IDEAS AND RESOURCES FOR VIISA AND INSITE
The INSITE Checklist Instruction Manual has been completely updated to reflect more current practice in assessment, goal setting, and early intervention planning for young children with Sensory Impairments and Additional Disabilities (0-5). It emphasizes embedding goals and interventions in daily routines. Domains has been expanded to include more items in order to more specifically assess child skills and set more appropriate goals. Some domains have been consolidated into fewer domains for ease of use, with special notes added under “Notes for Complex Needs”. Every domain has expanded discussions about the unique challenges of children with sensory impairments and additional disabilities. The checklist has updated resources and references. The cost of this manual is $24.
The INSITE Checklist Test Booklet. The 4 forms that have been previously used (0-2, 0-6, Profile & Score Sheet only for 0-2, 0-6) are now consolidated into one test booklet. One booklet is needed for each child. The print is larger. The cost per booklet is $12. A free copy of the Excel file for the Scoresheet which gives developmental age ranges in each domain as well as an overall age can be downloaded from the HOPE website as well as this website.
For a copy of the Excel scoresheet CVI click here to download.
Resource to go with the Communication Matrix
Staff at the New Mexico School for the Blind have been working on intervention guidelines and activities to go with the Communication Matrix that can be found on a new website: www.Communication-In-Action.org. It is worth checking out!
Resources on the Expanded Core
Teaching Life Differently: The Expanded Core Curriculum for Babies and Young Children with Visual Impairmentis available from Perkins School for the Blind, www.Perkins.org or amazon.com. It was developed and photographed at Anchor Center for Blind Children in Denver, CO. It covers nine core areas which address the goal of becoming competent, contributing members of the community, with supports as necessary for children who are visually impaired. These core areas include sensory efficiency, independent living, orientation and mobility, social skills, recreation and leisure, self-determination, assistive technology, compensatory skills and career education. This manual beautifully discusses and depicts through words and pictures how the ECC can be addressed with young children, birth to five who are blind/visually impaired using a variety of rich, hands-on experiences.
Every Child Can/Expanded Core Curriculum is a new video available for purchase on a DVD or USB stick for $50 plus S&H from www.vips.org/store in Louisville, KY. It shows how the 9 areas of the expanded core can be addressed at home, in the preschool and in the community with young children who are blind/visually impaired.
New resources on Cortical Visual Impairment:
CVI for the TVI provides free monthly webinars on the latest topics in Cortical Visual Impairment that one can sign up for. Go to: perkinselearning.org/cvi/educators/cvi-tvi. Each is about an hour long and they are excellent. A few that relate directly to preschool aged children are listed below:
• Considerations for ReducingComplexity within the Home - Marguerite Tibaudo
• From Hospital to Home: Using EarlyVisual Functioning to Support Families - Dr. Catherine Smyth
• Teaching Strategies and Resources forSensorimotor Stage Learners - Tina L. Gutierrez, TVI, MEd
• Early Intervention and CVI: Using"Idea Sheets" with Families in Natural Routines, with Dr. Catherine Smyth
• Tactile Experiences for All:Supporting Students with CVI , with Dr. Catherine Smyth
The Website: teachcvi.net has several CVI screening tools that are worth looking at along with some handouts on interventions and adapted materials for use with these children.
Dr. Fazzi in Italy has developed a screening tool for use in the NICU to screen for infants at risk for CVI. It is called the NAVEG. It is being used in a research project in Colorado out of the Anchor Center for Blind Children. Utah and New Mexico are also participating. for more information contact csmyth@anchorcenter.org
There is a videoclip available on YouTube entitled "What is CVI? The Story of Christy, Flores and Bertine" developed in Holland. Another good video is "Through My Eyes" made by a teenage boy who has CVI.
Some good websites for CVI include www.cviscotland.org. Dr. Dutton has a new course on CVI that you can view on this site. Another site is www.strategytosee. The Texas School for the Blind website, www.tsbvi.edu has a nice series of video training clips on Dr. Roman's CVI phases. APH has a section on their website www.aph.org on CVI with new updated information. A third site on CVI is www.littlebearsees.org. They have created some new simple iPad apps to use with young children with CVI which can be purchased on this Website.
For some ideas on homemade books to make for children with CVI click here to download.
