cortical visual impairment, they see the CVI, the ten characteristics (Roman). It is intended as a reminder: “I need to talk to him, I’d better take him to a quiet, less noisy spot” or “I’m showing her this object, I need to remember to hold it over to her left” or “I’m color highlighting this photograph against a plain background, I’ll be sure to use his preferred color yellow.” Each time, you are reminded of ten things to be mindful of when working with that child. Continue reading “CVI Iceberg”

A horse and hemianopia

369A1C63-F808-4A4B-97B2-B0C5F7005F6BYou might be looking at this photo of a horse and thinking, What the heck does a horse have to do with CVI? With my child’s hemianopia? Recently a horse drawn hayride, pulled by these horses, provided a perfect example of what happens with hemianopia. Continue reading “A horse and hemianopia”

CVI in the hallways

CVI in the hallways
CVI in the hallways

Back to school for students with cortical visual impairment (CVI) means right back to navigating what can seem like brutal school hallways, sometimes even when they are devoid of students. Already this school year is a reminder of the difficulty of navigating hallways for a student in Phase III CVI. Continue reading “CVI in the hallways”

It is time to catch up with children who have CVI

SeeingCVISeptember is CVI Awareness month. CVI is a brain based visual impairment, that means it’s a problem with the brain, not the eyes. CVI is about visual interpretation and visual recognition, it is not about acuity (Mazel). People with CVI see what we see, but they cannot interpret it (Roman). CVI is the leading cause of visual impairment in children. And it has been since the 1990s. Continue reading “It is time to catch up with children who have CVI”

Let’s change the way we talk about kids with CVI

Let's change the way we talk about kids with CVI
Let’s change the way we talk about kids with CVI

“He’s just so…UNIQUE.”

“I’m not sure we would have the expertise needed to assess her.”

“He almost sounds like… a case study.”

“He sounds too complex to be evaluated.”

Some days our kids with cortical visual impairment (CVI) really put the special in the term “special needs.” Lately, in yet another quest to find a provider to conduct an appropriate assessment, it is back to this all too familiar language when it comes to talking about our children with CVI. Continue reading “Let’s change the way we talk about kids with CVI”