FUNCTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF THE CLIENT WITH LOW-VISION

In evaluating and treating clients who have low vision, the occupation al therapist must consider factors in addition to typical measures of the client's visual acuity, field loss, and oculomotor control. It is important to consider, the functional implications of the client's ocu lar pathology, including illumination needs, contrast sensitivity, sen sitivity to glare, and need for magnification as well as environmental factors such as the amount of pattern in a visual task, the amount of lighting and contrast available, and the conditions tinder which the task is performed. These factors are all relevant to occupational ther apy low vision rehabilitation because each may influence the way in wh ich a client uses his or her residual vision and achieves successful a daptation. This article provides an overview of these factors and pres ents a suggested protocol for evaluation of the client with low vision .