Illuminating Insights: Supporting Vision in Early Intervention

 I wanted to take a moment to revisit one of the standout moments from a previous Coach2Coach event – our enlightening interview with vision specialist Tara Tompai. Her expertise on Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), from early signs to treatment strategies, left a lasting impact! Today, I'm happy to share some of her low vision strategies. 

During this C2C event, we watched video of a child during a home visit, nestled closely with her mother, briefly averting her gaze – often dismissed as "non-purposeful." Tara challenged this notion, revealing the profound purpose behind these moments. These brief breaks in gaze can serve as valuable resets, allowing the child to recalibrate their vision before reconnecting with their caregiver.

Tara then explained the concept of using light as a catalyst to bolster visual attention. Whether it's providing a visual break or igniting a child's motivation, light holds significant potential for children with CVI and low vision. Through techniques like illuminating target objects and employing visual prompts, caregivers can effectively nurture a child's visual attention for meaningful engagement and learning.

She shared practical strategies such as integrating light-up toys and spotlighting specific objects of interest with a flashlight. Just like our other esteemed guests, Tara underscored the importance of customizing interventions to suit each child's unique needs. Supporting vision is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. By collaborating with specialists like teachers of the visually impaired, we can develop tailored strategies that maximize visual learning opportunities. From selecting suitable colors to refining the placement of objects, every detail contributes to cultivating an environment conducive to visual engagement.

To shed further light on your journey in Early Intervention, I invite you to explore Tara's full presentation in our Early Intervention Expert Insights series. In this session, we watched clips from two different families’ home visits and gained invaluable insights from Tara herself. If you're already a part of this series, you can dive straight into Tara's 90-minute presentation in Module 3. Tara's instagram is another amazing place to learn more about this topic.