AAC & CVI
Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is vision loss due to damage or malformation in the brain that interferes with a person's ability to understand vision information coming from the eyes. It is the leading cause of vision impairment in young children in developed countries.
This is an area that Debbie has begun to specialize in when it comes to working with children using AAC. It became clear over the years that many of the children requiring AAC also had CVI and it was imperative for Debbie to begin to broaden her knowledge to better support these children. She has worked closely with Dr. Sandra Newcomb (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) to help children with CVI have access to robust language.
Together, Debbie and Dr. Newcomb, have written articles and presented on the topic of AAC and CVI nationally. If you are interested in hiring Debbie and Dr. Newcomb for presentations on the topic, please email Debbie at debbie@eatspeakplay.com. In the meantime, please take a look at the articles and useful chart for strategic design of AAC systems for individuals with CVI. (Information is based on the work of Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy)