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10: Vision: Our Window to the World
Study Questions
- What is amblyopia? Why is early identification and treatment so important? How is it treated?
- Is there an association between visual disorders and developmental disabilities? How does the incidence of blindness in children with multiple developmental disorders compare with that of the general population?
- Define the common refractive errors in children, including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. What is the most common refractive error of childhood?
- When is referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist recommended?
- What is the definition of blindness from a legal and federal educational standpoint? What is the definition of low vision (partially sighted)?
- List some causes of blindness in children. What are the most common congenital causes?
- What are clues that a clinician, parent, or caregiver might detect when observing or examining an infant that may indicate that the infant has a severe visual impairment?
- Glaucoma, cataracts, nystagmus, and color blindness are all significant ocular disorders that may be present in childhood. What are the implications of each of these disorders? What anatomical component of the eye is affected in each of these disorders? Discuss the treatment approaches for glaucoma and cataracts. Why is early treatment important?
- An assistant in your preschool class notes that one of your students intermittently appears cross-eyed. You look at the child and see that his eye appears deviated inward toward the nose. What refractive error must you be concerned about that could possibly cause this? What are other possible causes?
- Explain some of the special considerations in the evaluation and treatment of refractive errors in children with disabilities. How are refractive errors assessed and glasses prescribed for a young infant or a child with multiple disabilities who is not able to cooperate fully with traditional methods of vision testing?
- What factors are involved in determining that learning Braille is appropriate for a child? When does reading readiness for Braille typically begin? What developmental task must the child achieve prior to being ready to learn Braille?
- Discuss the factors that have been shown to be important in determining the risk for, persistence of, and severity of developmental delays in children with visual impairments.
- Explain how severe visual impairments affect speech and language development.
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