CVI: Considerations for Distance Learning

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families and professionals have been significantly challenged to provide child-centered, meaningful instruction and opportunities to continue to implement CVI interventions throughout the day. The use of technology (video conferencing, screen mirroring, and general use of tablets and screens) for remote instruction presents its own unique challenges to meet the needs of individual students with CVI. There are many creative resources, but it is important to emphasize that CVI intervention is not a “one size fits all” approach, and the individual child’s functional vision assessment results should be the central guide for intervention.

 In this webinar, the presenters will provide a thorough exploration of the unique considerations for distance learning in each Phase of CVI, including the use of technology and ideas for the role of families and professionals in maximizing the impact of distance learning for students with CVI. A new set of guidelines will be introduced, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions to apply these considerations to their own students and children. In Part 2, presented at a later date, discussion focused on students assessed in Phase III of The CVI Range.

Upon successful completion of your assessment, you will earn 2 PDP, CE, ACVREP, or CTLE credits, or .15 ASHA CEUs.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

  • Identify the unique goals of CVI by Phase as they apply to the challenges of distance learning and remote instruction.
  • Analyze the accessibility of various technologies for remote instruction by Phase, including the display of 2D information, use of webcams, and options for video conferencing.
  • Describe relevant ideas for the unique roles of families and service providers in maximizing the effectiveness of remote instruction in each Phase of CVI

Presenters:

Jonathan Hooper is a TVI who has worked with the New York City Department of Education’s Educational Vision Services for seven years. Previously he was a mathematics teacher at the Tennessee School for the Blind and a reading and literacy middle school teacher. He holds a Master’s degree from Vanderbilt University, and his graduate research has been published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Jonathan currently teaches the Braille course in the TVI program at Hunter College in New York, and he has presented on curriculum adaptations and literacy programs for students with visual impairments. He has extensive experience working with students with cortical visual impairment, and he serves as a DeafBlind Advisor of NY and a board member of the NYSAER

Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy is the Director of The Pediatric View Program at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA and author of Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment and Intervention,  now in its Second Edition, and Cortical Visual Impairment: Advanced Principles. She has lectured extensively regarding the CVI educational materials she has developed, and offers free topics on her YouTube channel, “Roman on CVI.” 

Christopher Russell is the Project Coordinator for the New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative, and has experience as a classroom teacher and Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) working with children who have visual impairments and additional disabilities including deaf-blindness. Chris presents widely in NY and nationally on educational implications of deaf-blindness, cortical visual impairment, curriculum adaptations, and communication development for children with pre-symbolic communication. He has the Perkins-Roman CVI Range Endorsement and serves as co-instructor with Dr. Roman on the Perkins E-Learning CVI and CVI: Phase III courses.

Disclosure:

Perkins School for the Blind is approved by the Continuing Education board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology and audiology. See the course information for number of ASHA CEUs, instructional level, and content area. ASHA CE Provider approval does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures.

This workshop is offered for .15 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional area).

ASHA approval stamp 1.5 CEUs

Level:
Introductory
Length:
Approximately one hour
Credits:
2.0 Continuing Education
2.0 Professional Development
2.0 ACVREP
2.0 CTLE
.15 ASHA