Back to CEU courses
Facilitator notes Participation guide

Presenter study handout

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice

3 contact hours · 0.3 AOTA CEUs · Module 6 · 15 slides

Presenter-side material. Each block shows the slide as the audience sees it, the talk track, and space for your own notes. Model answers appear here — do not hand this version to learners.

Module 6

6.1 — Module 6

Transition

Module 6

Module 6

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
1 / 15

Say this

Transition: "Module 6."

My notes

6.2 — Where This Goes Next

Title

Block 6

Where This Goes Next

From observation to structure, and from structure to measurement.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
2 / 15

Say this

Open here. "Where This Goes Next." From observation to structure, and from structure to measurement.

Say why this section matters for their caseload, then advance.

My notes

6.3 — Where you are now

Poll

Poll

Where you are now

After today, what is your honest next step with visual performance?

Select one.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
3 / 15

Say this

Ask the poll: "After today, what is your honest next step with visual performance?"

Options:

• Start describing it in my notes this week

My notes

6.4 — Five blocks in, here is the skill set

Teaching slide

What you have now

Five blocks in, here is the skill set

  • You can describe visual performance in occupational language instead of diagnostic language.
  • You can sort a red flag from an OT-addressable finding and refer without hesitating.
  • You can recognize when autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or dysgraphia is shaping the visual picture.
  • You can change the environment and the task so the student or client can work today.
StageWhat it isWhat it gives you
ObservationWhat you can do after todayDescribe visual performance, refer, modify the task
StructureWhat a level-based framework addsOrder of examination, meaning of a finding, sequencing language
MeasurementWhat standardized assessment addsFixed administration, scoring, basal/ceiling, re-measurable baseline
Plan of careWhat the combination producesDefensible goals, documentation, and progress statements
Each stage constrains the next. Observation without structure is unordered; structure without measurement cannot show change.
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
4 / 15

Say this

Frame the slide: "Five blocks in, here is the skill set."

Walk each point, one sentence each:

• You can describe visual performance in occupational language instead of diagnostic language.

My notes

6.5 — Which level each block of this course was operating on

Visual

Framework alignment

Which level each block of this course was operating on

Module 1 — Vision as a gateway system

12345

Frames the whole system; every level is introduced.

Module 2 — Visual pathways (ventral / dorsal)

12345

Magnocellular/dorsal work shows at Level 2 efficiency; parvocellular/ventral identification is Level 3 processing.

Module 3 — Underlying Conditions vs. Functional Limitations

12345

Ocular and neurological conditions act on the sensory foundation and on binocular efficiency; OT treats the functional limitation, not the diagnosis.

Module 4 — Comorbidity patterns

12345

Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia signatures appear as processing and visual-motor integration performance.

Module 5 — Low-vision service model

12345

Low vision is a Level 1 sensory-foundation problem. Contrast, lighting, and magnification restore access at the floor; the Level 5 change is the downstream result, not the target.

Module 6 — Where this goes next

12345

Functional integration is where all findings resolve into a plan of care.

L1 · Acuity & sensory foundationL2 · Visual efficiencyL3 · Visual processingL4 · Visual-motor integrationL5 · Functional integration
Which level of the framework each module is actually operating on. Use this to keep the module content, the slide framework references, and your documentation language aligned.

Blocks 1–6 mapped to the five-level framework, so your documentation language matches the level the finding actually came from.

Note that low vision is a Level 1 access problem, not a Level 5 one — Level 5 change is the result of restoring the floor.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
5 / 15

Say this

Talk over the visual: "Which level each block of this course was operating on."

Say the caption in your own words: Blocks 1–6 mapped to the five-level framework, so your documentation language matches the level the finding actually came from.

My notes

6.6 — Observation alone is unordered

Teaching slide

The limitation

Observation alone is unordered

  • Two therapists watching the same client notice different things and prioritize differently.
  • "Why did you target this first?" has no defensible answer without a sequence.
  • Progress statements built on impressions do not hold up in an IEP meeting or a payer review.
  • What is missing is structure — a defined relationship between findings.
Competency areaWhat you should be able to doSource
Scope & framingVision is a client factor within OT scopeModule 1
Framework fluencyName and describe the 5 levelsModule 2
Clinical reasoningRoute referrals through screening → assessmentModule 3
DocumentationWrite an OT-defensible IEP goalModule 4
Case applicationInterpret Mini VPA into a plan of careModule 5
Post-course competency map — the quiz samples across every level of the framework. Aim for 8/10 to pass.
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
6 / 15

Say this

Frame the slide: "Observation alone is unordered."

Walk each point, one sentence each:

• Two therapists watching the same client notice different things and prioritize differently.

My notes

6.7 — What a level-based structure adds

Comparison

Stage two

What a level-based structure adds

What it does

  • Tells you where to look first, because foundational levels constrain higher ones
  • Tells you what a finding means based on where it sits
  • Gives you sequencing language for documentation

What it is not

  • Not a diagnosis and not a substitute for the eye exam
  • Not a replacement for observation — it organizes observation
  • Not taught in this course; it is the next stage of the sequence
1

Level 1 — Access

Near acuityContrast sensitivityOcular health screen
2

Level 2 — Visual Efficiency

PursuitsSaccadesConvergenceAccommodation
3

Level 3 — Visual Processing

DiscriminationMemorySpatialClosureFigure-ground
4

Level 4 — Visual-Motor Integration

Copy tasksHandwritingForm construction
5

Level 5 — Functional Integration

ReadingWritingClassroom participationADL/IADL
The Five-Level Visual Performance Framework — each level is a floor. If a lower floor is unstable, everything above it wobbles.
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
7 / 15

Say this

Contrast the two columns: What it does versus What it is not.

What it does:

• Tells you where to look first, because foundational levels constrain higher ones

My notes

6.8 — What the VPA™ adds on top of structure

Teaching slide

Stage three

What the VPA™ adds on top of structure

  • A standardized administration and scoring procedure, taught in Course 2.
  • Criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced.
  • The same student produces a comparable profile regardless of who administers it.
  • For most school questions the VPA™ is the assessment; attach outside standardized scores only when a payer or team requires them.
5

Efficient & durable

Performs accurately, at pace, and sustains across the school day.

4

Functional

Accurate under typical demand; fatigues only at the end of long tasks.

3

Inconsistent

Accuracy varies with load, time pressure, or visual clutter.

2

Emerging with support

Succeeds only with cueing, magnification, spacing, or reduced load.

1

Not observed

Skill not yet available under any tested condition.

The same ladder is used for every skill, so goals move a named skill up a named level. Write the level in present levels and the target level in the goal.

The VPA™ is a structured clinical observation system, not an FDA-cleared or norm-referenced psychometric test.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
8 / 15

Say this

Frame the slide: "What the VPA™ adds on top of structure."

Walk each point, one sentence each:

• A standardized administration and scoring procedure, taught in Course 2.

My notes

6.9 — Your one client, three sentences

Case

Application

Your one client, three sentences

Take the client you have had in mind through this session. You are going to leave with a written plan, not a general intention.

  • Q1.Write the functional description in one sentence, in occupational terms.
  • Q2.Write the referral decision and rationale in one sentence.
  • Q3.Write the modification you will make Monday and the single observable indicator you will watch.
VPA™ · Scored profile
L1Acuity & sensory foundationincl. field & scanning
strong
L2Visual efficiency
limiting
L3Visual processing
emerging
L4Visual-motor integration
limiting
L5Functional integration
breaking down
Profile shape: foundation intact / output limitedIntervention enters at Level 2 (efficiency), not at Level 4 handwriting drill.
Rows are the five framework levels in order (L1 → L5) — the L number is the level, never the score. Performance is the bar and the word beside it. Read the shape before any composite: a flat-but-low profile, a single notch, and a “foundation intact / output collapsed” staircase call for three different plans.
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
9 / 15

Say this

Read the scenario aloud, slowly:

Take the client you have had in mind through this session. You are going to leave with a written plan, not a general intention.

Then put these questions to the room:

My notes

6.10 — Where to go from here — by name

Comparison

Your next two steps

Where to go from here — by name

Course 1 — The Five-Level Visual Performance Framework

  • 3.0 contact hours · 0.3 AOTA CEUs · $49
  • The framework level by level
  • Screening vs. assessment: the OT two-step workflow
  • Occupation-based goals and IEP-ready language

Course 2 — The VPA™: Assessment & Clinical Reasoning

  • 4.0 contact hours · 0.4 AOTA CEUs · $79
  • Administer the Mini and Full VPA™ to a fidelity standard
  • Basal and ceiling rules; the five validity threats
  • Findings into goals, justification, and progress monitoring
Competency areaWhat you should be able to doSource
Scope & framingVision is a client factor within OT scopeModule 1
Framework fluencyName and describe the 5 levelsModule 2
Clinical reasoningRoute referrals through screening → assessmentModule 3
DocumentationWrite an OT-defensible IEP goalModule 4
Case applicationInterpret Mini VPA into a plan of careModule 5
Post-course competency map — the quiz samples across every level of the framework. Aim for 8/10 to pass.

Take them in order. Course 0 is offered at no cost by Visual Minds Learning, LLC · AOTA Approved Provider #0000001618.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
10 / 15

Say this

Contrast the two columns: Course 1 — The Five-Level Visual Performance Framework versus Course 2 — The VPA™: Assessment & Clinical Reasoning.

Course 1 — The Five-Level Visual Performance Framework:

• 3.0 contact hours · 0.3 AOTA CEUs · $49

My notes

6.11 — Block 6 video — from observation to the VPA™

Video

Lecture

Block 6 video — from observation to the VPA™

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
11 / 15

Say this

Set up the clip in one sentence, play it, then debrief with "what did you notice?"

My notes

6.12 — So what? Observation gets you to the door, structure gets you through it

So what?

So what?

So what? Observation gets you to the door, structure gets you through it

Everything in this course improves your hypotheses. It does not yet give you a score you can report, monitor, or defend.

Structured, performance-based assessment is what converts a good observation into a measurable present level and a progress line.

What you do with it

  • Use observation to decide who needs structured assessment.
  • Set the setup conditions before you measure anything.
  • Plan reassessment on the 9-week cycle so change is visible to the team.

Watch for

A confident hypothesis with no measurement behind it — that is where documentation fails.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
12 / 15

Say this

Land the "so what": Everything in this course improves your hypotheses. It does not yet give you a score you can report, monitor, or defend.

Explain the mechanism plainly: Structured, performance-based assessment is what converts a good observation into a measurable present level and a progress line.

Then give them the moves — say each one as something they can do Monday:

My notes

6.13 — Your one client, three sentences

Reflection

Reflect and share

Your one client, three sentences

Write the functional description, the referral decision with rationale, and the Monday modification with the observable indicator you will watch.

THINKPROCESSSHARE
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
13 / 15

Say this

Reflection prompt: "Write the functional description, the referral decision with rationale, and the Monday modification with the observable indicator you will watch."

Offer the sentence starter: "Functional description:... Referral decision:... because... Monday modification:... I will watch for..."

Think for one minute, write, then take two shares.

My notes

6.14 — Knowledge check — next steps

Self-check

Knowledge check

Knowledge check — next steps

What does a level-based structure add that a list of observations does not?

Self-check only — it does not affect your post-course quiz score.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
14 / 15

Say this

Knowledge check: "What does a level-based structure add that a list of observations does not?"

Options:

• A medical diagnosis for the visual finding

My notes

6.15 — Where you go from here

Close

Next steps

Where you go from here

Take one observation, one referral rule, and one modification back to work this week.

Do this next

  • 1.Pass the post-course examination (80%, unlimited retakes).
  • 2.Submit the course evaluation to release your certificate.
  • 3.Write one referral rule based on a red flag from Module 3.
  • 4.Add one environmental modification to your caseload next week.

Resources

  • Participation & Reflection Guide (your saved entries)
  • Course handout — every slide, print-ready
  • Vision Library: level-tagged worksheets and activities
  • Reference list and evidence table for this course

Questions: jeff@visualmindslearning.com · Certificates verify at visualmindslearning.com/ceu/verify

Visual Minds Learning · AOTA Approved Provider #0000001618

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
15 / 15

Say this

Talk through this close step in Module 6.

My notes