For as long as I can remember, the classroom has always been the place where I have felt most simultaneously at ease and challenged. It presents a most interesting dichotomy; this space that holds the answers to all my questions, whilst continually confronting me with all there is still to know and learn. Above all, it has always brought about a sense of comfort though, knowing when I entered this space, I wasn’t expected to know all the answers. Naively, I had begun to develop a notion, greater knowledge would simply translate into greater skill. For a long time, I thought it was as simple as merely delving into all the education available to me. However clinical practice has taught me there isn't always a course outline to follow or clear-cut paths to answering my questions. The process of acquiring knowledge surrounding CVI is a pivotal point in my journey as a clinician and lifelong learner. I set a goal to Explore and implement supports to enable interdisciplinary learning and participation in children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). The experience changed the way I view learning not only for myself, but for my colleagues and the families of children I work with. Going through the phases of developing CVI programming at our clinic was a lesson in research, self-education, strategic planning, resource allocation, teaching and training, and clinical practice. Most notably, it was an experience in growth and learning without ever stepping foot into a classroom.

I've come to understand knowledge comes in many shapes and forms. I continue to recognize the value in formal courses and education, but also now appreciate the significance of other more subtle teachable moments. Discussions with colleagues, the stories and experiences of families, and the daily trials and tribulations of clinical practice, encountered by myself and my colleagues. Reflecting back on this process, there were numerous valuable lessons learned. Though with each phase of the program development, I was left with a critical takeaway.

The first phase of CVI program development, was first and foremost a lesson in acquiring knowledge. Though CVI was something I was now readily encountering in my own OT practice, it was also something I had yet to be thoroughly formally educated on throughout my OT training. I came to recognize that perhaps one of the best ways to better the knowledge of oneself and the profession, is through sometimes looking outside of the profession; interdisciplinary collaboration informs optimal outcomes. The collaborative experience with special education colleagues, namely several teachers for the visually impaired (TVIs) provided me with an invaluable wealth of knowledge. Though the content may come from someone of differing backgrounds and professional expertise, it is the ability of the skilled clinician to integrate and apply the information to one's respective discipline in a meaningful way. Moreover, the learning should not end there. True knowledge acquisition and mastery is best reflected in one's ability to share and impart this knowledge with others. The ability to disseminate this new knowledge beyond myself in a pertinent and meaningful way to my colleagues optimizes learning for all; most notably our patients.

The second phase of CVI program development, was a lesson in advocacy. When I first began working at my current practice, the staff was predominantly comprised of physical therapists, which brought equal advantages and challenges. I was fortunate to be surrounded by many colleagues with professional expertise that complemented my own. They were and continue to be a source of continued learning. However, being of minority perspective can also be disadvantageous; particularly in terms of resource allocation. In instances when budgets were fixed and resources scare, I found myself outnumbered. During this phase I learned at times mere advocacy for best practices, is not always impetus for change. Conducting and presenting a needs assessment yielded further objective data to appeal to administrative sides of practice. This was a critical step though something I was initially reluctant to do. I had no experience with conducting a needs assessment, and the process seemed cumbersome and overwhelming. My first instinct was to wait until I could take a course or receive formal training in program development. But the thought of further putting off this project encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. I took a step back and decided to start small. Gathering resources from the internet, I began to narrow down my options and settled on a pre-established template that would guide the pertinent questions. Starting with something simplistic and concise felt manageable, building my confidence and allowing me to complete it.

The third and final phase of CVI program development, was a lesson in adapting. When developing the CVI kits, I experienced firsthand how to take knowledge acquired and adapt it to best fit into our model of practice. Though these kits were the end product of a tiered CVI program development, it was solely these kits I had initially envisioned when I first began this endeavor. At the time, little did I recognize the importance of the layered processes necessary to implementing a truly efficient and effective product into practice. Having the ability to delve deeper into information, more formally assess gaps in practice and survey the perspectives of my colleagues, resulted in an optimal product for our practice. The contents of each kit were thoughtfully selected, with the intent of meeting the needs of a specific yet diverse population, while also remaining applicable to an array of disciplines. However, in order to arrive at this point, I had to be willing to set aside some of my own ideas, to best incorporate the perspectives of my colleagues. Moreover, the learning process is dynamic and ever evolving. This experience has shown me there is never a singular terminal standard for competence to strive for. I recognize unknowns and subsequent learning will be a continual careerlong occurrence. Rather than be overwhelmed by all I've yet to know, I now approach it openly. I am prepared to continue to grow this project along with myself as a clinician.

Though the earliest period of my career was marked by challenge and doubt, it was also one of immense growth and clarity. Above all, what I took away from this experience is I will never come close to knowing everything; nor do I believe there is any therapist that does or ever will. But I now recognize I don't need to know everything to be a skilled clinician. What I do need is knowing who to look to, how to collaborate, when advocate and the endless ways to continually adapt. Above all, this experience forced me to really examine my notion of interdisciplinary relations and put it into practice. The beauty of interdisciplinary practices is allowing myself to let go of the belief I need to know it all in order to be a skilled clinician. It's never been about having all the answers. Rather, the skill comes in knowing which questions to ask and who to ask them to, when encountering a roadblock.

Collectively, these artifacts represent my advanced competence in interdisciplinary collaboration through my ability to effectively identify and implement supports to promote learning in the CVI population. Acquiring the foundational knowledge was accomplished through referring to special education and vision specialist colleagues. Advocating for the funding was achieved through demonstrating a need and working closely with my administrators. And lastly, implementing effective supports across all practices, was made possible through working jointly with colleagues from all disciplines to gain a truly comprehensive perspective.