Certification for low vision therapists was first offered by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) in 1997. Unlike other certifications traditionally offered by AER, the low vision therapist credential requires that the applicant pass a written examination and show evidence of at least 800 hours of practice in interdisciplinary low vision within each fiveyear renewal period. This Professional Report chronicles the development and implementation of the low vision therapist certification through AER. CREDENTIALS FOR PROFESSIONALS IN LOW VISIONCredentials for professionals who provide low vision services is a crucial aspect of ensuring that services are of high quality.

The development of a central scotoma, or decreased central vision, particularly in a person with a history of visual impairment, may severely interfere with an individual's ability to function visually. The nature of the impairment and current techniques for training an individual to use the peripheral retina are discussed.

This study examines the possible existence of a perceptual hierarchy which is systematically affected by the onset of adventitious visual impairment. Eighty people with partial vision were tested prior to beginning a visual skills training program. Four perceptual categories were examined. These included COPY/DRAW, TARGET MATCH, FIGURE-GROUND, and READING tasks. The results indicate that there is a demarcation of difficulty between the simpler and more complex levels of the hierarchy. Additionally, this crossover takes place at the figure-ground level, with the strongest relationships occurring between reading-related tasks such as letter and word searching as well as the reading of text and the individual's performance on figure-ground discrimination. The implications of these results in light of previous work in this area are discussed.

The decision whether or not to purchase a CCTV can be a complex and difficult one, and the individual should realize that not to buy is as valid as to buy, in some cases. Decision should be based on the value of the CCTV system to the individual. The potential user should examine, carefully and critically, alternate optical aids and gather as much information as possible with professional help. Be critical of the information you receive, especially if it is not consistent with your own experience. In the end the choice is up to the user; who must live with the choice.