A test battery of child development for examining functional vision (ABCDEFV)

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Vision Science

Background:

• Assessing functional vision in infants and young children is crucial for early detection of developmental disorders.
• Existing methods may not comprehensively evaluate the spectrum of visual competences.
• A standardized, integrated assessment is needed for children from birth to four years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel battery of 22 tests for integrated assessment of functional visual capacities in children aged 0-4 years.
• To establish normative data for typically developing children across nine age groups.
• To provide a tool for diagnosis, investigation, management, and rehabilitation of visual development disorders.

Main Methods:

• Developed a battery of 22 tests covering sensory, perceptual, motor, spatial, and cognitive visual functions.
• Included 'core vision tests' for basic assessment and 'additional tests' for specific deficits.
• Collected normative data from 32-43 typically developing children in each of nine age groups (0-6 weeks to 31-36 months).

Main Results:

• Defined pass/fail criteria for each test.
• Identified age-specific test subsets passed by at least 85% of normally developing children.
• Reported normative data enabling the definition of normal visual development.

Conclusions:

• The validated test battery offers a comprehensive approach to assessing visual competences in young children.
• Normative data facilitate the identification of atypical visual development.
• The battery supports clinical guidance for children with developmental disorders.