Cortical Visual Impairment:

1. Cortical Visual Impairment: Phase I: Using the Range score to create good interventions Beth Ramella Outreach Director/CVI Project Leader Western PA School for Blind Children

2. Phase I • The child scores a 0-3+ on the CVI Range assessment (Roman 2007) • The overarching goal in Phase I is to build consistent visual behavior for children who barely use there vision at all, except in the most controlled situations (Roman, 2007)

3. What do we do from here? How do we use the score to create good interventions?

4. Think about the characteristics and how to use them to set up the environment and the lessons in your classroom

5. Color Preference • Typically attends to a one, single, preferred color

6. Color Preference

7. Color Preference

8. Color Preference

9. Color Preference

10. Color Preference

11. Movement • Attends to only objects that are moving or that have reflective properties • May notice the ceiling fan

12. The Need for Movement

13. Need for Movement

14. Need for Movement

15. Need for Movement

16. Latency • Consistent latency • Latency is very frequent but may “warm up”

17. VisualFieldPreferences • May localize targets placed in one specific lateral field

18. Visual Field Preference

19. Visual Complexity • Looks at three areas: • The surface of the object • The viewing array • The sensory environment • (Roman, 2007)

20. VisualComplexity: Surface of the target • Single color on the surface of the target

21. VisualComplexity: Array • Present materials on against a black (light absorbing) background and in controlled lighting

22. Visual Complexity: Sensory Environment • Visual attention occurs only when targets are presented in a quiet, controlled environment

23. Light-gazingandNonpurposefulGaze Attention begins with a lighted target or paired with light

24. Light-gazingandNonpurposefulGaze

25. Light-gazingandNonpurposefulGaze

26. Distance Viewing • May behave as though highly nearsighted • Linked closely to difficulty with complexity • Remember…theysee what we see

27. Absent or Atypical Visual Reflex Responses • May have an intermittent or latent blink to touch at the bridge of nose • Most likely does not demonstrate blink to threat

28. Difficultywith Visual Novelty • Responds to familiar items or targets that share characteristics of their familiar targets

29. Absence of Visually Guided Reach • IF target is placed on a black background and paired with light and movement, the child MAY look, look away and reach.

30. Absence of Visually Guided Reach

31. Now…design the program • Think about how many times per day you can build vision into a natural activities – ideally 4 times per day • For students in Phase I, you must be thoughtful of the environment. Think about 1:1 lessons

32. Think about… • Taking photos of the student’s “perfect” set up. They can be used by anyone working with that student, thus providing increased opportunities throughout the day. • Create a list of the student’s favorite color, best visual field, amount of latency needed, etc.

33. Think about… • Choosing materials that can be “grown” as the child moves into Phase II

34. Choose materials that will “grow” with the child

35. Moving from Phase I to Phase II

36. Specially Designed Instruction • My Phase I SDIs may look different from yours. Do not list “SDIs specific to Ph I” as your student’s SDIs. When writing SDIs, think about each characteristic specific to your student.

37. Guidelines for intervention in Ph I: • Be precise – random won’t work • Be intentional – know where you are and where you are going • Reciprocity – follow the student’s lead

38. Questions?