Functional Vision Assessments
What is a Functional Vision Assessment?
A Functional Vision Assessment (FVA) evaluates how a student with a visual impairment uses their vision in everyday activities, across a variety of environments like the classroom, playground, or home, and under varying conditions such as lighting, distractions, and time of day. Unlike a clinical eye exam, which measures visual acuity and medical conditions, an FVA focuses on real-world visual functioning, which is how the student sees and interacts with the world around them in their day-to-day school and home life.
An FVA includes records review, observations, interviews, and functional tasks that help educators understand how a student’s vision impacts their learning and independence.
Why Are Functional Vision Assessments Important?
Functional Vision Assessments are essential for developing accurate individualized education plans (IEPs) and ensuring appropriate accommodations, modifications, and support services are provided.
An FVA helps answer questions like:
- Can the student see to safely navigate the school and school grounds?
- How well can they access printed and digital materials?
- What environmental conditions make it easier or harder to see?
- What is the student’s proficiency in using accommodations such as magnifiers, screen readers, etc.?
Understanding these factors is critical for making informed decisions about specialized instruction, classroom layout, assistive technology, and more. Whether you’re an educator or a parent, you want to see your student reach their full potential without their visual struggles holding them back. An FVA helps ensure your student has exactly what they need to thrive.
How Will Virtual TVI Perform Functional Vision Assessments?
At Virtual TVI, we offer flexible, comprehensive Functional Vision Assessments designed to meet the needs of school districts and families across the country.
We offer two options:
- In-Person Assessment: One of our experienced Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) travels to your school to complete the FVA directly with the student. Travel costs and availability will vary based on distance.
- Remote Assessment with Onsite Support: Our certified TVIs conduct the assessment over video chat, guiding an onsite adult (such as a paraprofessional or teacher) who acts as the TVI’s hands, manipulating materials. We provide all necessary materials and guidance to ensure accuracy and consistency. On-site staff report that the process is typically smooth and easy to execute.
Our Process
- Review of medical and educational records
- Interviews with the student, educators, and family
- Observations over video chat in multiple environments, targeting areas of reported concern
- Testing with age-appropriate and vision-specific materials
- A detailed written report with practical recommendations
- Strict adherence to all Federal and state-specific requirements
- An easy-to-understand explanation of the data with easy-to-implement strategies
Whether you’re managing a caseload as a Special Educator or advocating for your child as a parent, your goal is the same: to help your student succeed and reach their full potential in school and life. Virtual TVI delivers high-quality FVAs tailored to your student’s unique needs efficiently, professionally, and with a deep commitment to accessibility and real life applicability.