# Classroom checklist for a student with CVI > Most of what helps a student with CVI costs nothing. Clear the wall behind you, seat the student away from the window and the door, and give one thing at a time on a plain background. Say your name, wait while they look, put the hardest looking early in the day, and leave a short note for any substitute. Updated 2026-10-04. Canonical: https://cviexplained.com/classroom-checklist/ ## Start here Sit in the student's seat for one minute. Look at what they have to look at. Then work down this list. ## The room - [ ] The wall behind where you teach is plain. Take the posters down, or hang a plain dark sheet over them. - [ ] The student doesn't face a window. Light comes from the side or from behind them. - [ ] Blinds come down on bright days, and nothing glares off the board or screen. - [ ] The seat is close to you, on the side the vision teacher recommends. - [ ] The seat is away from the door, the sink and the pencil sharpener, where people walk past. - [ ] There is one plain spot for focused work: a bare corner, a tri-fold board, or a desk facing a blank wall. - [ ] The desk holds only what this task needs. - [ ] Supplies live in the same place every day, marked with one bright color. If you move something, tell the student. - [ ] Noise is down. Tennis balls on chair legs, and pencil sharpening only at set times. - [ ] Steps and ramps in and near the room have bright tape on the edges. ## Materials - [ ] One task per page, with lots of white space. - [ ] No borders, clip art or busy backgrounds. - [ ] A plain font like Arial or Verdana, at the size the vision teacher recommends. - [ ] Real objects or color photos instead of black-and-white drawings. - [ ] A copy on the desk or tablet of anything you put on the board. More on this: [Worksheets, books and screens](/adapting-materials/). ## How you teach - [ ] Say your name every time: "Hi Maya, it's Ms. Ortiz." - [ ] Show one thing at a time, on a plain background. - [ ] Ask for one thing at a time. Look, or listen, or write. Not all three at once. - [ ] Stop talking while the student looks. Count to ten in your head. - [ ] Say what you're showing: "This is a map of Ohio. The river is the blue line on the left." - [ ] Describe instead of point: "Your folder is on the left side of your desk," not "It's right there." - [ ] Don't ask for eye contact. A student who looks away may be listening harder. ## The day - [ ] The hardest looking work goes in the morning. - [ ] Breaks from looking are planned, not earned. - [ ] After PE, recess or a long trip down the hall, expect less vision for a while. - [ ] The student hears about changes first: a new seat, a visitor, a different room. - [ ] The student leaves a few minutes early for lunch and room changes, before the halls fill up. - [ ] When vision is spent, switch to listening, talking or hands-on work. ## Leave this for a substitute Copy it onto the top page of your sub plans. > **[Name] has CVI.** It's a visual impairment that starts in the brain, so their eyes can look fine. Please: > > - Say your name when you talk to them. > - Keep their desk clear and their seat where it is. > - Give one page or one thing at a time. > - Wait quietly while they look. Don't repeat yourself. > - Let them leave at [time] for lunch and room changes, with [buddy or aide]. > - If they shut their eyes or put their head down, offer a break. It's tired vision, not defiance. > > Questions? Ask [aide or teacher next door]. ## What this list is not It's a starting point, not a plan for one child. Every student with CVI is different. Ask the family and the vision teacher what matters most, and follow the IEP. ## Questions people ask ### Do I have to strip my whole classroom? No. Start with two places, the wall behind where you teach and the space around the student's desk. Then add one plain spot for focused work, like a bare corner or a tri-fold board. ### How do I know which of these my student needs? You won't know from a list. Ask the family, ask the vision teacher (TVI), read the IEP, and ask the student what helps. ## Sources - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI for Classroom Teachers and Special Educators](https://www.perkins.org/resource/cvi-for-classroom-teachers-and-special-educators/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, These 9 easy classroom adaptations can help kids with CVI](https://www.perkins.org/these-9-easy-classroom-adaptations-can-help-kids-with-cvi/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI and the impact of light](https://www.perkins.org/cvi-impact-of-light/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI and response interval](https://www.perkins.org/cvi-response-interval/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI and access to people](https://www.perkins.org/cvi-access-to-people/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI and sensory integration](https://www.perkins.org/cvi-sensory-integration-and-its-impact-on-vision/) - [Perkins School for the Blind, CVI for Teaching Assistants and Paraprofessionals](https://www.perkins.org/resource/cvi-for-teaching-assistants-and-paraprofessionals/) --- CVI Explained gives general information. It is not medical or legal advice and it does not diagnose.