Overview

We see you. We hear you. And we’re here to help.

Every day we hear from parents who are craving reliable information and advice on Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) — the leading cause of visual impairment in children in the United States. We know you are your child’s greatest advocate — at home, at school, in the doctor’s office, in the community, in life. You know your child best, and you need support from people you trust. You deserve answers and solutions to help you make decisions that not only impact your child’s life, but your life and your entire family.

That’s why Perkins created CVI Now: to empower parents with all of the CVI knowledge and tools you and your child need to succeed.

Meet the CVI Now team

  • Henry being hugged by his mother, Rachel

    Rachel Bennett

    Director of CVI Now, Parent Advocacy and Support at the CVI Center at Perkins
    Meet Rachel
  • A photo of Jackie Swisshelm smiling in the front museum area of the Howe building.

    Jackie Swisshelm

    Digital Content and Design Strategist at the CVI Center at Perkins
    Meet Jackie
  • Headshot of Kara Baskin wearing bright yellow

    Kara Baskin

    Journalist & lead contributing author for CVI Now
    Meet Kara
  • Headshot of Lacey Smith, smiling wearing bright red

    Lacey Smith

    CVI Parent Community Manager at CVI Now
    Meet Lacey
  • A photo of a woman with long brown hair and a bright blue shawl smiling.

    Ali Mahady

    Manager of CVI Outreach and Engagement at the CVI Center at Perkins
    Meet Ali
  • A picture of Jessica Marquardt standing, smiling wearing a spring dress

    Jessica Marquardt, M.A.

    CVI Parent Advocate; Contributing Author of CVI Now; Creator of Kaleidoscope: The CVI Podcast; Internal Communications Lead, JMP/SAS
    Meet Jessica

Contributing authors

  • A picture of Barbara Lopez smiling wearing a blue shirt and black blazer

    Barbara Lopez, Ph.D., LMHC

    Developmental Psychologist; Contributing Faculty, Walden University; CVI Parent Advocate
    Meet Barbara
  • A blonde woman with hair right past her shoulders smiling in the front hall of Perkins.

    Sylvia Mangan, SLP

    CVI Coordinator at the CVI Center at Perkins
    Meet Sylvia
  • portrait photo of Cantillon

    Emily Cantillon

    TVI, Community Programs, Perkins School for the Blind
  • Kira Brady, M.A.

    CVI parent and professor of composition and research

Welcome to CVI Now

Answers you can trust, community you can count on. Because kids with CVI can’t wait.

Understanding CVI

Learn all about CVI and the brain! Explore foundational resources about CVI, the CVI visual behaviors, and how CVI is diagnosed. Dive into our series on the visual system and the CVI brain. Our CVI team will continue to grow alongside you as more and more research surrounding CVI becomes available.

Promising practices

Every individual with CVI has a right to access. Learn about how to provide a multi-sensory approach and all the opportunities necessary for children with CVI to learn and grow. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for CVI, but there is a wide range of promising practices that meet the unique needs of children with CVI.

Parenting

Raising a child with CVI is a unique parenting challenge. You need strategies, ideas and advice for working with your child at home as well as collaborating with your child’s team. And because every child with CVI is unique, you’ll find various approaches to CVI in each piece.

CVI stories

The CVI community has a lot to say. The collective voice of individuals with CVI and CVI families continues to grow. Our stories are powerful. Our stories create awareness. Our stories change how the world sees CVI.

CVI Now parent Facebook group

Reassurance, support, connection.

A safe, positive space for parents to meet other parents and discuss all of the things about raising a child with CVI that no one else can truly understand.

Boy playing with a sparkler at night

We all have so much to learn.

Let’s learn and support each other on this journey. Have questions? Reach out to the CVI Team today!