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Vision-related tasks in children with visual impairment: a multi-method study
Fatemeh Ghasemi Fard1, Hooshang Mirzaie1, Seyed Ali Hosseini1
1Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
This study developed a comprehensive list of vision-related tasks for children with visual impairment, categorized by difficulty and age. This resource aids in creating better functional vision assessments for this population.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology and Vision Science
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Functional vision (FV) is crucial for the development of children with visual impairment.
- Existing methods for measuring FV in this population are not well-established.
- A need exists for a structured approach to assessing FV considering age and task difficulty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a comprehensive set of vision-related tasks for assessing functional vision in children with visual impairment.
- To categorize these tasks by difficulty level and age appropriateness.
- To inform the development of standardized FV assessment tools.
Main Methods:
- A sequential multi-method design was employed, including a scoping review and qualitative content analysis.
- A focus group was used to categorize identified tasks by difficulty and dependency.
- The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4) guided the categorization process.
Main Results:
- A total of 180 vision-related tasks were identified across 22 studies and 16 participants.
- Tasks were categorized into 17 activities and five occupations (ADL, IADL, education, play, social participation).
- Activities of daily living (ADL) were found to be the easiest, while social participation was the most challenging.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive, difficulty-level-based list of vision-related tasks for children with visual impairment was developed.
- This list provides a foundation for creating standardized instruments to assess functional vision.
- The findings support tailored interventions and assessments for children with visual impairment.
Objective:
Functional Vision (FV) is vital for the successful growth of children with visual impairment. However, tasks related to measuring FV have not been thoroughly studied for this population. To address this gap, this study seeks to establish a comprehensive set of vision-related tasks that consider both the difficulty levels of activities and the ages of children with visual impairment.
Methods:
This study utilized a sequential multi-method design, including a scoping review, a qualitative content analysis, and a focus group. Firstly, a scoping review was conducted to identify vision-related tasks based on the literature. Then, to contextualize the vision-related tasks, a qualitative content analysis was carried out. Subsequently, a focus group was conducted to categorize the identified tasks based on their difficulty levels and the children's level of dependency. We utilized the directed content analysis method to analyze the data, using the occupational domain of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework 4th edition (OTPF-4) as the primary framework.
Results:
During the review phase, which included 22 studies, and the interview phase, which involved 16 participants, a total of 95 and 85 vision-related tasks were identified, respectively. These tasks were then categorized into 17 activities and five occupations, which included activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, play, and participation in social activities. Among these occupations, ADL was the easiest, while participation in social activities was the most challenging. Finally, the tasks were arranged based on their difficulty level for children with visual impairment.
Conclusion:
A comprehensive list of vision-related tasks has been developed based on the difficulty level of the tasks and the degree of dependency of children with visual impairment. This list can be used to develop standardized instruments for assessing FV in children with visual impairment.
