CVI at home

Four rules for every room

• One thing at a time. Look, or listen, or reach. Pick one.
• Same place, every time. Then your child can find things by memory when seeing is hard.
• Say who you are. “Hi, it’s Dad. I’m home.”
• Wait. Count to ten in your head. Don’t fill the silence.

Every kid with CVI is different. Try one change, watch what happens, keep what works.

Meals

• Plain placemat or tray, one solid color that stands out from the plate.
• Only one or two things on it at a time, spaced apart.
• Same cup, same spot, every meal.
• TV off. Noise can make seeing harder.
• Say where things are: “Peas on the left. Your cup is by your right hand.”

Play

• Put most toys away. Leave out a few.
• Play on a plain blanket, not a patterned rug.
• Offer one toy at a time. Move it slowly to catch their eye, then hold it still and wait.
• Bright toys in one solid color may be easier to find than busy, many-colored ones.
• If your child looks, looks away, then reaches, that’s fine. It’s a strategy, not a mistake.
• Use sound and touch too: music, toys with texture.

Getting dressed

• Lay clothes out flat on a plain bed or floor, in the order they go on.
• One item at a time.
• Shoes in the same spot by the door, every day.
• Name it and place it: “Your blue shirt is on the bed, by the pillow.”

Books and reading

• Real objects first. Flat pictures can be harder than real things.
• Simple books: one picture per page, plain background.
• Good light on the page. No bright window behind the book.
• Short sessions. Stop before your child is worn out.
• Let them listen with eyes closed or looking away. Listening only is allowed.

Screens

• One thing on screen at a time. Rows of thumbnails are clutter too.
• Plain backgrounds and slow movement. Fast, busy cartoons can be hard to follow.
• A lit screen helps some kids see and wears others out. Watch for eye rubbing, turning away or meltdowns.
• Turn other noise down when the screen is on.

Bedtime

• Expect the end of the day to be hardest. Seeing takes effort, and vision tires out.
• Same routine, same order, every night.
• Pajamas, cup and favorite toy in the same places every night.
• Clear path from bed to the bathroom. Night-light in the same spot.
• Don’t ask your child to look at things now. Let vision rest. Use words and touch.

Around the house

• Tell your child before you move furniture or their things.
• Bright tape on the edges of stairs. One quiet, plain spot for breaks.

What to say instead

Instead of	Try
“Look, it’s right there.”	“Your cup is next to your right hand.”
“Look at me.”	“It’s Mom. I’m sitting on your left.”
“You found it yesterday.”	“You’re tired today. Let’s find it together.”
Walking in without a word	“Hi, it’s Dad. I’m home.”

When your child says they can’t see it, believe them.