Photo submitted/WCPS.
Educators from several Central Alberta school divisions gathered in Lacombe on March 18, for a professional development session aimed at helping teachers better understand and support students with cerebral visual impairments (CVI).
The brain-based visual processing disorder affects how the brain interprets what the eyes see. Students with CVI often struggle with visual perception, especially in busy or unfamiliar environments.
Hosted by Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS), the session focused on the unique learning needs associated with CVI, offering strategies and insight into how the condition can impact behaviour, academic performance, and mental health.
“The goal ultimately is for educators and educational teams to learn about cerebral visual impairments, the possible implications that it has on students’ learning, and give them tools to help identify students in their classrooms and schools who may potentially have CVI,” said Danielle Hamelink, Educational Consultant for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “Ultimately, we want them to leave with some useful strategies to support those students in their classrooms.”
Hamelink emphasized that CVI is often misunderstood or misidentified as other conditions, such as ADHD or general learning disabilities, making awareness and training all the more essential.
“Today’s session was about giving educators tools to start asking the right questions,” said Hamelink.
Participants also explored the emotional toll that unidentified visual impairments can take on students.
“There’s a significant mental health component,” said Hamelink. “Students with CVI can experience anxiety when they struggle with tasks their peers complete more easily. Over time, that can lead to shutdowns or meltdowns in the classroom.”
The day’s activities included hands-on simulations and case studies, helping educators recognize subtle signs of CVI and understand how simple adjustments, such as reducing visual complexity on a worksheet, can dramatically improve a student’s ability to demonstrate their understanding.
Hamelink explained that in a recent consultation, CVI-informed adaptations allowed a student with cerebral visual impairment to successfully demonstrate her understanding of numerals—something her educational team previously believed she could not do.
Photo submitted/WCPS.
Irene Donaldson, WCPS Director of Inclusive Learning, said the event was a valuable step forward in equipping teachers with the knowledge they need.
“This kind of professional development is vital,” said Donaldson. “It empowers our educators to recognize learning differences and create classroom environments where every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
Adding that collaboration among smaller rural and urban school divisions in Central Alberta was an important part of the day’s success.
“To have school divisions from across our region come together for a session like this shows leadership,” she said. “It demonstrates a shared commitment to growing our understanding and improving support for students—no matter where they live.”
**With information provided by WCPS
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