Cortical Visual Impairment with The Red Balloon Foundation
(https://www.theredballoonfoundation.org.za)
June 19, 2024
Christine Roman Lantzy, Ph.D.
Director, Pediatric VIEW Program, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh
This is day 3 of week one. Lindsay and I keep remarking on the intensity of this work. I believe we are really trying to bring our best, and it is a marathon. In this morning’s session, the participants finished watching a CVI Range assessment and then scored in groups. They are a smart group as demonstrated by their great questions and efficient scoring. It is humbling and strange that professionals a continent away took time out of their schedules, paid fees, and showed up to learn The CVI Range. I sincerely hope the information will help them in their practices with children who have CVI.
Scoring The CVI Range and trying to stay warm (69 degrees).
During the morning break, I sat with one of the attendees just to chat. She seemed to know so much about the course content of the past few days and I was curious about that. She told me that she had been following my work and that of Sarah Blackstone for years. Again, I was humbled and a touch surprised. She followed that with, “I don’t think you understand. My boyfriend asked me who I would choose if I could only see one, Christine Roman or Taylor Swift. I told him that I would pick you”. I had to double check, so I asked her whether she likes Ms. Swift, and she just rolled her eyes and responded with a, who-on-earth-doesn’t, sigh. So there you are Swifties….just as long as I am not expected to show up tomorrow in one of those fringy, bathing suit type costumes, I am flattered to accept this not-my-generation compliment.
The second group started today, and their training is simultaneous with the group that began on Monday. A segment of the cohort that participated in the 2022 training came back to hone their CVI Range skills. Lindsay and I swapped assignments at midday. Don’t try to keep up with all of this without a flow chart. Group 2 met with a family and took charge of all 3 of the assessment components with a touch of coaching from me. They were great and the family was wonderful. Post evaluation we had a difficult discussion of how to make sure the results of The CVI Range get translated into programming. The child is deaf blind and currently has no vision or hearing support in school. But the barriers are even more fundamental. Two adults had to lift the child in his wheelchair into the assessment space because as is common, there were steps but no ramp option. Tomorrow, more in-person assessment and in class instruction on literacy, numeracy and AAC. Tall order.
(Assessment team is ready.)
(CVI Range Interview)
(CVI Range Direct Assessment techniques)
CVI Workshop 2024 Agenda Week 1
CVI Workshop 2024 Agenda Week 2