How Can an Occupational Therapist (OT) Help?

Helping the Brain and Eyes Work Together for Everyday Success

Occupational therapists (OTs) are trained to understand how vision affects daily function—not just how we see, but how we use what we see to move, learn, and interact with the world.

Here’s how OTs approach vision rehabilitation:

✅ 1. Assess Functional Vision Skills

OTs evaluate how visual challenges are impacting a child’s everyday activities, not just their ability to read an eye chart.
They look at:

• Eye tracking (can the eyes follow moving objects smoothly?)

• Eye teaming (do the eyes work together or drift apart?)

• Visual perception (can the brain interpret what it sees?)

• Hand-eye coordination (how well do the eyes and hands work together?)

• Balance and spatial awareness (can the person navigate space safely?)

  
  

✅ 2. Identify Underlying Issues

Sometimes visual struggles are linked to:

• Retained primitive reflexes

• Sensory processing difficulties

• Developmental delays

• Brain injuries or concussions
  

OTs look at the whole person, identifying what’s holding back visual development.

✅ 3. Use Movement-Based and Sensory Activities

Vision is deeply connected to movement and the nervous system, so therapy often looks like fun, play-based activities—but each one is purposeful!

Some examples:

• Ball games to build tracking and depth perception

• Obstacle courses to improve spatial awareness and coordination

• Puzzles or mazes to develop visual discrimination

• Swinging or balance boards to integrate vision with movement

• Copying or drawing tasks to strengthen visual-motor skills

✅ 4. Reinforce Visual Skills in Real-Life Tasks

OTs help clients apply visual improvements to daily activities like:

• Writing, reading, and copying from the board

• Playing sports

• Navigating hallways or classrooms

• Getting dressed or brushing teeth

• Organizing and planning tasks

  
  

✅ 5. Collaborate with Other Specialists

When under the care of a developmental optometrist our collaborative approach, will use the most up to date and evidence-based tools and interventions to ensure the most comprehensive therapeutic approach to improving functional vision.

Collaborating partner: Dr Jennifer Dattolo

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