Intervention Matrix
Interventions are organized by the visual performance objective they support — never by activity type. Choose the approach that fits the student, the occupation, the environment, and the goal.
No intervention approach is inherently superior. Clinical reasoning identifies the visual performance factor limiting occupational participation; the matrix then offers several evidence-informed ways to address it.
Level 1: Visual Access
Near visual acuity for occupation
The student can resolve the detail the occupation actually requires — print, worksheet lines, board copy — at the working distance the task demands.
Contrast sensitivity in real materials
The student can use everyday low-contrast materials — pencil on newsprint, faded handouts, whiteboard markers, stair edges — without extra effort.
Level 2: Visual Efficiency
Fixation stability
The student can hold gaze on what matters long enough to act on it — a word, a target, a teacher's demonstration — including while the body is moving.
Smooth pursuit during occupation
The student can follow a moving object smoothly — a ball, a peer, a cursor, a line of text under a moving guide — while staying in the activity.
Saccadic accuracy for text and search
The student can jump the eyes accurately word to word, line to line, and board to page without losing the place.
Sustained near-work comfort (convergence observation)
The student can sustain near work — reading, writing, device use — without headache, blur, diplopia, or avoidance.
Level 3: Visual Processing
Visual discrimination in task materials
The student notices the detail that changes meaning — b/d, was/saw, +/×, 6/9 — inside real academic and daily materials.
Figure-ground within cluttered materials
The student finds the relevant item within a busy page, desk, worksheet, cubby, or playground.
Visual closure for efficient recognition
The student recognizes a word, shape, or object from partial information rather than re-inspecting every element.
Spatial relations in academic and daily tasks
The student organizes elements in space — letters on a line, digits in columns, clothing on the body, materials on a desk.
Visual memory for classroom copying and recall
The student holds what was just seen long enough to use it — copying from the board, following a written model, remembering a route.
Form constancy across fonts, sizes, and contexts
The student recognizes the same letter, shape, or object when the font, size, orientation, or setting changes.
Level 4: Visual-Motor Integration
Visual-motor integration for written output
The student's hands do what the eyes intend — legible letters, accurate copying, cutting on the line, catching what is thrown.
Visual-spatial planning and organization
The student plans the use of space and sequence before acting — laying out a page, organizing a locker, sequencing a multi-step task.
Level 5: Functional Integration
Level 5 is published as Level 5: Functional Integration; "Functional Visual Capacity" is used as a display synonym in teaching materials.