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Distance Acuity and Discrimination

Description and Rationale

Distance acuity and discrimination may impact the student's ability to access the whiteboard, overhead projector materials, social cues, movies, and sporting events. Functional activities for this assessment area may include: describing objects in the classroom (which are beyond arm's length), cafeteria, which playground, or community.

Include a formal distance screening (symbol charts, letter chart, grating tests, and number chart) to act as a comparison to the clinical measure.

Birth - 3 Years

  • Formal distant measures are assessed as appropriate
  • Functional distant measures are assessed using familiar objects in the natural environment and address the following areas:
    • Distance
    • Color
    • Contrast
    • Size

3-5 Years

  • Formal distant measures are assessed as appropriate for the child
  • Functional distant measures are obtained using various objects in all educational/home environments and address the following areas:
    • Object
    • Distance
    • Color
    • Contrast
    • Size

5-22 Years

  • Formal distant measures are assessed using standardized distant letter charts
  • Functional distant measures are obtained using various objects in all educational environments and address the following areas:
    • Object
    • Distance
    • Color
    • Contrast
    • Size

Multiple Disabilities/Deafblind

  • Formal distant measures are assessed as appropriate for the student
  • Functional distant measures are obtained using various objects in all educational/home environments and address the following areas:
    • Object
    • Distance
    • Color
    • Contrast
    • Size

Tips

Evaluating distance acuity should take place in a variety of settings, with various lighted environments, and with the child performing various tasks involving distance vision.

If the student uses prescribed optical devices, the TVI may wish to assess visual acuity with and without those devices.

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