Lighthouse Guild, in partnership with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), is offering a 90-minute program for OTs, entitled “The Impact of Visual Issues on Child Development.” The program provides an overview of the visual system and describes the varied impact of visual impairment on children’s achievement of developmental milestones and their function in daily activities. It also provides tools and strategies for occupational therapists to develop therapeutic interventions for children of all ages with varying types of vision loss and comorbidities.

The Impact of Visual Issues on Child Development can be accessed through lighthouseguild.org/ce or directly through store.aota.org. Credit: .15 CEUs (1.5 NBCOT PDUs/1.5 credit hours)

The four-part course includes:

• Introduction to Visual Impairment in Children
• The Impact of Visual Impairment on Development, Learning, and Areas of Occupation
• Conducting a Basic Pediatric Vision Assessment
• Strategies to Address Visual Impairment in Occupational Therapy

“Through rehabilitation and other services, children with visual impairment often achieve developmental milestones similar to children who are not visually impaired, but it is typically at a later age and depends on the severity of their condition and any other comorbidities,” says Yu-Pin Hsu, EdD, OTR/L, SCLV, Vision Rehabilitation Projects Manager, Lighthouse Guild. “That’s why it is important to assess children’s needs and develop interventions based on their developmental level, not their chronological age.”

“Because occupational therapy is dedicated to serving individuals across their lifespan, our new pediatric course, “The Impact of Visual Issues on Child Development,” is a welcome addition to our low vision series. The course is designed to help occupational therapists better understand the unique needs of children experiencing visual difficulties,” says Debbie Amini, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Director of Professional Development, AOTA.

The program is an expansion of an ongoing partnership between Lighthouse Guild and AOTA to develop continuing education opportunities for occupational therapists.