CVI/ Low Vision Resources
CVI Overview
CVI stands for Cerebral Visual Impairment or Cortical Visual Impairment. "Cerebral" refers to the entire brain-eye connection, while "Cortical" specifically relates to the visual processing areas within the brain's cortex.
Cortical visual impairment is a subset of Cerebral Visual Impairment.
Quick Facts:
1. CVI is a type of vision impairment caused by problems in the brain's motor pathways, which stop the brain from properly understanding visual information.
2. CVI is the most common type of visual impairment in children, affecting about 20 out of every 10,000 births (0.2%). It is the leading cause of childhood blindness / low vision (Phillip & Dutton, 2014)
3. Approximately 80% of a child's learning during their first five years of life happens through vision (Hsu & Pestio-Noguero)
4. The Good News: Unlike other vision disorders “CVI is a condition in which improvement in vision is not only possible, but likely”. – Roman-Lantzy, 2018
Resource Library
Click the link above to access the CVI resource library. Each folder is labeled "Parent," "Provider," or "Both" to indicate the intended audience for the resources.
Go to the above resource library to find helpful worksheets and articles on CVI background, developmental milestones, provider treatment ideas, support groups, environmental modifications & much more!
Why am I just now hearing of CVI?
Although vision plays a significant role in a child's development, vision delays are often identified much later than other developmental delays because they are more difficult to recognize. CVI looks different for everyone. Often children with CVI have typical or near typical vision tests since the impairment is within the brain not the parts of the eye.
Author
Lexee McDonald, OTS
This website is part of a doctoral capstone project at the Medical University of South Carolina.The main goal of this project is to help therapists and parents who care for children with cerebral visual impairments (CVI) or other types of low vision. This project focuses on creating resources to help providers and parents better understand how to care for these children and feel more confident in supporting their everyday needs.
Below are additional websites with helpful information.
Little Bear gives a quick overview of CVI and provides games/ visuals children with low vision may enjoy.
University of South Carolina - School of Medicine
https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/medicine/centers_and_institutes_new/center_for_disability_resources/assistive_technology/services/device_loans/loan_request_form/index.php
USC offers a device loaner program that allows parents or therapists to request a device to try out for their child before deciding to purchase it.
Perkins School for the Blind
https://www.perkins.org/resource/1-1-cvi-parent-support/
Perkins has tons of resources for parents and providers. The link below takes you directly to a sign up option for one on one parent support.
For activity inspiration, the above link provides a list of activities targeted for children with CVI/ low vision.
All Videos
:Children are not defined by CVI; it is simply another factor that makes them uniquely who they are.
