What is functional vision?
Visual acuity is only one way of describing or measuring how a student sees. Functional vision refers to how a student uses all aspects of vision in everyday life. These include: • How well he or she can scan the environment to find something • What lighting conditions are optimal for the student • How quickly he or she tires when trying to use vision • Which postures help most in promoting use of vision • How motivated the student is to rely on vision, rather than ignoring visual input in favor of more reliable input from sound, touch, and smell A functional vision assessment is best done by a teacher of the student with visual impairment or an orientation and mobility instructor. He or she accomplishes this through careful observation under many indoor and outdoor settings. Pediatric low vision specialists include some optometrists and pediatric ophthalmologists, but their assessments are often limited by time and office constraints. Teachers also conduct a learning media assessment,
