Complex Needs

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)

Learn more about deafblindness, blindness and multiple disabilities, complex needs, CVI, and ASD when blind or low vision.

Home Life

A teen boy in a wheelchair holding and exploring a basketball inside a gym.

Helping a Child with Multiple Disabilities Develop Their Senses

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Our senses are our gateway to the world. They are how we obtain information, gain understanding, and interact with the objects and people […]

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girl in wheelchair playing with developing toy in kindergarten for children with special needs

Supporting Learning and Development in Children Who Are Blind or Low Vision with Additional Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Although children with blindness or low vision vary widely in their capabilities and needs, in general, vision loss interferes with a child’s ability […]

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A child with multiple disabilities in a wheelchair eating breakfast independently.

Supporting the Development of Eating Skills for Children with Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Learning to eat and drink can be a challenge for many children who have complex needs including blindness or low vision. The way […]

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A child sitting on a toilet reaching for toilet paper.

Toilet Training When Your Child Has Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Toileting, or elimination, is something everyone does throughout the day, so helping your child achieve more independence in this area is likely to […]

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Teenager using calendar app on mobile phone.

Using a Schedule with Your Child Who Is Blind or Low Vision and Has Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)All of us are busy. You may use a wall calendar, day planner, daily list, or personal digital assistant (PDA) to keep track […]

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City bus interior

Transportation Options for Nondrivers with Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)If your child is a nondriver, they might choose to use a variety of transportation options throughout adolescence and adulthood. There are options […]

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School and Home Partnership

To support your child who is blind or low vision, establish a strong partnership between home and school. As parents, you are the experts on your child's unique needs and can provide valuable insight into their strengths and challenges. This knowledge can help teachers know how to best work with and support your child. In addition, parents can provide important support at home that can reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. By working together, parents

A teen sitting on the gym floor engaging with a large colorful ball.

Children with Multiple Disabilities Need the Expanded Core Curriculum, Too!

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Who Are These Learners? Among other sources, the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that over 70 percent of children with complex needs […]

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Future Considerations

boy in a wheelchair and his mother enjoying a day together outdoors in a park

The Future Starts Now: Discovering the Possibilities for Your Child with Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)The Transition to Adulthood Parents, in general, have mixed feelings when they think about their children growing up and becoming adults. Still, when […]

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Back view of caucasian father and teenage son with cerebral palsy walking on pavement in sunny park.

Planning for the Financial Future of a Child with Multiple Disabilities: Steps 1 Through 12

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)by Steve Morris Step 1: Decide What the Future Looks Like for Your Child You must first decide what you want in the […]

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Deafblind

Child washing dishes

Cultivating Independence as a Journey, Not a Destination

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)1: The I-word and I  Confession time. I’ve always felt a little uneasy about “the I-word,” “independence,” especially the idea of “making” someone […]

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A boy sitting on a sensory mat playing with various balls.

Deafblindness: An Overview and Resources

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Understanding Deafblindness Deafblindness is often misunderstood. Rather than a specific diagnosis from a medical team, deafblindness is a level of combined hearing and […]

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Frog on lily pad.

“What Did You Say About Frogs”?: Deafblindness, An Incomplete Introduction

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Editor’s note: Is your child or young adult an individual with deafblindness? Do you wonder what it’s like to be DeafBlind? In recognition […]

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Gwyn holds a colorful round object with her many characters including a large bee, bull, farmer and woman.

Making Stories Sparkle! An Invitation to an Interactive Story Time

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Hello, I’m Gwynnie-Gwyn-Gwyn, the storyteller and creator of the Story Time Show, a show that is inclusive of the whole family or class. […]

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CVI

child in a wheelchair explores a soccer ball with an attentive adult

CVI Now: A Perkins School for the Blind Resource 

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)What is CVI?  Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment, or CVI, is the leading cause of childhood blindness and low vision. CVI is a lifelong, brain-based […]

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A baby on a black towel reaching and engaging with a light up toy.

Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)What Is Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI)? Although vision or sight, as a sense, is primarily associated with the eyes, in reality, vision is […]

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Zane watching the YouTube channel on an iPad

Behind the Scenes: Mom Creates CVI-Friendly YouTube Videos

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)When my pregnancy was 8 weeks along, an ultrasound found an abnormality and we first heard the diagnosis “cystic hygroma”. We spent the […]

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red and yellow transparent shapes ready to be sorted into a transparent red bowl or a transparent yellow bowl lying flat on a lightbox

Teaching Letter and Number Identification to Students with CVI

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Did you know someone can have perfectly healthy eyes but struggle to see?  Cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is a brain-based visual impairment. It […]

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Multiple Disabilities

A young girl putting a bead onto a peg.

Does My Child Have Additional Disabilities?

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Many disabilities can occur with an eye condition, even though they may not have been the cause of the eye condition. The combination […]

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A child in supported seat looking towards alight up toy.

Cognitive Disabilities and Your Child with Blindness or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Children who have multiple disabilities that involve cognition or thinking have difficulty understanding information and processing it. A common cause of cognitive disabilities […]

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Photo of object attached to communication cards. Cards for Diaper, beads, bottle, toothbrush, cup, spoon and a piece of blanket flannel.

Communication for Young Children with Blindness or Low Vision and Multiple Disabilities

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)What was your child’s first word?  This question seems innocent enough, but it caused a great deal of heartache for me every time […]

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young girl playing in a ball pit reaching to an adult

Embracing the Sensorimotor Stage

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)When a child has complex needs involving vision, hearing, motor, and cognitive impairments, it’s tempting to rush to introduce using a switch or […]

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boy in a wheelchair holding a basketball looking down with the teacher holding his hands out.

The Value of Exploration

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Exploring an object by shaking, banging, throwing, touching, or mouthing is one of the first steps in learning the properties of an object […]

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Blindness and Autism Spectrum Disorder

A boy and his shadow on a fence.

Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children Who Are Blind or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)The term “autism spectrum disorders” refers to a range of neurological disorders that affect a child’s ability to communicate, relate to others, and […]

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Blindness and Autism Spectrum Disorder

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)The current literature, expertise, and resources available for supporting children who are blind or low vision and for children with Autism are extensive […]

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APH Connect Center Logo

Blindness and Autism Spectrum Disorder

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)

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