VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 1
Using the sixteen visual behaviors as the foundation, Perkins created a CVI
assessment tool, The CVI Protocol, which guides a teacher of students with visual
impairments (TSVI) through evaluating how a student is impacted by CVI and
what types of accommodations and supports would benefit the student. Every
individual's lived experience is different, and the way CVI manifests and creates
barriers to access is unique to each person. Overarching and potential implications
are outlined in this article, but only a comprehensive CVI assessment can help to
determine the appropriate accommodations for each student. CVI is life-long. The
CVI visual behaviors are an ongoing need—they can change and improve for
some, but the need never goes away.
CVI affects a student's ability to attend and recognize, which causes
difficulty for a student to access their materials, their environment, the people
around them, and their world.
Visual attention and visual recognition are the two main focus areas of the
assessment and the other visual behaviors circle around those. The visual attention
assessment area measures the student's ability to be visually aware of an item,
establish visual attention, and maintain visual attention (Dutton, 2015). Some
individuals with CVI benefit from visual support, such as adding light, motion, or
bright saturated colors, when presenting the item (Cohen-Maitre & Haerich, 2005;
Geetha 2020). Students may also benefit from an auditory cue or a verbal label to
