VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 1
Ilse Willems
Perkins School for the Blind
ilse.willems@perkins.org
Target audience: TSVIs
Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is a brain-based visual
impairment caused by damage to the visual pathways or visual processing centers
of the brain. It is the leading cause of visual impairment in children in developed
countries (Flanagan et al., 2003). There are many common associated conditions,
such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and a range of genetic syndromes
(Pehere et al., 2018; Wilton et al., 2021).
Combining current research and diverse perspectives in the field, listening to
stories about the lived experiences of individuals with CVI and their families, and
learning from conducting CVI assessments of and teaching students with CVI,
Perkins developed a current, inclusive, and more comprehensive methodology for
The CVI Visual Behaviors: A Methodology for
Describing CVI
