Pediatric VIEW is offering a CVI Range Proficiency Course for teachers or practitioners working with children who have CVI.
The CVI Range Proficiency is a credential for educators and practitioners indicating competence in using The CVI Range for assessment and intervention.
Who is the CVI Range Proficiency for?
The CVI Range Proficiency is open to all professionals who work with students with CVI.
This includes:
• Teachers of the Visually Impaired
• Orientation and Mobility Specialists
• Special Education Teachers
• Regular Education Teachers
• Special Education Case Managers
• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Feeding therapists
• Literacy Specialists
• Transition coordinators
• Behavioral support professionals
• Other professionals who develop programming for students with CVI
The CVI Range Proficiency is designed to accommodate a wide range of backgrounds, and allows professionals to demonstrate their ability to assess students and provide visual access through the lens of their discipline.
Objectives of the CVI Range Proficiency
1. Ensure the CVI Range is administered and completed accurately.
2. Increase the competency of practitioners to interpret the results of The CVI Range.
3. Apply the results of The CVI Range to program planning.
4. Improve the quality of service and access to education provided to children with CVI.
5. Recognize and empower professionals who have developed CVI-specific skills to work effectively with children with CVI.
6. Address the recognized need for increased competency in assessing the vision of children with CVI.
7. Contribute to standards of practice in developing special education curriculum that supports visual access and is also developmentally appropriate.
8. Support collaboration between practitioners across disciplines seeking to support visual access and development for children with CVI.
What is the CVI Range Proficiency?
The CVI Range Proficiency is a portfolio-based credential that is a signifier of competence for educators and related service providers who assess and support children with CVI using The CVI Range. Applicants seeking to achieve the Proficiency work to create and submit materials featuring their work with students who are already part of their caseload, showing their ability to conduct The CVI Range, and/or develop interventions for their students based on the results of The CVI Range.
Learn more about what the Proficiency offers.
Two versions of the CVI Range Proficiency are offered.
These tracks largely differ based on whether a professional will
directly conduct The CVI Range, or whether they will work to support students who have received a CVI Range score.
Professionals can select the pathway that best fits their work with individuals who have CVI.
The CVI Range Assessment Proficiency (CVIR-AP)
is designed as a marker of competence for those who perform the CVI Range assessment, including Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Orientation and Mobility specialists, and other Related Service Providers who have learned to administer The CVI Range.
Those who seek to complete the CVIR-AP will demonstrate the ability to perform the CVI Range accurately with children who score in multiple phases. In addition, they will also demonstrate the ability to develop appropriate interventions and accommodations based on a child’s CVI Range score.
The CVI Range Service Proficiency (CVIR-SP)
is a designation for professionals who do not conduct The CVI Range as part of their professional duties but who may incorporate information gleaned from The CVI Range into their practice. This credential requires an understanding of the ten visual characteristics of CVI, their impact on visual function, and the practitioner’s ability to accommodate the activities that are part of their regular practice to meet the needs of children with CVI.
Are there prerequisites to applying for the CVI Range Proficiency?
Applicants to the CVI Range Proficiency program should have considerable familiarity with The CVI Range, and
experience working with students who score across all three Phases of the Range. They should have a strong understanding of the ten characteristics of CVI, and their impact on vision across a number of settings.
We recommend applicants have the following experience:
• Full time employment in their field for three years
• Completion of structured coursework or guided study on cortical visual impairment and The CVI Range
• Two years of experience working directly with students with CVI.
• If applying for the Assessment Proficiency, experience conducting The CVI Range on students in multiple Phases.
If a potential applicant has questions about qualifications or experience, please feel free to reach out to proficiency@chomepgh.org.
What else should I know before I apply?
An individual who attains The CVI Range Assessment Proficiency can show that they understand current principles behind the use of The CVI Range in the educational, clinical, or home setting, and that they can effectively support individuals with CVI in the classroom as part of an interdisciplinary team.
All applicants should understand the ten characteristics of CVI, and their impact on vision in typical general and special education environments. They should be comfortable creating modifications and accommodations that are academically and developmentally appropriate for students who score across multiple Phases of The CVI Range, based on each student’s individual score. They should have experience documenting the impact of CVI characteristics in the IEP or IFSP through present levels of function, accommodations, and goal writing. And they should be open to collaborating with other team members about approaches to visually accessible programming relative to CVI. In addition, those seeking the CVIR-AP should be familiar with all aspects of conducting The CVI Range for students across multiple phases. This includes conducting an effective interview, completing observations of the student, designing a direct assessment that explores the impact of the CVI characteristics, and scoring The CVI Range accurately based on the findings.
How can I prepare for the CVIR-AP and CVIR-SP?
Both tracks of the CVI Range Proficiency require a thorough background in the ten characteristics of CVI that serve as the
foundation of The CVI Range. Applicants should have experience with a number of students who score across multiple Phases of The CVI Range, for whom they have successfully adapted materials and activities, and developed interventions using information gathered through the assessment. Christine Roman-Lantzy has written and edited two books to guide practitioners working with students with CVI:
– Cortical Visual Impairment: Assessment and Intervention, 2nd edition (2018, AFB Press)
– Cortical Visual Impairment: Advanced Principles (2019, APH Press)
Trainings on conducting The CVI Range are offered semi-regularly through regional vision organizations, such as Perkins School for the Blind, Connections Beyond Sight and Sound, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, The Bridge School, West Virginia Department of Education, and others.
What are the benefits of achieving the CVI Range Proficiency?
Those who have achieved the CVI Range Proficiency are recognized for their demonstration of knowledge and skill, and
their commitment to serving children with CVI effectively. Additional benefits include:
• Option to join the CVI Range Proficiency public registry listing
• A certificate of achievement
• Use of CVI Proficiency credentials (CVIR-AP, CVIR-SP)
• A lapel pin, to signify the achievement
• Ongoing opportunities for mentorship and support through Pediatric VIEW
Is the CVI Range Proficiency required to complete the Range?
A professional who holds the CVI Range Proficiency demonstrates to others that they have significant and effective experience working with students with CVI through the lens of the CVI Range and the ten characteristics. There have never been prerequisites to complete The CVI Range, and anyone is welcome to learn the process. The CVI Range Proficiency does not create a requirement; it aims to recognize those who have honed their skills to a high degree.
What does the application process look like?
Here are the steps for completing The CVI Range Proficiency across both tracks:
CVIR – Assessment Proficiency
1. Submit an initial application with:
a. Completed Application form
b. Updated CV or Resume
c. $45 application fee
2. Complete an Assessment Portfolio focusing on two students, that includes:
a. Video samples of CVI Range assessments
b. Completed CVI Range score sheets
c. Written reports detailing the results
d. CVI Schedules for each student developed from the assessments
e. $315 Proficiency fee.
3. Receive feedback on the portfolio, and Proficiency certificate.
CVIR – Service Proficiency
1. Submit an initial application with:
a. Completed Application form
b. Updated CV or Resume
c. $45 application fee
2. Complete a Service Portfolio focusing on two students, that includes:
a. Video lessons featuring activities adapted to their CVI Range score.
b. Student Activity Profiles, documenting the rationale for developing each activity
c. CVI Schedules for each student developed from a recent assessments
d. $315 Proficiency fee.
3. Receive feedback on the portfolio, and Proficiency certificate.
How long does the application process take to complete?
The application and review process may be completed in as little as four to six weeks. Applicants have as much time as they need to develop and submit materials in the portfolio.
How long will the CVI Range Proficiency be active for?
The CVI Range Proficiency is active for four years, and may be renewed.
What if I have other questions about the CVI Range Proficiency?
Please feel free to contact the Pediatric View team by email at CVIRange@chomepgh.org