Reading Performance in Children with Visual Function Anomalies

Carla Costa Lanca

doi:10.23937/2378-346x/1410001

Abstract

Aims: To compare reading performance in children with and without visual function anomalies and identify the influence of abnormal visual function and other variables in reading ability. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried in 110 children of school age (6-11 years) with Abnormal Visual Function (AVF) and 562 children with Normal Visual Function (NVF). An orthoptic assessment (visual acuity, ocular alignment, near point of convergence and accommodation, stereopsis and vergences) and autorefraction was carried out. Oral reading was analyzed (list of 34 words). Number of errors, accuracy (percentage of success) and reading speed (words per minute - wpm) were used as reading indicators. Sociodemographic information from parents (n=670) and teachers (n=34) was obtained. Results: Children with AVF had a higher number of errors (AVF=3.00 errors; NVF=1.00 errors; p<0.001), a lower accuracy (AVF=91.18%; NVF=97.06%; p<0.001) and reading speed (AVF=24.71 wpm; NVF=27.39 wpm; p=0.007). Reading speed in the 3 rd school grade was not statistically different between the two groups (AVF=31.41 wpm; NVF=32.54 wpm; p=0.113). Children with uncorrected hyperopia (p=0.003) and astigmatism (p=0.019) had worst reading performance. Children in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades presented a lower risk of having reading impairment when compared with the 1 st grade. Conclusion: Children with AVF had reading impairment in the first school grade. It seems that reading abilities have a wide variation and this disparity lessens in older children. The slow reading characteristics of the children with AVF are similar to dyslexic children, which suggest the need for an eye evaluation before classifying the children as dyslexic.

Highlights

Different questions prompt debate within the process of reading, because it demands integration of both visual and phonemic information
We investigated the data by using a binary logistic regression technique to identify risk factors for having a low reading performance
Of the children identified with strabismus 4 had an uncorrected refractive error

Summary

Introduction

Different questions prompt debate within the process of reading, because it demands integration of both visual and phonemic information. The act of reading requires the management of a number of visual functions which send coordinated information to the visual cortex, including refraction, accommodation, visual acuity, saccades, convergence and fusion [2]. Reading needs to be learned trough repetition, language and assimilation. This means that the reading process includes linguistic processing of words and visuomotor control, all aimed at providing an optimal reading performance [3]. If either phonemic or visual processes are impaired, it is plausible that children have particular difficulty in learning to read [5]. Low levels of academic achievement and educational attainment can be related with factors such as health (dyslexia, reduced intellectual ability, binocular vision anomalies and speech sound disorders) [6,7,8] and the familial, social, physical and economic environment in which children and teenagers live [7]

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Results

Conclusion