The Bridge School is excited to announce that we have formed a partnership with Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, an internationally known expert on CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment), to further our work in this area and to enhance the services we are providing our students. The opening venture of this partnership will be the first annual Bridge School Summer Institute: CVI and AAC. This weeklong institute will take place at The Bridge School June 12 – 17, 2022.
This Institute will give 40 professionals the opportunity to increase their knowledge/expertise in the area of CVI and AAC by providing instruction from experts in related fields, offering opportunities to interact with families of children with CVI who use AAC, daily direct contact with these children, and experience working collaboratively in an interprofessional team to address assessment and intervention planning.
The Institute will offer 10 families an opportunity to work with an interprofessional team to obtain a CVI assessment and an intervention plan that can be implemented across school and home environments. Parents will interact with team members to determine their child’s current communication skills and preferences and explore ways to increase access to augmentative and alternative communication.
This Summer Institute is intended to bring children/students with CVI and who use AAC, their parents, and educational providers together to address the following goals/objectives:
- Use a team approach to conduct, score and interpret The CVI Range for each child/student present and use the results of The CVI Range to describe a student’s functional vision strengths and needs
- Identify a primary “goal for the week” as determined by the parent who will serve as the head of each child’s week-long team. Goals may focus on multiple areas related to CVI and AAC.
- Create a child-specific plan for each student that will include:
- Targeted behaviors/goals/desired outcomes
- CVI accommodations to achieve targeted goals, including cues associated with visual fatigue
- Specialized methods for instruction
- Methods for measuring progress/success/achievement
- Identify and describe current communication methods
- Set appropriate communication goals for student
- Determine factors to consider in selecting displays/visual materials
- Address issues related to language comprehension
- Integrating hands-free-upright mobility into CVI/AAC intervention plans
Days will be organized into two sections. Mornings will be time spent with teams in direct contact with children/students; afternoons will be used for adult instruction focusing on principles of CVI/AAC directly associated with the goals set by individual teams. Opportunities will be offered for families to engage in open conversations regarding their experiences.
COVID Policy for All Attendees
The Bridge School is aware of the evolving and continued uncertainties related to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are staying abreast of updates from health organizations and local authorities and remain committed to being responsive to ongoing developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health and travel restrictions. The Summer Institute will be contingent upon the current health climate. Agreement to these procedures is mandatory.
- All adult family members, adult participants and staff will be required to be vaccinated and show proof of vaccination.
- During the Summer Institute, masks will be worn by adults at all times. Students may be exempt.
- Temperature will be taken and all adults will be given a rapid antigen test when they arrive on-site.
- Parents will be given rapid antigen tests to administer to their children under the direction of The Bridge School staff.
