Understanding how children perceive and make sense of the world is one of the greatest challenges in the fields of sensory impairment, neurodevelopment, and education. While considerable advances have been made in our understanding of Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) and Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), much less attention has been given to children whose difficulties arise from the combined interaction of visual and auditory processing challenges.
This publication represents an important contribution to addressing that gap. Through the concept of Brain-based Auditory and Visual Impairment (BAVI), the authors invite us to look beyond traditional diagnostic boundaries and consider how auditory and visual processing may interact within a complex neurological framework. In doing so, they offer a perspective that is both clinically relevant and deeply meaningful for children, families, educators, and professionals seeking to understand everyday functioning rather than isolated symptoms.
The development of the Pediatric Brain-based Auditory and Visual Impairment (P-BAVI) checklist reflects a growing recognition that many children experience challenges that cannot be adequately explained by hearing status, vision status, or developmental diagnoses alone. For some children, the difficulty lies in how sensory information is perceived, integrated, interpreted, and used. These challenges may affect communication, learning, social participation, mobility, emotional regulation, and overall development.
For professionals working in the field of deafblindness, this work is particularly significant. Functional deafblindness is often characterised not only by the combined impact of reduced hearing and vision, but also by the complex ways in which sensory information is accessed and processed. Understanding brain-based auditory and visual processing difficulties may therefore offer valuable insights into the diverse presentations of functional deafblindness and help explain why some individuals experience challenges that extend beyond what can be predicted from sensory measurements alone.
This publication should not be viewed solely as a checklist manual. Rather, it may serve as a complementary resource within broader assessment processes and multidisciplinary discussions concerning functional deafblindness, neurodevelopmental conditions, and sensory processing difficulties. By encouraging systematic observation and reflection, it provides a framework for recognising patterns that might otherwise remain unnoticed and for identifying individuals who may benefit from further assessment and tailored support.
The authors bring together extensive expertise from the fields of deafblindness, cerebral visual impairment, auditory processing, assessment, and education. Their combined experience is evident throughout this work, which balances clinical knowledge, theoretical perspectives, and practical application. The result is a publication that challenges established thinking while remaining firmly grounded in the realities faced by children and the professionals who support them.
As our understanding of BAVI continues to evolve, this publication offers an important starting point for discussion, research, and practice. It reminds us that meaningful support begins with meaningful understanding. By helping us recognise the complexity of brain-based sensory processing difficulties, it takes an important step towards ensuring that children with these challenges are seen, understood, and supported in ways that respect their individual strengths, needs, and potential.
We commend the authors for their vision, dedication, and willingness to explore a field that remains largely uncharted. It is my hope that this publication will contribute to greater awareness, stimulate further research, and ultimately improve the lives of children whose experiences have too often remained difficult to explain.
Samuel Engblom
Director
Gøran Andreas Gregor Caspian Forsgren
Senior Adviser – Deafblind Issues