Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

Core Tasks

1. Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
2. Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
3. Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
4. Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
5. Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
6. Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
7. Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
8. Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
9. Teach self-advocacy skills to clients.
10. Provide consultation, support, or education to groups such as parents and teachers.
11. Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.
12. Monitor clients' progress to determine whether changes in rehabilitation plans are needed.
13. Identify visual impairments related to basic life skills in areas such as self care, literacy, communication, health management, home management, and meal preparation.
14. Design instructional programs to improve communication, using devices such as slates and styluses, braillers, keyboards, adaptive handwriting devices, talking book machines, digital books, and optical character readers (OCRs).
15. Train clients to use adaptive equipment, such as large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices.
16. Participate in professional development activities, such as reading literature, continuing education, attending conferences, and collaborating with colleagues.
17. Obtain, distribute, or maintain low vision devices.
18. Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counselors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists, to provide client solutions.
19. Refer clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation, and counseling, to enhance visual and life functioning or when condition exceeds scope of practice.

Technology & Tools

Related Occupations

Compare skills gap with any of these related roles.