Article

Advocating for a team approach to CVI

Children with CVI possess a broad range of abilities, and they should have a specific and adaptable team to help them navigate their visual impairment.

A teacher and her young female student using their hands to practice signing together.

Building your child’s CVI-focused educational team can be incredibly overwhelming. You’ve fought hard for a diagnosis. You’re probably frustrated and exhausted with the whole process. The good news, with the right team in place, your child will benefit from the right visual materials and educational programming matched to their assessment results and might improve their visual attention and visual recognition to learn more effectively. A child diagnosed with Cerebral Visual Impairment/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) has many needs, and a multi-disciplinary approach is so important.

Why CVI is different

Kids with CVI are a diverse group with a broad range of abilities. They may:

Kids with CVI require specific modifications and adaptations to access the common core curriculum. Additionally, all children with visual impairments require inclusion of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). As a parent, you know your child best. Here’s how to compile the most effective, collaborative team for your child using IFSPs and IEPs.​

Top three IFSP and IEP considerations

What’s the difference between IFSP and IEP?

We understand that these acronyms can be confusing. The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a legally mandated document covered under the Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA), used for early intervention for children from birth to their third birthday. It’s often described as a road map for early intervention. It lays out the services your baby or toddler should receive, taking into account your family’s individual needs. Team members often include a doctor, child development specialist, therapists and social worker.

An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is designed to ensure that a child with a disability identified by law receives specialized instruction and related services in public schools past age three. Students with IEPs are also protected by IDEA. An IEP outlines your child’s service plan, supports, team members and placements.

Both documents should be individualized to meet your child’s unique needs.

Keep in mind that they’re different from 504 plans, which ensure that a child with a disability gets school accommodations to ensure that they have access to the learning environment. Just making changes to materials or to your environment won’t fill the gaps in a child’s learning when they have a visual impairment. An IEP, not a 504, is recommended to help fill those learning gaps.

Still feeling a bit confused? Learn more about IEPs versus 504 plans on Understood.org.

These Individualized Education Plans should be:

Role of each team member

Your child is unique, and their team should be too. Kids with CVI have a complex set of needs; each team member has his or her own specialization and should work collectively to address your child’s needs. While your child’s team composition might vary a bit, here are several common roles:

Parent

You have an essential role on your child’s team. You know your child best and deeply understand how and what your child struggles to learn.

Classroom teacher

The role of your child’s classroom teacher may vary depending on the school. They will often be your primary point of contact. He/she may coordinate your child’s IEP and will integrate your child’s programming into the classroom routines and activities, often in conjunction with a teaching assistant or paraprofessional.

Early Intervention/Developmental specialist

If your child is under age 3, you may also have an Early Interventionist on the team. These trained professionals work with kids from birth to age 3 to address developmental delays and often help coordinate the team.

Teacher of the visually impaired 

A teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) has training in assessing and instructing students who are blind or visually impaired. Assessments, such as functional vision assessments or learning media assessments, drive accommodations and student instruction. TVIs understand the issues of inaccessibility for a child with a visual impairment and have training in the incorporation of the Expanded Core Curriculum. Your child’s TVI also maintains teaching strategies for visually impaired children using all senses and can support the team in implementing these individualized strategies for educational programming and evaluations. They ensure that instruction and testing is accessible and all results seen in the context of your child’s visual impairment.

Occupational therapist

An occupational therapist maximizes your child’s functional abilities for everyday activities through adaptive equipment. He/she develops strategies to integrate your child’s independent skills into school activities as well as activities to address sensory systems.

Speech pathologist (SLP)

The SLP works with your child to develop language skills to boost academic success, social participation and advocacy. SLPs also may support the team by interpreting your child’s communicative intent, skills and comprehension.

Orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist 

An O&M specialist works with the team to help maintain a safe, meaningful environment for your child. Responsibilities may include facilitating your child’s navigation in a classroom setting and incorporating specialized equipment as needed to support function and mobility.

Physical therapist

A physical therapist works to maintain or increase your child’s physical abilities. This often includes, but is not limited to, addressing strength, balance, coordination and range of motion and implementing specialized equipment to support mobility as needed. The physical therapist often works with the O&M specialist.

Technology specialist

A technology specialist will consult with you and the team regarding specialized assistive technologies for your child, such as communication devices, screen readers and text magnification software.

A teacher holds a light up to a student's face
Appropriate assessments and service delivery

Kids with visual impairments benefit from ongoing essential assessments that provide access to the common core (standard academic) curriculum, as well as the ECC, which includes things like assistive technology.

These assessments can include:

These assessments will also influence your child’s placement and cadence for receiving services.

Your child’s placement might be:

Services for students with visual impairments are typically delivered by a TVI who travels from school to school, either in a general education classroom or in a private setting. The TVI may provide direct service and/or consultation depending on the service delivery. The amount of time the TVI spends in the classroom for direct and consult services is written in the IEP.

Service delivery

Remember that although your child’s CVI diagnosis might seem daunting, there’s help available. CVI research and interventions are continually evolving. Many parents create IEP binders to help track communication and updates with the team. With the right transdisciplinary team in place, your child can grow and learn effectively.

Dive into the CVI Now IEP Guide—a meaty and solutions-oriented resource. 


SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Article

How to DIY for CVI accessibility: Room-by-room projects

Read more
toothpaste and toothbrush
Article

How to DIY for CVI accessibility: The bathroom

Read more
Article

How to DIY for CVI accessibility: The bedroom

Read more