Vision SkillsBy: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated June 14, 2025 Following the evaluation of ocular health, visual acuity, and visual fields, the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) should assess the student’s visual skills as part of the Functional Vision Assessment (FVA). These include visual perception, depth perception, visual discrimination, color vision, social visual behaviors, and functional tasks such as handwriting and the use of technology.
Visual PerceptionVisual perception involves the brain's ability to interpret and organize visual information. Assess the following perceptual skills:
Social Visual DiscriminationAssess how the student uses vision in social interactions:
Color VisionAccurate color perception is critical for both academic and functional tasks. Color vision assessment should go beyond naming colors. Consider the following:
Strategies and Accommodations for Visual Perception & Color Vision
HandwritingHandwriting poses unique challenges for students with low vision. Evaluate:
Use of TechnologyEvaluate the student’s familiarity and independence with technology:
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