Opening Up the World for Learners with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)
Cerebral Visual Impairment does not necessarily mean that a child is completely blind; it means they see the world in a different way.
What is cerebral visual impairment (CVI)?
Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) can make the world a bit trickier to navigate for children. It's not about how well they see, but rather how their brain processes visual information. Imagine a winding country road instead of one that’s straight – that's kind of like how CVI can affect sight. Children with cerebral visual impairment are all unique. Some children may have significant visual impairments, while others may have milder challenges. Children can struggle to recognise faces and move around on uneven surfaces; some may not be able to know if an object is moving or still. Distance and depth perception can often be difficult, making things like crowded places a hurdle. Imagine trying to find one familiar face in a crowded sports stadium - how frustrating would that be? The good news is, there are ways to help children with CVI explore and learn in a fun and engaging way. That's where HelpKidzLearn comes in!
Designed with CVI in mind.
Our activities are bursting with bright colours and clear, uncluttered designs. We've worked with CVI specialists to create high-contrast visuals that pop against black backgrounds. This makes it much easier for children to focus on what matters - the exciting game in front of them! These features are all over our HelpKidzLearn Games and Activities subscription, and you'll find them in our fantastic Big Bang apps too. Big Bang uses high-contrast silhouettes, simple line art, and fun sound effects to bring games to life, all on a black background that makes everything stand out.
Seeing the world in a new light with Insight.
Our Insight software is another great tool for learners with CVI. It was developed specifically as an assessment and teaching system for early vision and cognition for learners using eye-gaze technology. Insight uses game-based activities to assess looking behaviours and develop a learners visual learning skills – all whilst keeping learning enjoyable. Insight can also help you figure out which colours work best for each child, which is super helpful when creating activities for them.
Personalised learning with ChooseIt Maker.
We know that every child learns in their own unique way. That's why ChooseIt Maker lets you create custom activities using symbols, photos, text, sounds, and even text-to-speech. And for CVI learners, you can easily adjust the colours to high-contrast options or any colours that grab their attention.
Hear here!
Many children with CVI rely on their hearing to take in information about the world around them. HelpKidzLearn can help with that too! All of our software uses audio cues to present information clearly, and works great with switch access options. This way, children can practice listening for clues and develop auditory scanning skills, all while building communication skills and a sense of independence.
Accessibility is at the heart of what we do.
Every child with CVI is unique, and their needs can be too. That's why we've made our software super adaptable! With HelpKidzLearn, you can create a student profile that sets the preferred method of access, whether it's eye-gaze, touch screen, or something else entirely. You can also adjust settings and personalise activities to match each child's specific needs and sensory preferences. By removing these barriers and making adjustments, we help ensure that every child can enjoy and learn from our activities.
Learning through play.
We believe that play is the best way to learn, and that's especially true for children with CVI. Our software lets them explore and learn at their own pace, promoting a sense of independence and accomplishment. By playing our games, children can develop important skills like problem-solving and decision-making, all in a safe and supportive environment.
Tracking progress, celebrating success.
We know that every milestone is a cause for celebration! HelpKidzLearn tools like Insight and ChooseIt Maker and Readymades allow you to track and monitor a child's progress over time. This data can help you set goals, personalise activities even further, and create a truly individualised learning experience. At HelpKidzLearn, we believe that every child deserves the chance to explore, learn, and grow. By making our software accessible and engaging for children with CVI, we hope to help them open up their world, a little bit at a time.
CVI success stories.
ChooseIt Maker
"They smile, giggle, and clap during ChooseIt Maker activities, especially when they get the reward music! It's not just about getting the answer right – it's about the entire learning journey, and HelpKidzLearn makes it a blast."
Children's Center for the Visually ImpairedKansas, USA
Insight
“Haris's visual attention scores soared to an impressive 70% and above, with his ability to notice images consistently exceeding 90%. This all created evidence for us to put together a bigger portfolio and develop our understanding of Haris and what his needs are and where we can go with that.”
Pendle View Primary SchoolColne, England.
Testimonials of CVI Success.
Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired
They smile, giggle, and clap during ChooseIt Maker activities, especially when they get the reward music! It's not just about getting the answer right – it's about the entire learning journey, and HelpKidzLearn makes it a blast.
Delaney RezekTeaching Assistance Supervisor
District 279
It has surpassed our expectations and is now being requested for our visual impaired students and our developmental cognitive delay students as well. It is very user friendly and requires little staff training. It is engaging, has nice variety, and allows students to be able to engage with their devices in ways they never could before.
Rebecca JonesMA, OTR/L-
Pendle View Primary School
When using Insight, Haris's visual attention scores soared to an impressive 70% and above, with his ability to notice images consistently exceeding 90%. This all created evidence for us to put together a bigger portfolio and develop our understanding of Haris and what his needs are and where we can go with that.
Jess GottCommunication & Computing Lead
