Developmental abilities in children with mild visual impairment

Abstract

This paper presents the results of analyzing the relation between visual acuity and developmental abilities (perceptive functions, verbal and non-verbal abilities) in younger school children. The sample consists of 1165 children from urban, suburban, and rural parts of Belgrade, of both genders, aged between 7.5 and 11. American 'Lighthouse' Optotype was used for screening assessment of visual acuity. Mild visual impairment, i.e. near visual acuity in the better eye ranging from 0.3 to 0.7, was detected in 7.9% of the pupils. ACADIA test of developmental abilities was used for the assessment of developmental abilities. When compared to the examinees with visual acuity in the better eye ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 (mild amblyopia), the examinees with normal visual acuity achieved better results in visuomotor coordination, non-verbal reasoning (Visual Association subtest), and concept formation in non-verbal domain (Sequence and Coding subtest). No significant differences were determined in constructive praxis (Drawing Shapes subtest) and representational dimension of a drawing (Drawing subtest). According to the criterion of age standard deviation, a statistically significant difference was determined between the examinees with mild visual impairment and the examinees with normal vision (χ2=13,425, df=2, p=0,001; ρ=0,103, p≤0,000). The results of 24.8% of the examinees with mild visual impairment deviate from age norms in one or two SD (14.9% in one SD, and 9.9% in two SD). In the group of examinees with normal vision 12.5% of the results deviate from age norms in one or two SD (8.7% in one SD, and 3.8% in two SD).

U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati analize odnosa između oštrine vida i razvojnih sposobnosti (perceptivnih funkcija, verbalnih i neverbalnih sposobnosti) dece mlađeg školskog uzrasta. U uzorak je odabrano 1165-oro dece iz urbanih, suburbanih i ruralnih delova teritorije Beograda, oba pola, uzrasta 7,5-11 godina (AS=8,85). Za skrining procenu oštrine vida korišćen je Optotip američke kuće 'Lighthouse'. Kod 7,9% učenika ovog uzrasta registrovane su lakše smetnje vida, odnosno oštrina vida na boljem oku na blizinu između 0,3 i 0,7. Za procenu razvojnih sposobnosti korišćen je ACADIA test razvojnih sposobnosti. U poređenju sa ispitanicima čija je oštrina vida na boljem oku u kategoriji 0,3-0,7 (laka ambliopija) ispitanici sa normalnom oštrinom vida (uredan vid) ostvarili su bolje rezultate u oblastima vizuomotoričke koordinacije, neverbalnog zaključivanja (subtest Vizuelna asocijacija) i formiranja pojmova u neverbalnom domenu (subtest Sled i šifrovanje). U domenima subtestova Crtanje oblika i Crtanje nisu uočene značajne razlike. Prema kriterijumu odstupanja od uzrasnih normi, utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika između ispitanika sa lakšim smetnjama vida i ispitanika sa urednim vidom (χ2=13,425, df=2, p=0,001; ρ=0,103, p≤0,000). Rezultati 24,8% ispitanika sa lakšim smetnjama vida odstupaju od uzrasnih normi za jednu ili dve SD (14,9% jednu SD i 9,9% dve SD). U grupi ispitanika sa urednim vidom zastupljeno je ukupno 12,5% rezultata koji odstupaju od uzrasnih normi za jednu ili dve SD (8,7% jednu SD i 3,8% dve SD).