Putting Vision into Focus for OT: Poll on Vision Concerns in Occupational Therapy Practice

Last fall, I posted a community poll titled "Putting Vision into Focus for OT" out of pure curiosity. As my business, Eye Learn Pro—which helps educators, therapists, and parents uncover hidden visual barriers that impact reading fluency, stamina, and confidence—began to scale, I kept coming back to the same burning question: Are other occupational therapy practitioners running into these exact same visual hurdles on their caseloads? As Eye Learn Pro grew, I connected with Jaime Spencer (Miss Jaime OT), an incredible advocate who has dedicated so much of her work to teaching OTs exactly what our scope of practice is when it comes to vision. Jaime has been a powerhouse in clarifying the boundaries and the immense power we hold as OTs: we don’t prescribe lenses or diagnose eye diseases, but we absolutely evaluate and treat the foundational visual-motor and ocular motor pieces required to access everyday occupations.

Aligning with Jaime and other advocacy leaders across the country, I kept coming back to a glaring systemic issue: hidden visual skills drastically impact literacy readiness. Yet somehow, identifying these deficits almost exclusively falls onto the shoulders of the OT—but not all struggling readers receive OT services.

To see exactly how widespread these concerns are among our peers, I looked at the data from our poll of 45 practicing occupational therapy professionals. The numbers speak volumes: vision concerns aren't just an occasional finding; they are an everyday reality.

1. The Reality: The Data Can Not Be Unseen, Vision Concerns are Prevalent!

When asked how often they notice vision-related concerns (including ocular motor skills, visual perception, and visual-motor integration) during evaluations, the response from the community was overwhelming:

• 88.9% of OTs notice vision concerns frequently or very frequently.

  • 46.7% reported seeing them Frequently (31–60% of the time).

  • 42.2% reported seeing them Very Frequently (61% and up).

• 0% of respondents said they rarely see vision concerns.

The Takeaway: If we aren’t looking for vision issues during our evaluations, we are likely missing a massive piece of our client's clinical puzzle.

2. Who is Answering the Poll? (Our Practice Settings)

To put these numbers into context, it helps to look at who responded to the poll. The survey primarily represents therapists working with pediatric and school-aged populations where literacy issues first rear their head:

• 55.6% work primarily in school-based settings.

• 66.7% identify their primary population as pediatrics aged 3–12 years.

• The remaining respondents span outpatient pediatrics (11.1%), outpatient adults, inpatient rehab, home health, and mixed age groups.

In a school setting, vision issues directly manifest as difficulties with handwriting, reading tracking, copying from the board, and focus. The high prevalence of vision issues in this poll underscores just how much visual deficits interfere with classroom participation.

3. The Confidence vs. Tool Gap

How do therapists feel about tackling these issues? The data shows a fascinating split between therapist confidence and the formal tools available to them.

Confidence Levels

• 35.6% feel Very Confident identifying vision issues.

• 44.4% feel Somewhat Confident.

• 20% feel neutral or not very confident.

While roughly 80% of OTs feel at least somewhat confident identifying these challenges, their access to or utilization of formal screening tools tells a different story:

Use of Formal Screening Tools

• Only 40% use formal visual skills screening tools regularly.

• 26.7% use them occasionally.

• 28.9% stated: "No, but I would like to."

The Opportunity: Nearly 30% of OTs want to use formal visual skills screening tools but currently don't.This highlights a massive need for accessible screening protocols, mentoring, and professional development in visual-motor and ocular motor assessment so that kids don't fall through the cracks just because they lack an official OT referral.

4. What Happens Next? The Referral vs. Intervention Debate

When an OT identifies a vision concern, what is the next step? Because our respondents represent a mix of school-based and medical settings, the write-in answers varied, but two primary pathways dominated:

• 40% prioritize referring out to an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

• 26.7% immediately provide OT-based visual interventions.

• The remaining therapists utilize a combination of both: collaborating with vision specialists, administering standardized tests like the TVPS-4, writing recommendations into evaluations, and advising parents to consult their pediatricians.

Moving Forward: Putting Data into Action

This poll confirms what many of us feel on the ground: Vision is foundational to literacy and occupational performance. Thanks to the education and advocacy from leaders like Miss Jaime OT, the profession is stepping into its full power regarding vision.

If we want to close the literacy gap, we have to close the screening gap first.

Are you part of the 29% who wants to start using formal visual skills screenings but isn't sure where to start? If you are ready to transition from noticing vision issues to confidently screening and addressing them, we have your back. Eye Learn Pro is hosting a Literacy Readiness and Visual Skills Screening Event July 31, 2026 at Play Move Grow OT in Malta, NY.

For more information click here:

Screening Event

you can register here:

Register Here

📚 Don't wait to level up your skills: 

Click the link to enroll in: Eyes First: The Complete Vision Course for School-based Occupational Therapy Practitioners

If you did not get a chance to answer the poll, don't worry click on the link below:

Poll