CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY (CI)
By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is a near vision problem that is gaining public recognition. Students with CI can present with a normal eye exam, but have significant difficulty performing close work (i.e., reading, computer work, desk work, playing video games, doing crafts, etc.). According to Optometrists Network, Convergence Insufficiency is "the leading cause of eyestrain, blurred vision, double vision (diplopia), and/or headaches." Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is a common binocular (two-eyed) vision disorder in which the eyes do not work at near easily. It interferes with a person's ability to see, read, learn, and work at near distances. A person can pass the 20/20 eye chart test and still have convergence insufficiency. Treatment that is typically recommended by optometrists includes either passive (prism lenses) to active (office-based vision therapy with home reinforcement). Eye surgery is rarely, if ever, recommended.
CI is an eye teaming problem in which the eyes have a strong tendency to drift outward when reading or doing close work (exophoria at near). If the eyes do drift out, the person is likely to have double vision. To prevent double vision, the individual exerts extra effort to make the eyes turn back in (converge). This extra effort can lead to a number of symptoms which interfere with the ability to read and work comfortably at near. Symptoms may include: eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, movement of print while reading, loss of comprehension after short periods of reading or performing close activities, frequent loss of place, squinting rubbing, closing or covering an eye. Symptoms will be worsened by illness, lack of sleep, anxiety, and/or prolonged close work. CI may lead to suppression of vision in one eye causing loss of binocular vision and depth perception. Poor binocular vision may have a negative impact on many areas of life, such as coordination, sports, judgment of distances, eye contact, motion sickness, etc. Recommended treatment by optometrists for Convergence Insufficiency is vision therapy. As with other visual diagnosis, a diagnosis of Convergence Insufficiency in and of itself does not guarantee that a student will be eligible or in need of school based vision services. If a student is found to be eligible, these services would NOT include vision therapy as vision therapy is not provided by schools. The optometrist may also recommend school accommodations that may assist the student throughout the day. These recommendations are generally simple to provide and may include using a line guide or a bookmark to keep their place while reading, positioning books on a slant board or incline, receiving a copy of notes or information presented on the board and being seated closer to the board. The school can provide these accommodations regardless of a students eligibility for school based vision services. Although a student with Convergence Insufficiency may need support or accommodations in areas related to vision, they will typically NOT meet the eligibility criteria to be identified as a student with a visual impairment as the criteria for that label is reserved for students who are severely impacted by their vision (see eligibility criteria). Although there are exceptions to the rule, a student who is diagnosed with Convergence Insufficiency and has an otherwise normal eye report will not meet the eligibility criteria for vision services provided by the school. |
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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
$50.00
Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:
In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites. Unique Concepts within the Units include:
Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs. Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number. Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties. Product details Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font) Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments Author: Carmen Willings Language: English 
Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements
$20.00
This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details: Digital pdf download: 210 pages Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments Author: Carmen Willings Language: English |
