Navigating literacy and communication for students with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) can feel like uncharted territory. Families, educational professionals, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often face the challenge of finding resources that are both effective and accessible. The CVI Book Nook website offers a wealth of information and practical tools to support literacy learning for students with CVI. In this post, we’ll introduce this resource and provide an introduction of CVI to help you better understand how to adapt instruction for this unique population.

Created by Amy Shepherd, Parent Liaison for the Michigan Department of Education Low Incidence Outreach. Amy is a parent of a young man who is legally blind, and an advocate for other families in her community. Her passionate work creating free, downloadable and accessible books benefits families and students internationally.

What is CVI?

Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of visual impairment in children. Unlike other visual impairments that stem from issues with the eye itself, CVI is caused by damage to the visual pathways or processing centers in the brain. Children with CVI often have difficulty interpreting what they see, even when their eyes are healthy.

Key characteristics of CVI can include:

• Visual fatigue
• Difficulty recognizing objects, especially in busy visual environments
• A preference for certain colors (often red or yellow)
• Attraction to movement or shiny objects
• Difficulty with visual complexity (e.g., crowded backgrounds)
  

For students with CVI, these challenges can impact literacy and communication development. Traditional literacy materials may be too visually overwhelming, making learning frustrating or inaccessible.

The CVI Book Nook: What’s Inside?

The CVI Book Nook is a thoughtfully designed resource providing strategies, tools, and examples grounded in CVI-specific best practices.

Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll find:

1. Discussion and Application of CVI Phases

Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy’s CVI Range is a tool used to to help identify where a child is in their visual development (Phase 1, 2, or 3). Knowing this phase allows families and educators to tailor literacy materials to meet the student’s visual needs.

Phase 1: Building visual attention with simple, high-contrast, and visually distinct objects.

Phase 2: Encouraging visual recognition of familiar objects and symbols.

Phase 3: Enhancing functional vision for more complex literacy tasks like reading words.

2. Adapted Literacy Materials

One of the most exciting features of the CVI Book Nook is its practical support for those creating literacy materials for students with CVI. Adaptations can include:

Simplified Visual Backgrounds: Reducing clutter and complexity so students can focus on the target word or image.

High-Contrast Visuals: Incorporating bold colors like red and yellow to highlight key elements.

Movement and Light: Using tools like lightboxes or screens with animations to capture visual attention.

These strategies align beautifully with AAC systems, where symbols or words can be simplified and presented with high-contrast backgrounds for students with CVI.

3. Tips for Families and Educators

The CVI Book Nook understands that consistency and collaboration are key. It provides actionable tips for:

• Making literacy part of daily routines
• Working closely with teachers, SLPs, and vision specialists to ensure materials are adapted appropriately
• Celebrating small literacy victories to build confidence and engagement

Bridging Literacy and AAC for Students with CVI

For students who use AAC and have CVI, the CVI Book Nook offers essential insights into creating a visually accessible learning environment. Here are a few key connections:

• AAC Symbol Modifications: Just like literacy materials, AAC systems can be simplified. Use high-contrast icons, isolate symbols on a blank background, and enlarge target words or visuals.
• Visual Attention and Engagement: Tools like lightboxes or visual schedules with preferred colors can encourage interaction with AAC systems.
• Phase-Aligned Communication Supports: For Phase 1 learners, start with simplified choices using preferred colors. As the student progresses, gradually introduce more complex symbols or phrases.
  

Why This Resource Matters

The CVI Book Nook shares practical, research-informed information to families and professionals. It acknowledges the unique visual needs of children with CVI and offers accessible solutions that promote both literacy and communication.

By aligning AAC practices with the strategies on this site, we can create a supportive, multi-modal learning environment that empowers students with CVI to express themselves and engage with literacy meaningfully.

Thank you, so much, to Amy Shepherd for her work on this amazing resource!

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