Viewing Strategy Training

Viewing strategies are strategies used to process visual Information. Many children with visual impairment seem to lack systematic viewing strategies. However, it is unknown how viewing strategies differ between children with normal vision and children with (cerebral) visual impairment. In addition, viewing strategy training is often adopted in clinical practice, but till date there is no scientific evidence about effectiveness of this approach.The current project has two goals: (1) to measure viewing strategies used by children with normal vision, children with ocular visual impairment and children with CVI, and (2) to evaluate whether training viewing strategies results in more efficiënt visual Information processing.

Inclusion criteria typically developing children with normal vision:Age 5-12 yearslinear distant visual acuity of 0.1 logMAR or betterVerbal IQ above 70Absence of developmental disorders or psychiatric problems like ASS or AD(H)DInclusion criteria for children with ocular visual impairment:Age 5-12 yearsChildren with linear distance visual acuity better <=1.3logMAR and >0.1 logMARIntact central visual field (at least > 30 degrees)Children with a verbal IQ above 70Absence of developmental disorders or psychiatric problems like ASS or AD(H)DInclusion criteria for children with cerebral visual impairment:Age 5-12 yearsLinear distance visual acuity <=0.3 logMARHaving the diagnosis CVI (verified by ophthalmologists)Children with a verbal IQ above 70Absence of psychiatric problems like ASS or AD(H)DAdditional inclusion criterion for study 2 (evaluating training effectiveness): children with (cerebral) visual impairment should have an indication for viewing strategy training. Training should not be indicated if children have no problems performing academic tasks (i.e. when speed and accuracy of visual processing is within the normal range). The age range for study 2 is 5-9 years.Exclusion criteria:Children with VI: linear near visual acuity >1.0 logMARChildren with visual field defect < 30 degreesChildren with a verbal IQ below 70Children who attended a form of vision training in the past two yearsChildren with psychiatric problems like ASS or AD(H)DAuditory impairment or language impairmentsMajor life events during training