OTD Capstone Projects

Abstract

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST), a nonprofit organization that provides early intervention services to children ages 0–5 with visual impairments and their families across the state. Serving more than 300 children and families in Tennessee, BEST offers early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The primary goal of this project was to promote and advocate for the implementation of an early identification screening tool, the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG), a validated, non-invasive newborn vision screening tool designed to identify neurological risk for Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). The intention of this project focused on educating healthcare providers and developing partnerships with local clinics and NICUs, while also promoting early screening to increase timely referrals for ophthalmology and early intervention services. Project outcomes included increased outreach to clinics and NICUs via the dissemination of an informational outreach pamphlet used to advocate for the necessity of the NAVEG screening within the target population. Additional project components include the creation and development of accessible educational materials for families and providers; including tactical symbols used to promote age-appropriate communication, independence, and early literacy through textured, tangible representations of objects and concepts. Further efforts included distributing sensory “little rooms,” toy bars, and educational vision materials to increase available support and resources within the agency’s parent/caregiver support programs. This capstone highlights the purpose of occupational therapy within interdisciplinary collaboration, advocacy, and development to advance early intervention resources and impartial access to vision-related services and supports.

Publication Date

Spring 4-21-2026

Faculty Mentor

Alexandria Scherr

Department

Occupational Therapy, School of

College

Health Sciences & Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of

Document Type

Poster

Degree

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Degree Level

Doctoral

Degree Grantor

Belmont University

Keywords

Vision Services; Vision Screening; NAVEG; Early Intervention; Visual Impairments; Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI); Adaptive Educational Materials; Tactile Symbols

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