Clinical pathway
Visual attention
The student appears inattentive during visual tasks but sustains attention well in listening or hands-on tasks.
Step 1
Occupational performance problem
The student appears inattentive during visual tasks but sustains attention well in listening or hands-on tasks.
Step 2
Clinical reasoning
- Attention that is task-specific to visual work is a visual performance question before it is a behavioral one.
- Reduce visual load and watch what happens; if attention recovers, the load was the driver.
- Document participation impact, not diagnosis.
Step 3
Likely limiting level
Level 5: Functional Integration
Effort cost drives avoidance and drift.
Level 3: Visual Processing
Cluttered fields make target-finding expensive.
Step 4
Intervention options
Nothing tagged for this step yet.
See all matching resourcesStep 5
Movement-based options
Nothing tagged for this step yet.
Step 6
Teacher strategies
- Reduce items per page and per slide before reducing expectations.
- Give a visual anchor — highlight, frame, or point of entry — on dense material.
- Schedule movement breaks between visually loaded blocks.
Step 7
Parent carryover
- Clear the homework surface to only what is needed.
- Two short work blocks instead of one long one.
Step 8
Progress monitoring
- On-task minutes during a visual task versus a listening task.
- Items completed per work block.
Step 9
Reassessment
Re-screen the limiting level after 6–8 weeks of consistent intervention. If the occupational problem has not changed while the contributing level has, look upstream for a different limiting factor. If neither has changed, or symptoms are worsening, refer out rather than continuing to treat.