In partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Blind Children’s Center (BCC) has opened a new multidisciplinary clinic for children with cerebral/cortical visual impairment.
The Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Multidisciplinary Clinic brings medical, vision and family-support services together to help families better understand and navigate a CVI diagnosis. CVI, the leading cause of childhood blindness and low vision, is a visual impairment caused by damage to the brain’s visual-processing areas rather than the eyes themselves. Most often, this damage occurs before or during birth due to lack of oxygen; it can also result from premature birth, genetic conditions or traumatic brain injury. Because a child’s eye may appear to be fully functional, CVI can be difficult to detect and is often misunderstood.
The clinic — the first of its kind on the West Coast — provides functional vision assessments, early intervention and educational support. BCC helps families connect with resources and understand what comes next. The partnership is designed to extend support beyond the hospital and into the long-term needs of children and their families.
BCC board member and Children’s Hospital L.A. pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist Melinda Chang, M.D., says: “It is the doctor’s role to concentrate on the medical diagnosis and treatment, but families need far more than clinical answers. That’s where BCC comes in, helping each family navigate their own unique journey.”
For more information about the clinic, contact Brenda Perla at BrendaP@BlindChildrensCenter.org.
