The Vision Education Program at iBrain focuses on each student’s individual needs. Research shows that even though visual processing centers of the brain are damaged, new areas of the brain that are normally not responsible for visual processing can take over that function. The vision education team trains the entire staff in how to work with students with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). They also collaborate with ophthalmologists and parents on a regular and consistent basis. When appropriate visual accommodations are consistently implemented in daily routines and activities, the area of the brain that is processing vision is more consistently utilized and developed. Since vision is potentially embedded in all daily routines, it is important for all team members, therapists, educators and parents to collaborate when designing and implementing modifications and interventions.
Students’ individualized programs are based on their interests, functional tasks that they engage in daily, and personal visual preferences (color, visual field, processing time, maximum distance etc). Students receive direct instruction which combines push-in (provided in the classroom) and pull-out (in a more private setting) services. During pull-out sessions, students work on specific visual skills. Some students with more significant manifestations of CVI work on building visual attention. They work on consistently looking at objects of a specific size, color, or visual appearance. These students often bring in their favorite items from home since familiar items are generally more visually engaging. Newcomb et al (2009) supports the reliability of the CVI Range, the strategies and interventions based on the range, and an interdisciplinary collaborative approach that is utilized at a private special education program when visual accommodations, modifications, and techniques are integrated throughout the student’s day