Hi Lydia,
I’m interested to hear more about your experience with the makerspace and mobile STEM unit! A lot of my students enjoy STEM because it can be made more accessible for them since it’s so hands on.
Melissa
Hi ladies,
I’m a relatively new COMS, I’ve been certified since 2022. I currently have one O&M student with CVI on my caseload who just qualified for direct services. I’m looking forward to learning more about CVI to support his team in the classroom and especially during his O&M lessons!
Hi Libby!
I received my masters at Pitt! I was in an O&M/ABA program and I really enjoyed it, especially my time exploring the city 
Hi! My name is Jennifer Reed and I live in Klein, Texas. I have been a TVI for 25 years but I have also taught 2nd, 4th and 5th grades, and served as an assistant principal of an elementary school. Currently I work as a TVI in Spring ISD and I am a member of out district’s assistive technology team. I had 18 students at the end of the school year ranging from birth to 22. I have two learning braille and many have a CVI diagnosis as well as other impairments. I am looking forward to learning more about CVI this summer.
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Hi, Faye! I am from Texas as well! 40 students, wow! How large is the area that you serve? Are all five of your braille students in different locations? How often do they receive service? Sorry for so many questions it is just always so interesting to hear how others manage their large caseloads. Have you considered trying tactiles with your student? I could be making an incorrect assumption as to why your student can see the letters but is not able to read.
Hi, Lauren! It sounds like you have a lot on your caseload. Are vision teachers hard to find in Wyoming? They are lucky that you came along. Was it difficult to get certified in another state?
Hi everyone!
My name is Nicole Jay. I am an Orientation & Mobility Specialist and Physical Therapist based in NJ. I work with students who have a wide variety of needs, however the majority of my students who have CVI are medically complex. I am very excited to collaborate with the group, learn what people are doing nationally when working with students who have CVI, and current research outcomes and best practices.
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Hi! My name is Shelley Snook. I’m a TVI in the Harrisburg, PA area. I’m employed by a local school district and provide vision services to three of six districts in a six district consortium. I work with students in k-12. I have a handful of students with a CVI diagnosis and am looking forward to learning how I can better provide them with what they need.
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Hi Lynn! Wow … that must be quite the effort to keep track of so many students. I’m wondering if you have any “tricks of the trade” that have been helpful for you to keep it all organized. My caseload has grown considerably for the coming year (I had one student who was a significant amount of my time but has graduated, so I absorbed several students for the fall who are new to me). Approximately half of them have CVI so this course is going to be a great help too! I look forward to learning with you.
Hi Angela. I find working with students with CVI and their teams so interesting and challenging - and we are identifying it more and more frequently especially with our complex students. I actually recently had a local pediatric ophthalmologist (I sometimes go with the student and family to appointments) look to me as the TVI to confirm CVI characteristics. It was a very interesting moment but she recognizes that as TVIs we spend much more time with them than they could in a doctor’s office. That has made me want to be even more knowledgeable about this topic!
Hi Jennifer,
Great to hear from another Texan. The district has about 50 schools and the population is 160,000. We serve the Ft. Hood area. Except for one school, the students are in different locations. In that school I pair them for activities when possible. Some receive 3 x some 1x per week. I have not tried tactiles with the CVI student. I might add this student has traumatic brain injuries; this may account for some of the problems. If you know of any VI teachers interested in coming to our area, let them know this is a great area. We can use the help.
Hi, my name is Cristina and I am a TSVI in Northeast Ohio. This past school year, I worked with preK-12 students in 9 districts within 3 counties. I finished the 2024-25 school year with about 65 students on my caseload. Most of my students are complex-learners with multiple needs, many of which includes a diagnosis of CVI. I am most looking forward to collaborating and learning from all the others in this cohort this summer, as well as continuing to learn more about how to interact and plan grade- and age-appropriate lessons for all of our students with CVI.
Hi, Vicki!
I think your idea of creating a box of materials for students with CVI sounds amazing! I have tried to do something similar this past year, with sorting materials out for students with similar eye diagnoses and/or activities I am working on with students to try to condense down how many bags I was carrying out to my car every day for the 5-7 students I was scheduled to see on a day-to-day basis. Please share any tried and true materials you have found to be helpful for your kiddos!
Hi, Lydia!
I am intrigued as to your current professional role and would love to hear more about how you have been integrating makerspace/STEM activities into your student curricula programs (VI and non-VI related!). I am an itinerant teacher in Northeast Ohio and while I try to collaborate as much as possible with general education programs/teachers, I feel like there is always something more that I should/could be doing - but I don’t always think about what exactly that may be/look like.
My name is Melanie Weldon. I am an itinerant TVI/COMS in Alabama, working with students 3-22 years of age. Several of my students have CVI. I have students with CVI whose functional vision has improved through the years. I am looking forward to learning ways to improve my role in the assessment process and supporting the students’ vision in the different phases of CVI. In addition, I’m excited about sharing the information with their families and service providers, so that we can be consistent throughout the day with CVI-specific interventions.
I am also an itinerant TVI/O&M who works with a wide age range of students. The number of students I serve who have been diagnosed with CVI has also increased, and I am looking forward to learning more about CVI-related topics. It’s an ongoing process with so much to learn! I am glad this learning opportunity is available and anticipate implementing what I learn during the school year and building on the knowledge in the future.
I also have several students with multiple needs, including CVI, and am also looking forward to learning from others in this cohort. I’m glad to be participating as part of the cohort instead of going through the individual courses on my own.
Hi Katherine! Its so cool that we are on the same team at work and cohort. I love to learn. Glad that we’ll have great new tools to work with the students.
Hi -
Thank you so much for asking. Many assume that I work in IT. I do model, troubleshoot and recommend high-tech devices, but I get to do so much more. I really enjoy AT because it is fun and my daily tasks are quite often varied. I spend the the majority of my time making curriculum accessible to students. This can range from adapting a book with page fluffers and textures to creating a switch from scratch with just some wire and a solder. I do a lot of work with chooseit maker, clicker and boardmaker online. One of my favorite things to do is to print 3d manipulatives that are student specific. If you ever visit Baltimore, MD please stop by. We enjoy visitors.
Kelly
Hi Dr. SMG!
I was in the other day and saw the poster on your door. Congrats!