When receiving a new student on my caseload, I always want to have the most recent eye doctor report. A low vision evaluation is also something I like to have for each child.
One of the criteria to determine CVI is a typical eye report or an eye report that does not explain how the child is using their vision. We really need to understand our children’s ocular health and check that it includes a measure of any refractive error. Only then can we assess the CVI visual behaviors effectively and correctly. We must be aware of any ocular issues that might compound the CVI assessment results.
If the child has a refractive error, it should be corrected to the optimal degree possible with glasses. Unfortunately, many believe students with multiple disabilities will not wear glasses or will not benefit from glasses due to cognitive involvement. This is far from the truth. I am lucky enough to work collaboratively with a local low vision clinic that takes the extra time to obtain a measurement of refractive error for all children. Glasses are prescribed when necessary. Helping children to accommodate to glasses is never as hard as people expect.
cvi teacher 