Tools for CVI Assessment – American Printing House for the Blind

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A CVI assessment is generally “step one” in discovering the current sight abilities of your child. The assessment then molds the teaching program and techniques that will help to improve his/her vision.

There are several different methods to go about completing such an assessment. The American Printing House for the Blind provides assessment tools and guidelines for a number of assessment techniques, including those from Dr. Gordon Dutton, Dr. Amanda Lueck, Dr. Mary T. Morse, Dr. Jan van Dijk, and CViConnect’s lead advisor Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy. It is on Dr. Roman-Lantzy’s assessment guidelines and instruction that CViConnect has built our program. Here are some helpful tips and guidelines from American Printing House for the Blind for your information when having your child assessed for a CVI range score.

American Printing House for the Blind does an excellent job of laying out Guidelines for Observation and Guidelines for Interview Questions. These methods will be used by a CVI professional to determine the abilities and limitations of your child. Knowing this information beforehand and reading the interview questions is a great preparatory exercise to ensure you get the most accurate assessment possible.

This will undoubtedly be a confusing and possibly frustrating time for you and your child. There are several things you can do, as laid out by APH, in order to ease and accommodate the child, as well as provide the most accurate assessment.

  • Be understanding when the child’s behavior is a reaction to frustration or fear and misunderstanding of the environment
  • Avoid conversations when child is using their vision to travel safely
  • Family, teachers, friends should verbally identify themselves when meeting the child
  • Faces are very complex. Do not expect a child to be able to look at you and hear what you are saying at the same time. Do not take lack of eye contact personally

With excellent tips, products, and general information, American Printing House for the Blind is a great resource for working with your CVI child. Be sure to review their entire section on cortical visual impairment. If you would like to receive information on CVI, subscribe to our newsletter.

Meet APH: American Printing House for the Blind

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When navigating life with a challenge like blindness, it is comforting to know there are organizations that provide valuable resources that can help. American Printing House For The Blind (APH) is one such organization, providing resources and support to sight-impaired individuals.

For over 150 years, APH has proudly served the blind and visually impaired community by creating educational and functionalAmerican Printing House for the Blind living products for those that suffer from visual impairment. It is now the largest non-profit organization in the world that serves this community.

Tracing its roots back to 1858, APH was founded when it first saw a need to assist blind students. After the opening of the first schools for blind children in the 1830’s, it was clear that teachers had precious few books and educational resources. Funds were raised and locations discussed. Finally, in 1858, the General Assembly of Kentucky passed an Act to establish The American Printing House For The Blind. In 1860, a press was purchased, and, after disruption by the Civil War, the first book was produced by APH in 1866.

Since then, APH has worked tirelessly to provide products to the blind and visually impaired community. In 1879, under the Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, APH became the official supplier of educational materials for visually impaired students. The funding for this Act benefitting blind and visually impaired students continues today through the Federal Quota Program. Funds from each state are used to purchase educational materials for blind and visually impaired students.

As both a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a manufacturing company, American Printing House for the Blind serves a unique and important public role, but is also able to manufacture and offer incredible products to the individual consumer. Browsing their shop shows an array of:

  • Braille textbooks, magazines, custom braille
  • Large print textbooks, custom large print
  • Talking Books on a contract basis
  • Accessible tests
  • Educational kits, tools, and supplies
  • Talking software and hardware
  • Independent living products such as talking color identifiers

APH and CVI

American Printing House for the Blind is a leading resource for the Cortical Visual Impairment community. APH understands the importance of education for CVI.

“Those working with children diagnosed (and many who remain undiagnosed)  with CVI understand that the more we learn about this neurological visual impairment the more complicated the conversation becomes.”

To this end, they have numerous educational resources and posts on their website http://tech.aph.org/cvi/.

Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy notes that CVI “is the leading cause of visual impairment in children today”.  At CViConnect, we are happy to see the commitment from APH to the CVI community. Please visit http://www.aph.org/ to see their vast educational resources and products that support the blind and visually impaired community.

Top 5 CVI Resources You May Not Know About

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There is a wealth of information on the internet providing education, instruction, and direction on how to help your child with Cortical Visual Impairment. With so many different options, it may be difficult to narrow down a few specific resources to consistently follow for the best information. Here is a list of 5 of the top CVI-related resources that you might not know about:

– West Virginia Department of Education: Cortical Visual Impairment

The West Virginia Department of Education has an excellent Special Education section that outlines their curriculum as well as a wealth of instructional resources. In particular, their Special Topic section on Cortical Visual Impairment provides outstanding direction and instruction on CVI through a series of videos made by Christine Roman-Lantzy, Ph.D.

– CViConnect

CViConnect is a combination of technology, data, and community that strives to improve the vision of children with CVI. CViConnect developed a smart technology, iPad-based app that, using the camera technology in the iPad, tracks visual queues in the child’s eyes as various images and animations are presented. This data is collected and translated into a personal program directed by teachers of the visually impaired at LifeScience Technologies. The entire program is modeled and developed by the work of Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, a leader in furthering understanding, assessment, and intervention strategies for Cortical Visual Impairment.

– CVI Teacher

CVI Teacher is a blog created and run by a teacher of students with Cortical Visual Impairment. The teacher works for the Concord Area Special Education Collaborative. CVI Teacher is an excellent combination of educational posts, interesting videos, CVI news, and great DIY ideas.

– Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind is an organization, operated by proven experts, that has dedicated its efforts to the lives of blind and deafblind people all over the world. Their institution offers a quality section on Cortical Visual Impairment that includes webinars and inspirational and educational articles.

– Family Connect

FamilyConnect is a website and community created by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI). It offers a place of support for families with visually impaired children that includes a community to discuss CVI related issues, share stories about their families and treatment ideas, and contribute CVI-related resources.

As the fastest growing visual impairment diagnosed today, Cortical Visual Impairment treatment is constantly making new strides. Make sure to subscribe for updates to the CViConnect blog for the newest and most important items in educational information, instruction, and new developments on everything CVI related.

The CViConnect Support Community is Here to Help

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All parents strive to provide, as best they can, for their child. Parents of children that have Cortical Visual Impairment have even more on their plate. Just know that you are not alone. Along with your subscription to CViConnect, you are invited to participate in a vibrant online support community of other teachers, parents, and families of children with Cortical Visual Impairment.

This community provides answers to CViConnect program-related questions and guidance, but also offers a supportive place to:

  • Discuss CVI related concerns
  • Share stories
  • Offer links to CVI resources
  • Discuss treatment advice
  • Connect with others on message boards – you can join in on any of the discussions or start a new topic of your own

This online community is available for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Topics and comments will be monitored by a trained CViConnect Support Professional. This allows for additional input and instruction to an already active and supportive group.

Your privacy is very important to CViConnect. Please read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions of use for both the community and application.

The Future of CVI – Why CViConnect is Excited About Recent Advances

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It is heartening when a challenge is solved with a solution that just makes sense. If you are a parent that has a child with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), you understand the challenges related to that diagnosis very acutely.

How could you not? But while the healthcare system in the United States can be frustrating for families with uncommon diagnoses, there is a silver lining. That system creates opportunities for innovative businesses to fill the gap by creating amazing solutions that solve real problems.

CViConnect is one of those solutions. This state-of-the-art ipad app is a new and powerful tool to assist children with CVI. Its intelligent software captures data behind the scenes to allow CViConnect Support Professionals to enrich the experience of the ipad app by creating additional activities. CViConnect also has created an active forum where users of the app can get their questions answered and discuss ideas in a community setting.

What makes the CViConnect iPad app different? If you’re a CVI parent, or someone who has worked with CVI patients, you may have seen other apps targeting CVI. The apps aim to assist individuals with CVI by showing visual queues, working to stimulate the areas of the brain that control visual processing and the visual pathways of the brain.

But the CViConnect iPad app is different.CViConnect Activity Screenshot

First, the CViConnect app is smart. It reacts to the experience of the user, stores the data about how a user responds to a particular activity and then presents that data back to the parent or TVI. Capturing this data allows parents and TVIs to create follow-on activities based on how the user responds.

Second, not all users are the same, so there has to be something that allows the technology to make sure they are presented exercises that are good fit for them. The CVI Range Score, developed by Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, is what allows users of the CViConnect iPad app to have an experience that is tailored to them. Pretty neat.

One of the hot topics in technology is something called “big data.” It is a nebulous term, but essentially it means that all software being built is creating a huge amount of data. This begs the question, “What can we do with all this data to help improve processes?”

The CViConnect app is not just displaying visual targets to users. By using the camera on the iPad, the app is “observing” and recording a number of things:

  • when an individual is looking at the screen
  • how long they are looking at the screen
  • if they touch the screen
  • and much more.

By capturing all that data, CViConnect can use it to help TVIs both refine future activity sets, while also enhancing the functionality of the app itself. The more usage of the app, the more “big data” is available and the more refinements can be made. CViConnect is very excited about leveraging these cutting edge tactics to enhance our technology and help individuals with CVI improve their eyesight.

The CViConnect Forum

But, CViConnect wants your help to make the technology even better.

The CViConnect forum is available for CViConnect app users to discuss ideas, ask questions and just talk to other individuals affected by CVI. There’s a good chance that if you have a question about the app, someone else has either already asked that question or will ask it in the future. The forum also allows you to ask questions that will be answered by CViConnect staff. The dialog around your question is then logged in the forum and made available for the next person who has that question.

CViConnect knows there are many groups of people who care deeply about CVI and those affected by it.  The CViConnect Forum is an ideal place to discuss ideas and ask questions with other CVI-minded individuals – parents, teachers, professionals and CViConnect staff. If you or a family member is involved with CVI or has a CVI child, please spread the word (click here to share the forum to Facebook) and help make the CViConnect Forum the comprehensive hub for all CVI related conversations. CViConnect is committed to making it your community.

CViConnect Blog

CViConnect will not just work to continually enhance its technology; it will also provide consistent, valuable content to the CVI Connect community. The CViConnect blog contains the latest CVI news, recent updates to the iPad app, and CVI events across the country. There is also app-specific content posted to our blog – things like tutorials, getting started guides and new feature updates. The blog will also share any other important information that is valuable to the CViConnect community. Finally, CViConnect sends out a monthly newsletter with the latest articles and CViConnect news. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter and get great content sent straight to your inbox.

CViConnect is focused on the opportunity to positively affect the lives of individuals with CVI. It has an amazing team that works hard everyday to provide the best technology and service possible.

CViConnect sees a world where CVI patients have better tools at their disposal, where the CVI community is more connected, and where families and professionals have great information available to make better decisions in their journey with CVI.

CViConnect invites you to join with us and help improve the lives of those affected by CVI.

How CViConnect Will Help to Improve The Vision of Your Child

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Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is the term used for a brain that misinterprets signals from otherwise healthy eyes. In 2013, Christine Roman-Lantzy, PhD, developed a protocol for improving the vision of kids with CVI. Her protocol has proven extremely effective in helping children recover their vision. CViConnect has augmented this system into a new iPad-based, cutting edge program designed to assist children with CVI. This innovative application serves to provide:

  • Cutting edge technology that captures the eye movement of your child
  • Learning activities based on the individual progress of your child
  • Functionality designed to improve the eyesight of your child
  • The ability for your child to learn anytime, anywhere
  • A vibrant online community to provide ongoing support

The iPad program has been successfully tested at the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency with excellent results.  It has also been utilized by many families, with their child, in a home environment. We are proud to now offer the CViConnect app to assist your child with Cortical Visual Impairment.

Technology

The CViConnect app utilizes technology for monitoring and charting the progress of a child as they work toward individualized goals. Using the camera inside of the iPad, CViConnect detects whether or not the child is engaged with the image or activity presented. The camera can determine whether the child’s eyes have followed movement on the screen. This engagement information is recorded and correlated with what is being displayed on the screen to help the family understand what is providing the best visual attention for the child.

Personalized Progress

The CViConnect app offers the freedom to work with your child in the comfort and convenience of your own home, with the support and guidance of CVI Support Professionals at CViConnect. CViConnect works to advance children through the CViConnect’s activities curriculum. To determine your child’s starting point, he or she needs to be assessed and provided a range score.  If your child has not been assessed for their CVI range score that can be determined at the beginning of the program.

Online Community and Support

In addition to monitored progress, a subscription to the CViConnect service includes access to education and social forums administered by CVI Support Professionals. These forums work to ensure proper administration of the program, collaborate efforts with other families and TVI professionals regarding questions about the program, as well as webinars and other informational offerings on CVI and CViConnect.

CViConnect has worked to fine tune our program and app offering in order to provide an optimum environment to improve the vision of your child. We are very excited to offer you this product and invite you to join this program with your child.

To receive ongoing information on CViConnect, and how we are working to help children with CVI, be sure to sign up to receive notifications from our blog and newsletter.

CViConnect Early Adopter Program Benefits

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You are invited to be one of the first to experience the CViConnect iPad application by joining our Early Adopter Program. The CViConnect app is being offered initially to the first 300 families that subscribe. As an Early Adopter, you will be the first to gain access to everything CViConnect has to offer, including:

  • Learning activities based on the individual progress of your child
  • Exciting, new cutting edge technology utilized to improve the eyesight of your child
  • A vibrant online community to provide ongoing support
  • Freedom and convenience to use the program anytime, anywhere

Only $50 for a three month subscription! See program details here.

Normally priced at $50 per month, this saves you $100 dollars and gives you two free months of the CViConnect program. Beginning on the fourth month, your subscription will revert to month-to-month. You can cancel anytime.

Your Early Adopter membership will also help us learn, enabling our developers to refine and grow the program. Your comments and engagement will help guide our work to improve the vision of children with Cortical Visual Impairment. Each family will have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

Reserve your spot today!

CViConnect Mission

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The CViConnect mission focuses on providing cutting edge technology, proven teaching techniques and a program of iPad-based activities for children with cortical visual impairment. CViConnect is intended for use by parents and teachers who are searching for learning opportunities that are designed to meet the specialized learning needs of children with CVI. Through consistent use of the app, CViConnect’s mission is to provide targeted activities that facilitate improvements in functional vision in children with CVI.

The CViConnect Story

Brent Kevern is the VP of Research and Development at LifeScience Therapies, LLC. As a result of Brent’s own personal experiences and his many years at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Brent has a passion and desire to help sick kids and those with special needs.

Brent has a unique combination of technical expertise and medical education that he has successfully applied to software solutions for the healthcare industry.

At a family reunion, Brent was visiting with his niece, Stephanie, who is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired.  Upon learning about some of the new technologies that Brent was working on, Stephanie suggested that there was applicability and could be useful with kids with CVI.  Brent was skeptical at first, but together they collaborated and formed an idea for a potential technology solution that could provide new hope for the community of parents and children struggling with CVI. Brent sought out leading experts in the field of CVI and Stephanie suggested only one – Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy.

Dr. Roman-Lantzy is recognized as a leader and innovator in the creation of an approach to assessment and intervention for CVI children. Her methodology has been widely implemented and incorporates use of functional vision into educational and everyday activities. Brent reached out to Christine and, together, they set out to create a cutting edge iPad app that could take Christine’s protocol to the digital screen.

With the technology available, they all agreed that the goal would be to not only provide appropriate activities, but to simultaneously track and record data that could be used to guide parents and teachers. Today, that technology is a reality. In early 2017, Brent and Dr. Roman-Lantzy, along with a team of dedicated staff, launched CViConnect. CViConnect’s state-of-the-art technology, incorporates The CVI Range and intervention methods developed by Dr. Roman-Lantzy and is delivering on the hope of facilitating improvements in functional vision for thousands of children with CVI.