Understanding Cerebral Visual Impairment
Kia ora! my name is Fi and I work in Wellington, New Zealand as an RTV (Resource Teacher, Vision). At present, quite a majority of my caseload are learners who have CVI (Cerebral Visual Impairment). This was an area in which I had very little knowledge when I came in to this career. It seemed large and intimidating, and I was not sure where to start when working with these learners. How could I assess their vision on a functional level? what strategies could I employ in order to assist them in developing their vision? Looking back, I must admit that I was at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed. One of the most helpful things I learnt to begin with, was that learners with CVI display the following characteristics: Colour preference: Learners with CVI have a strong preference for items of a particular colour. Warm colours, such as red and yellow are often preferred and are easier for learners with CVI to see. Movement: Learners are visually attracted to objects that move, or h...