1. VISION WHAT TO LOOK FOR

2. THE EYE CONSISTS OF 5 AREAS: Cornea Iris Lens Retina (rods and Cones) Optic Nerve

3. The Eye SCAN HERE THE EYE

4. Interesting Facts The nerve root at the top of the mouth is the same nerve that controls vision Kids who don’t have a lot of oral stimulation (tube fed children) may be at greater risk for delayed visual maturation Positioning for vision also affects oral structures.

5. VISION Defined as: Sensory function relating to sense of: Light Form Size Shape Colour

6. And is: Most distant of senses Stimulates, reinforces and pulls together other sensory information 80% of incidental learning occurs through vision (if we are sighted)

7. Acccdrnig to rseaech at Hravard Uinervitsy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. This is bcuseae the human mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe

8. VISION Impacts: Cognition Communication Gross motor development Fine motor development Social-emotional development

9. POPULATION 40-70% of kids with visual impairments are likely to have additional disabilities Up to 92% of children with severe physical disabilities have a visual impairment Small number of children are functionally blind Visual impairment affects development

10. VISUAL MATURATION Vision develops in an organised developmental way Attention-understanding Lights/objects/people Fixation/shifting/tracking Near/far Peripheral/central Familiar/unfamiliar Parts/whole Simple/complex Large/small

11. BLINDNESS TOTAL BLINDNESS NO FUNCTIONAL VISION NO LIGHT SENSE LEGAL BLINDNESS IS 20/200

12. LOW VISION REDUCED ACUITY FAR SIGHTED (CAN’T SEE CLOSE) NEAR SIGHTED (CAN’T SEE AT DISTANCE) PERPHERAL FIELD LOSS CENTRAL FIELD LOSS ASTIGMATISM CATERACTS RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

13. WHAT TO DO? REPORTS BY OPTOMETRIST OR OPTHAMOLOGIST LOW VISION CLINICS TEACHER OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED ADAPTATIONS: CORRECTIVE LENSES BRIGHT DESIGNS SPACING SIZING CONTRAST CLUTTER REDUCTION

14. T H I S A B O O K THIS IS A BOOK This is a book

15. R R R

16. VISUAL IMPAIRMENT PARTIAL OR TOTAL IMPAIRMENT AFFECTING ABILITY TO PERFORM DAILY TASKS THIS INCLUDES BLINDNESS, LOW VISION, AND BY ICF (International Classification of Function) CORTICAL (Cerebral) VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

17. CORTICAL (CEREBRAL) VISUAL IMPAIRMENT OCCURS IN THE BRAIN BETWEEN IMAGE DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATION OCCURS IN EITHER DORSAL OR VENTRAL STREAM OF PASSAGE

18. VENTRAL STREAM VISUAL LIBRARY OF THE BRAIN Objects and shapes Facial recognition Facial Expressions Shapes (no letters)

19. DORSAL STREAM POSTERIOR PARIETAL CORTEX Processing information FRONTAL LOBE Focusing information MOTOR CORTEX Utilizing information

20. CVI AFFECTS: Perception Recognition/processing Motor response

21. CVI DOES NOT OCCUR IN ISOLATION MOST DIAGNOSED VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN N. AMERICA (2005) UP TO 92% OF CHILDREN WITH NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS DEMONSTRATE SYMPTOMS OF CVI

22. CVI Getting our CVI ‘ducks in a row’

23. CVI

24. MORE CVI….

25. CVI STRATEGIES

26. STRATEGIES

27. PERIPHERAL VISION HELPS

28. CONTRAST AND POSITION

29. CONTRAST?

30. STRATEGIES

31. THINGS TO REMEMBER Make no assumptions about what your student can see Allow processing time Use real/concrete objects Get your student’s attention Position objects appropriately Think about the background Use multisensory approach

32. AND Be consistent Be sure of your voice tone Use contrast Use primary colours

33. REMEMBER…simple baby simple……

34. FINALLY, How we work with our kids with visual impairments, affects how they interact with their world