EVALUATION OF THE SONKSEN PICTURE TEST FOR DETECTION OF MINOR VISUAL PROBLEMS IN THE SURVEILLANCE OF‘ PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

The Sonksen Picture Test (SPT) for surveillance of vision in preschool children was evaluated in 842 children, aged 21 to 60 months, from nine health districts in England, Wales and Scotland. The failures and controls were refracted and examined for squint; the Sheridan-Gardiner seven-letter chart (SGLC) was also used with children of > or = 42 months. The SPT was quicker to administer than the SGLC, with median times of one and five minutes, respectively. 98 per cent of children of all ages completed the SPT, whereas 10 per cent of those over 42 months were unable to complete the SGLC. The test method that has been established is developmentally appropriate for this age-group, more so than optotype tests. It is a binocular test that is quick, cheap and simple to administer, and is available to children under five years.