What is a Vision Professional?

The following is a list and descriptions of vision professionals

Developmental Therapist-Vision (DT-V)

Developmental Therapist-Orientation & Mobility (DT-O&M)

  • Early Intervention

Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI)

  • Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments are trained to teach specialized skills that visually impaired children and youth must learn, including:
    • Compensatory academic skills (reading and writing with braille or enlarged print, calculating with abacus or talking calculators, etc.)
    • Basic orientation and mobility (O&M) skills
    • Social interaction skills
    • Career education
    • Self determination
    • Recreation and leisure skills
    • Visual efficiency skills, as applicable
    • Independent living skills
    • Use of assistive technology
  • Also known as Teachers of the Visually Impaired or Vision Teachers
  • Teaches ages 3-21
  • May have a classroom or be an itinerant

Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Specialists

  • Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists teach individuals with visual impairments to travel safely, confidently and independently in their environment.
  • Work with infants, children and adults usually on a one-to-one basis in a home, school, hospital or in the community.
  • May be "Certified" through a certification program and known as "COMS"

Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT)

  • Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs) teach adaptive independent living skills, enabling adults who are blind or have lowvision to perform a wide range of essential daily living activities.

Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS)

  • A Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for People with Visual Impairments, ("CATIS"), is a highly trained expert who specializes in working with individuals who are blind, visually impaired or who have functional visual limitations, and empowers them to achieve their life goals for education, employment, avocation and independence through the use of assistive technology.