BRS Pediatric Visual Impairment Services 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, which term specifically refers to visual impairment so severe that, even with correction, it adversely affects a child's educational performance?
- Low vision
- Blindness
- Visual impairment including blindness (Correct answer)
- Cortical visual impairment
Correct answer: Visual impairment including blindness
IDEA uses the category 'visual impairment including blindness' to cover the full spectrum from low vision to total blindness that impacts educational performance.
Question 2: A TVI conducting a Functional Vision Assessment observes that a child consistently turns her head to the left when viewing objects. This behavior most likely indicates:
- Nystagmus with a null point to the right (Correct answer)
- Cortical visual impairment
- A left homonymous hemianopia
- Photophobia
Correct answer: Nystagmus with a null point to the right
Children with nystagmus often adopt a head turn to place the eyes in the null point where nystagmus is minimized, improving visual acuity.
Question 3: Which developmental milestone related to visual motor integration is typically expected by 4–6 months of age in a sighted infant?
- Reaches accurately for objects at arm's length
- Tracks a moving object 180 degrees (Correct answer)
- Copies a circle with crayon
- Matches colors with 90% accuracy
Correct answer: Tracks a moving object 180 degrees
By 4–6 months, typically developing infants can smoothly track a slowly moving object through a full 180-degree arc.
Question 4: An early interventionist working with a 9-month-old who is blind should prioritize which type of skill to support independent mobility development?
- Formal cane technique
- Tactile exploration and spatial concept building (Correct answer)
- Sighted guide training
- Electronic travel aid use
Correct answer: Tactile exploration and spatial concept building
Before formal O&M training, tactile exploration and building spatial/body concepts form the foundational skills necessary for later independent mobility.
Question 5: Which assessment tool is specifically designed to evaluate the functional literacy skills of students who use braille?
- Brigance Inventory of Early Development
- Braille Literacy Rating Scale (BLRS) (Correct answer)
- BRIGANCE Diagnostic Inventory
- Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP)
Correct answer: Braille Literacy Rating Scale (BLRS)
The Braille Literacy Rating Scale (BLRS) is specifically designed to assess braille reading and writing competencies in students with visual impairments.
Question 6: A child with CVI demonstrates better visual attention when objects are presented against which type of background?
- Complex, patterned backgrounds
- Plain, single-color backgrounds (Correct answer)
- High-contrast black-and-white patterns
- Natural outdoor scenes
Correct answer: Plain, single-color backgrounds
Children with CVI typically attend better when visual clutter is reduced; plain, single-color backgrounds minimize competing visual information.
Question 7: When consulting with a general education teacher about a student with low vision, the TVI recommends that the student be seated in the classroom at a position that:
- Is closest to the teacher's desk
- Allows the student to move to optimize viewing distance and angle (Correct answer)
- Is at the back of the room to avoid distraction
- Places the student next to the window for natural light
Correct answer: Allows the student to move to optimize viewing distance and angle
Flexibility in seating allows the student to self-adjust distance and angle for optimal viewing of the board, demonstrations, and peers.
BRS Pediatric Visual Impairment Services 2
Under IDEA, which term specifically refers to visual impairment so severe that, even with correction, it adversely affects a child's educational performance?