Introduction/Rationale: Vision problems can affect a child's ability to engage in ADLs, education, play, and more. Recognizing and understanding the prevalence of vision and ocular disorders is necessary to help with an occupational therapist's clinical reasoning and treatment process. This research includes trends related to remedial vision rehabilitation, supports, and barriers to vision-based treatment provided by occupational therapy practitioners.
Objective: The purpose of this study demonstrates the process of vision evaluations conducted by pediatric occupational therapists such as identifying sign/symptoms and commonly utilized evaluation tools/assessments. Methods/Approach: This descriptive qualitative research study utilized a series of 13 structured, open-ended interview questions via Zoom with eligible occupational therapist participants. Purposeful and snowball sampling was utilized to recruit participants. A total of 22 participants were interviewed.
Results/Practice Implications: The results led to two themes, (1) the working relationship with optometry and occupational therapy and (2) the significance of vision in relation to function. The themes provide insight into the importance of the partnership between optometry and occupational therapists in treating visual deficits and how vision relates to function. Occupational therapy practitioners were able to identify frequent signs/symptoms to identify whether further evaluation of vision deficts needed to be conducted. The participants also emphasized a need for more knowledge about vision and how additional education or training would benefit all treating therapists.
Conclusion/Contribution to the occupational therapy profession: This study’s results support current research stating that vision deficits can impact areas of occupation and limit one’s ability to function academically and socially within these learning settings. The findings of this study gathered that following professional development courses and ongoing collaboration with optometrists, occupational therapists could complete vision evaluations that assisted them in treatment.