by Lanna Slaby and Danielle Hillebrand, NDVS/SB Regional Coordinators
North Dakota Vision Servies/School for the Blind (NDVS/SB) has started to use a new infant vision screening tool called the Neonatal Assessment Vision European Grid, or NAVEG. This vision screening is used to identify neurological risks such as Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). It is standardized for preterm and newborn babies and infants up to 12 months of age.
In May 2024, NDVS/SB Regional Coordinators Danielle Hillebrand and Lanna Slaby traveled to Denver to the Anchor Center for Blind Children to become trained in administering this screening tool. During the 2024-25 school year, they trained the rest of the Regional Coordinators to administer this screening tool. This puts North Dakota on the leading edge with other states currently using this screening tool, including Colorado, Utah, Missouri, New Mexico and Washington.
Newborns receive a hearing screening prior to discharge from the hospital, but there is not currently a newborn vision screening. The plan is for the trained NDVS/SB staff to complete the NAVEG screening on infants referred to Early Intervention who were discharged from the NICU in their region of North Dakota.
The CVI Range by Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy has been our standard assessment for CVI; however, this assessment tool is for infants who are at least six months of age through adulthood. The NAVEG allows earlier referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for identification and thus intervention services.
CVI is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Here in North Dakota, according to Babies Count data, a national registry of vision loss in infants to age three, 35.3% of this age group are identified as having a neurological visual condition. This is above the national average of 32.7%.
Regional Coordinators at NDVS/SB are dedicated to providing timely assessment and early intervention for this age group. Please contact your NDVS/SB Regional Coordinator for more information or referral.