Seeing Speech: The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Supporting Communication for Children With Cerebral Visual Impairment

OBJECTIVE: This article examines the necessity for multimodal communication strategies and adaptation of visual materials to enhance accessibility. Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) represents the most prevalent cause of childhood visual impairment in developed nations, presenting distinctive challenges for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). METHOD: Emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, the article provides evidence-informed approaches for fostering joint attention, social communication, and auditory-visual integration, advocating for routine inclusion of CVI knowledge within SLP training and practice. RESULTS: The results present an integrated analysis of the connection between CVI and language particularities and disorders, focusing on the role of the SLPs in the therapeutical and rehabilitation strategies and processes. CONCLUSIONS: CVI affects both lower order visual functions (e.g., acuity, visual field, color, and contrast) and higher order processing (e.g., recognition, spatial awareness), significantly impeding communication development. Visual clutter, poor contrast sensitivity, and perceptual crowding substantially reduce the usability of traditional visual communication aids, including symbol boards and augmentative and alternative communication systems. These visual limitations additionally compromise joint attention, a foundational prerequisite for language acquisition and constrain social interaction opportunities.