Working with children with cortical visual impairment who use augmentative and alternative communication:...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Special Education
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Cortical visual impairment (CVI) significantly impacts children's development and learning.
• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is crucial for children with CVI to express themselves and access education.
• Interdisciplinary service delivery is essential for addressing the complex needs of children with CVI using AAC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify challenges faced by professionals serving children with CVI who use AAC in the United States.
• To explore barriers and priorities for improving services and education for these children.
• To gather perspectives from speech-language pathologists, teachers, and occupational therapists across different settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three surveys distributed to professionals in school, community, and university settings.
• Collected data on barriers to service delivery and priorities for improvement.
• Analyzed perspectives on current educational and clinical services, as well as preservice and in-service training.

Main Results:

• Professionals reported significant challenges in delivering services to children with CVI using AAC.
• Existing service delivery models may be inadequate for meeting the needs of this population.
• Professionals in community-based settings reported encountering more barriers compared to other settings.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the need for improved service delivery models for children with CVI using AAC.
• Interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) and interprofessional education (IPE) are recommended to enhance support.
• Adopting IPCP and IPE aligns with best practices and organizational recommendations for AAC service delivery.