Phase I Interventions
Phase I: Building visual behaviors (Ranges 0 to 3)
Working on:
Consistent looking at a small set of objects
Examples may be: pinwheel, familiar character (ex. Elmo), windsock, slinky, single colored spoon, etc.
Items can be used as part of a daily activity (ex. show the red spoon before using it to eat)
Can teach phonemic awareness and alphabet with auditory scanning- student will not be able to see or understand the visual letter, can use objects as anchors (ex. A for apple)
Guidelines for presenting items:
Use objects of a single, preferred color
Use objects that are shiny or reflective
Use a simple background (black or white)
Use objects that are familiar
Use of movement to gain and sustain attention
Presented in strongest field (usually peripheral)
Present objects on a light box or use a flashlight to cast light onto the item (make sure the flashlight is held from behind the child)
May be able to regard simple moving images on an iPad
Decreased background noise
Seated away from light sources
Materials present within 18 inches or less
Provide ample wait time, provide verbal prompt prior to presentation and then silently wait for visual attention, sometimes up to 30 seconds
Next steps...
Teach salient features of familiar objects (ex. what makes a spoon a spoon-see salient features books under the Adapted Books tab)
Add more objects
Add objects of another color
Try increasing the complexity of objects (ex. 2 colored objects)
Show similar objects to familiar objects (ex. other types of spoons) and talk about what makes them similar and different
Have students identify or select a requested object out of the group of preferred objects “Which one is your spoon?”
Work on discrimination activities “Show me an object (spoon) like the one I am holding.”
Work on recognition activities “Look at these objects and find the spoon”
Work on identification activities (pairing with auditory scanning if needed) “What is this called?”
With this specific instruction and practice, an individual with CVI will eventually learn to generalize visual information