Guide
Essential CVI books
Build knowledge and get inspiration from the growing body of literature about CVI, the brain, and visual impairment
Written by: Rachel Bennett
There is a lot of great literature out there about CVI, how the brain heals and changes, and broader topics related to visual impairments.
Each text is foundational to an inclusive and robust understanding of CVI.
- Babies with CVI: Nurturing Visual Abilities and Development in Early Childhood, by Anne McComiskey, discusses specific approaches, strategies, and activity suggestions that families and professionals can use to meet the unique learning needs of a child with CVI. It stresses the importance of early intervention, proper evaluation, and integrating teaching opportunities into the child’s daily routine.
- Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children: Visuoperceptive and Visuocognitive Disorders by Josef Zihl and Gordon Dutton is primarily written for medical and therapeutic providers who work with individuals with CVI. The text offers the medical perspective of CVI, nuances of the visual systems, and specific brain-based visual disorders. It can also be used as a reference to come back to as you progress through your CVI journey.
- Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment and Intervention, 2nd edition by Christine Roman-Lantzy goes in-depth about her framework for assessment and intervention that includes her CVI Range Assessment, 10 characteristics of CVI that are assessed using the Range, and how to use results of the Range for program planning.
- Cortical Visual Impairment: Advanced Principles by Christine Roman-Lantzy is a collaboration with other professionals in the field of CVI with chapters about social skills, complex communication needs, orientation and mobility, deafblindness, and an approach to literacy. Matt Tietjen has a chapter about his Complexity Framework that includes an in-depth explanation of each component of the framework as well as his 2D Image Assessment.
- CVI Companion Guide for Early Intervention by Deborah Chen, Elizabeth Hartmann, and Amanda Lueck is designed to assist parents and service providers to navigate current research regarding the impact of brain injury and how it may impact visual processing, social interaction, and more. The book also delves into documenting a child’s current level of functioning with their CVI diagnosis and organizing a plan to work on skills needed to function in everyday activities.
- Vision and the Brain: Understanding Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children edited by Amanda Hall Lueck and Gordon N. Dutton is a sourcebook about CVI that captures research and includes contributors from many countries. CVI is discussed from the medical, educational, and family perspectives. There are chapters about the brain, ocular conditions, eye movement conditions, CVI and behaviors, and medical and educational assessment. Dr. Dutton’s CVI inventory is also included.
If you want to go even deeper in understanding specific aspects of visual processing disorders that can be part of CVI, here are a couple of texts.
- Understanding Facial Recognition Difficulties in Children, Nancy L. Mindick
- Visual Agnosia, Martha J. Farah
Children with CVI are part of the population of individuals who are visually impaired. Here are some texts that help understand a range of topics—self-esteem, independence, social skills, and multiple disabilities—that intersect with visual impairment.
- Development of Social Skills by Blind and Visually Impaired Students, edited Sharon Z. Sacks
- Keys to Educational Success: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities, edited by Sharon Z. Sacks and Mary C. Zatta
- Self-esteem and Adjusting with Blindness, 3rd edition, Dean W. Tuttle and Naomi R. Tuttle
As a CVI parent or professional, you will begin to learn more about the brain than you ever imagined! The field of neuroscience continues to grow with texts and articles that help us figure out the wonders of the brain, neuroplasticity, and how the visual system works in conjunction with the other systems in the brain. Here some fascinating texts about the brain!
- The Brain’s Way of Healing, Norman Doidge
- Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, David Eagleman
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks
- The Mind’s Eye, Oliver Sacks
- The Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, Maryanne Wolf
- Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See, Donald D. Hoffman
Happy Reading! Continue exploring essential CVI resources: research articles, videos, and CVI stories from families and individuals with CVI.
