Training Effective use of Vision

"Let the child look and look and look again, and help him understand what he sees." Bill Brohier, past president, International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment.

The aims of a vision training program are:

• to encourage and help each person make best use of their vision
• to provide a variety and number of opportunities for the person to learn about and understand their environment.

There are 3 aspects in training effective use of vision.

Stimulation of vision. People who have very little vision or have not used vision need to know that they can use their vision. They may also need encouragement to do so. Visual efficiency. How vision is used can be improved with training. Measures of vision do not change after training, that is, visual acuity or visual fields will not change because of the training. Knowing when and how to use vision leads to knowing how to change the environment (for example, lighting), choosing suitable materials and using low vision devices if appropriate.

It is important that people with low vision are examined for possible treatment. Some conditions which cause low vision can be treated or vision improved. Spectacles or low vision devices should be used when necessary.

Make sure that each person is ready to start a vision training program. Refer to information from the section on observations of the person with low vision, such as attitude towards the use of vision. A person who does not think they have any useful vision or for some reason does not want to use vision may need encouragement before vision training can start.

More information on feelings towards vision

Try to find the reason why a person is unable to do an activity. If poor vision is the problem, try again at a shorter distance or make the object easier to see by increasing contrast or making it larger. It is possible that the work may be too difficult.

The suggestions for training are divided into the same sections as the Assessment of Functional Vision. The assessment shows which skills need to be trained. Only use the sections in the training program that could not be done in the assessment. For example if a person had some difficulty in tracking an object, suggestions have been provided to try to improve tracking skills.

Hints for vision training:

try to make training a part of normal programs or everyday activities arrange short training sessions provide variety so that the person doesn't become bored with doing the same activity and using the same materials; the activities can be fun don't keep on with an activity when the person is frustrated do not move on to the next skill until each one is able to be done well. Some skills may take weeks or months to achieve include the training of other senses such as hearing and touch in the programs give practice to develop physical skills to improve the coordination of vision with movement and physical skills not all skills can be achieved by all people. If a skill cannot be achieved, teach a different way to do the same thing. An example is visual recognition of people by their voices teach recognition of voices, how to recognise people by their clothing and differences in sizes work in the best possible lighting conditions make sure that the size of objects and the working distance is right for each person use objects that contrast well with other objects or the background use materials that interest the person use a dark pen to draw shapes and for writing

Objects that may be available where you are working are suggested. The activities using numbers, letters and words can be handwritten. Use materials you have already if they are suitable for the activities.

This is not a reading program. It teaches the visual skills which are needed for reading.

Checkpoint: Name three important aspects in a program to train effective use of vision