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Vision in OT Practice — participation guide

3 contact hours · 0.3 AOTA CEUs · Module 1 — follow along, take notes, and complete the reflection prompts.

Module 1

OT Scope in Vision

Follow along

What this module covers

  • Vision is a client factor, not a specialty add-on
  • Say this, not that
  • Prevalence and the case for OT screening
  • Diagnoses OTs should recognize but never assign
  • Vision work already lives in your school day

Key ideas

Capture these as you listen

  • Vision is a client factor under OTPF-4. Treating how it shows up in occupation is squarely inside OT scope.
  • The scope line runs along purpose: eye health = optometry, supervised optometric care = vision therapy, occupational performance = OT.
  • Adaptation (Level 1 of the Framework) is OT intervention, not 'waiting for the doctor.'

Notes

My notes for this module

Reference figures

Keep these for practice

Documentation example — scope-safe present level

Out of scope

“Student has convergence insufficiency and a visual processing disorder, causing reading failure. Vision therapy is recommended.”

Scope-safe

“During 20-minute near copy tasks, the student completes 40% of assigned lines and loses place an average of 6 times, reporting blur after 6 minutes. Performance improves to 75% with an enlarged, line-isolated model. Referral to eye care has been made.”

Write the present level in performance language. Every clause names an observable task, a condition, and a measured result — none names a visual diagnosis.

Photo — working distance and posture at the desk

School-age student seated in neutral posture at a desk, feet flat, elbows at desk height, book on a slant board at about 40 cm

Reference posture

Feet flat, hips and knees near 90°, elbows at desk height, trunk upright and off the table.

≈40 cm at midline

A slant board holds the page at a consistent distance and angle; note any habitual 15–20 cm posture.

What to document

Head tilt, page rotation >30°, one eye closing, or distance shortening as the task lengthens.

Habitual working distance is free data. A head held at 15 cm, a persistent tilt, or a page turned 30°+ off midline all tell you something before a single probe is administered.
Two lanes, one student
Two lanes, one student. Medical eye care owns diagnosis and the optical correction; OT owns performance inside real occupations. The referral and the task modification run in parallel, on the same day.

Apply it

Case prompt

You get a teacher email: 'Kaia passed the school vision screen but still can't copy from the board. Should I even refer to you?' Draft a two-sentence reply that names your scope clearly and invites the referral.

Practice

Mini exercise

In one sentence, describe the OT scope for vision without using the words 'therapy,' 'eye doctor,' or 'refer.' Write it down before you move on. If you can defend it to a school administrator, you own the framing.

Take it to work

Action step this week

This week, audit one of your own progress notes. Circle every sentence that names a visual function tied to an occupation. If you can't circle at least one, rewrite it so you can.