Vision Skills

By: 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 Perception

Visual perception involves the brain's ability to interpret and organize visual information. Assess the following perceptual skills:
  • Depth Perception: Observe how the student:
    • Reaches for, grasps, places, and releases objects
    • Uses eye-hand coordination in tasks such as inset puzzles or placing items in specific locations
    • Navigates indoor and outdoor environments, especially on uneven surfaces or stairs
    • Exhibits behaviors such as overreaching or underreaching, which may indicate depth perception difficulties
  • Visual Closure: Determine whether the student can identify objects or words when part of the visual information is missing.
  • Visual Discrimination: Assess the ability to:
    • Visually search for and identify objects, colors, and pictures
    • Recognize familiar faces, objects, and photos
    • Match or sort objects, colors, and shapes
    • Respond to differences and details in images and demonstrations
    • Adapt to changes in lighting and locate landmarks in different settings
  • Visual Memory & Sequencing: Evaluate the student's ability to:
    • Recall visual information (e.g., pictures, symbols, or patterns)
    • Sequence images or objects in logical order
    • Organize materials spatially on a desk or within a task
  • Figure-Ground Discrimination: Determine how well the student identifies visual elements when they are surrounded by background patterns or clutter.
  • Spatial Relationships: Observe how the student:
    • Understands positioning concepts (e.g., above, below, beside)
    • Orients materials for viewing and task completion

​Social Visual Discrimination

Assess how the student uses vision in social interactions:
  • Does the student orient toward or recognize faces?
  • Does the student make eye contact or respond with a smile?
  • Does the student track the speaker’s eyes or mouth?
  • Can the student recognize caregivers, familiar adults, or peers?

​Color Vision

Accurate color perception is critical for both academic and functional tasks. Color vision assessment should go beyond naming colors. Consider the following:
  • Use materials like Color Vision Testing Made Easy by Terrance Waggoner (if appropriate).
  • Ask the student to:
    • Match colors by shade and hue
    • Sequence colors from light to dark or group into color families
    • Identify and sort colored items in real-life scenarios (e.g., workbook tasks, reading graphs, or choosing clothing)
  • Test with a variety of color pairings that commonly cause confusion (e.g., red/green, green/orange, blue/yellow, brown/purple).
  • Use both structured (cards, toys) and unstructured (classroom materials, clothes) tools.
Note: If color vision differences are identified, ensure to note that color-dependent tasks (e.g., science labs, games) should be adapted.

​Strategies and Accommodations for Visual Perception & Color Vision

  • Use bold black lines around coloring areas
  • Label crayons or other color tools using large print, braille, or tactile symbols
  • Modify color-coded assignments (e.g., use textures or symbols)
  • Use tactile or symbolic maps rather than color-coded ones
  • Teach color concepts using real-world examples
  • Label clothing by color using tags or apps
  • Modify games that are heavily reliant on color identification

​Handwriting

​Handwriting poses unique challenges for students with low vision. Evaluate:
  • Legibility and accuracy when writing independently
  • Ease of rereading handwritten material, especially after a delay
  • Comfort and posture while writing (is the student straining or overly close to the page?)
  • Use functional writing tasks, such as:
    • Making lists (e.g., grocery, to-do)
    • Writing letters or journal entries
    • Filling in planners or homework logs
Encourage students to trial different writing tools and paper types (e.g., bold-line paper, pens with different ink colors, slant boards) to determine what supports legibility and comfort.

​Use of Technology

Evaluate the student’s familiarity and independence with technology:
  • Keyboarding Skills:
    • Accuracy and speed
    • Use of touch typing or visual guides
  • Assistive Technology:
    • Use of screen magnifiers, screen readers, or refreshable braille displays
    • Accessibility features on tablets and phones (e.g., voice commands, zoom, contrast settings)
  • Productivity Tools:
    • Word processing (e.g., Google Docs, Microsoft Word)
    • Calendar or planner apps
  • Communication:
    • Use of email, text messaging, and social media (as appropriate)
    • Familiarity with communication platforms (Zoom, Teams)
  • Navigation Apps or tools used during travel or orientation tasks
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