How to become a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist

A Low Vision Therapist's job encompasses provision therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. It includes assessment of clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals. It involves training clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information and teaching clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises. Individuals with visual impairments are not legally blind; they do have some amount of vision, thus Orientation and Mobility Specialists help them to live independently in society.

• Teach how to use the cane, use of cane with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches which helps provide information to patients about the surface over which they are about to walk
• Teach clients to use tactile, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information to detect landmarks and reference points and move safely through their environment
• Evaluate patient’s visual functioning, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional problems, cognition, physical capabilities, and individual goals
• Tutor patients to travel self-reliantly, with the help of GPS, travel simulations or actual exercises
• Monitor progress to decide whether modifications in rehabilitation plans are required
• Based on assessment results, needs, and goals, develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients
• Train in and suggest suitable mobility devices or systems like human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel devices, and other adaptive mobility aids give off vibrating or audible signals in case of obstacles
• To provide solutions to client’s concerns, collaborate with other professionals, like rehabilitation counsellors, speech therapists, and occupational or physical therapists
• Consult, support, or psychoeducate parents and teachers
• Engage in professional development activities like reading literature, continuing education, joining conferences, and working with colleagues
• Train patients adaptive equipment use like large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices
• Document assessments, exercises, growth, or results by writing reports
• Administer and interpret tests to develop rehabilitation plans
• Provide referrals for eye or health care, rehabilitation, counselling services to enrich vision and daily functioning
• Train in self-regulating skills and techniques like adaptive eating, medication management, and other personal needs management
• Distribute and maintain low vision devices
• Identify visual impairments linked to rudimentary life skills in areas like self-care, communication, health and home management
• Tutor patients to read and write Braille
• Plan instructional programs with the help of devices like slate and stylus, braille, keyboard, adaptive handwriting devices, talking book machines, digital books, and optical character readers  to improve communication
• Provide advice and consultancy to various professionals about the built environment, access and use of public transport, and information desk for the use of visually impaired people
• Motivate and encourage clients towards exploring and mastering activities.

Therapists must be able to listen and communicate actively and attentively to the needs of the patients. Also, explain and teach therapies to patients and their caregivers. Thus, having good communication and interpersonal skills is necessary.

Therapists must be sensitive, patient, and empathic to patients’ needs and concerns. They need to make their patients feel comfortable and let them know they care. Thus, they must be able to handle the emotional stress of working with impaired patients in need of compassionate health care.

They also need to be creative and flexible with their treatment plans as not every type of therapy will work for every client, thus, can be resourceful and customize a treatment plan for each client and their concerns.

They spend much of their time on their feet and use their hands to teach techniques and help patients perform exercises, thus physical stamina and manual dexterity are essential.