Functional Vision Assessment

Functional Vision Assessment Nora Griffin-Shirley & Amy T. Parker EDSP 5383

Purpose • ID student’s visual competencies and capabilities with and without optical devices • ID visual skills needed to be learned • Provide information on what student sees to all concerned- how does information become useful/accessible to the student?

Purpose • ID student’s preferred environment cues • Assist student in identifying strategies to avoid visual fatigue

Tricks of the Trade • When possible work with a partner when conducting. • When possible have components of the assessment filmed. • Explore multiple environments and different stimuli. • Should be conducted across more than one day due to fluctuations that may occur. • May include a familiar person or routine as well as something/someone novel.

Elements of an Assessment/Evaluation • Background information: medical, visual, educational, rehabilitation histories • Observation of environment • Visual responses and activities: structure of eyes and reflexes, near and distance vision, visual fields, color vision, motility (tracking, scanning…), lighting, contrast, depth perception, glare, computer usage, etc.

Elements of an Assessment/Evaluation • Summary • Recommendations

Physical Environment: What to observe • Draw what it looks like • Floor covering • Walls • Ceiling • Chalkboard • Copy machine

Physical Environment: What to observe • Ecological suggestions: seating, writing for group (for young children or students with multiple disabilities- positioning) • Type of desk • Videotape machine • Organizational potential (shelving, shelves, closet) • Window coverings • Computers and other assistive technology

Observe in Natural Environment • Choose typical routines • Note: structure of eyes and reflexes, near and distance vision, visual fields, color vision, motility (tracking, scanning…), lighting, contrast, depth perception, glare, computer usage, etc. (Linda’s lecture and materials)

Recommendations • Referrals • Adaptations • Instructional and Compensatory Strategies • Recommended Services

Report Writing • Be specific • Be factual • Make applicable

Instructional Goals and Procedures • Student needs • Instructional areas: environmental adaptations, enhancing visual skills, and integrating vision into activities • Visual skills: attention, tracking, shifting of attention, scanning, reaching for objects

Integration of Vision into Tasks • Skill instruction sequencing • Setting goals – be specific and measureable • Modeling – see other student doing a task • Guided practice - need success • Independent practice

Providing Instruction • Fun, motivating lessons • Short time frame – 10-20 minutes • Positioning, localizing, scanning, tracking and focusing

Professional Roles & Responsibilities • Provide information to other team members on low vision • Perform FLV and LMA

Arrange for clinical low vision evaluation • Assist in getting and training on devices – nonoptical and optical

Professional Roles & Responsibilities • Inform others about vision and devices, etc. • Provide opportunities to generalize use of devices outside controlled setting • Develop & implement a curriculum for student relating to low vision use in social skills and ADLs

COLLABORATION WITH STUDENT & OTHERS

Functional Vision Assessment