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Published on: July 9, 2016
Visual perceptual skills in children born with very low birth weights
Deborah Winders Davis1, Barbara M Burns, Shirley A Wilkerson
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, KY, USA. dwdavis@louisville.edu
Insights
Children born very low birth weight (VLBW) often struggle with visual-perceptual skills. Early screening for these deficits is crucial for improving academic outcomes in high-risk premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants often require special education services and face academic challenges.
- Visual-perceptual deficits are suspected contributors to academic underachievement in VLBW children.
- Limited data exist on specific visual-perceptual skill deficits in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific visual-perceptual skill deficits in VLBW children.
- To investigate the relationship between VLBW status and visual-perceptual abilities.
- To provide data for early intervention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Study included 92 VLBW children aged 4-5 years, free from major disabilities.
- Participants were appropriate for gestational age at birth.
- The Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor)-Revised was administered.
Main Results:
- The majority of VLBW children (63%-78.3%) scored below age level on all seven subscales of the visual perceptual assessment.
- These deficits were observed despite average intelligence quotient scores.
- Significant visual-perceptual challenges were prevalent across multiple skill areas.
Conclusions:
- Visual perceptual screening should be integrated into routine evaluations for premature preschool-aged children.
- Early identification of visual-perceptual deficits can inform targeted interventions.
- Interventions may improve academic trajectories for high-risk VLBW children.
Introduction:
A disproportionate number of very low birth weight (VLBW; < or =1500 g) children require special education services and have school-related problems even when they are free from major disabilities and have average intelligence quotient scores. Visual-perceptual problems have been suggested as contributors to deficits in academic performance, but few data are available describing specific visual-perceptual problems. This study was designed to identify specific visual-perceptual skills in VLBW children.
Method:
Participants were 92 VLBW children aged 4 through 5 years who were free from major disability and appropriate for gestational age at birth. The Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor)-Revised was used.
Results:
Despite intelligent quotient scores in the average range, the majority (63% to 78.3%) of the children performed below age level on all seven subscales of a normed assessment of visual perceptual skills.
Discussion:
Results suggest that visual perceptual screening should be considered as a part of routine evaluations of preschool-aged children born prematurely. Early identification of specific deficits could lead to interventions to improve achievement trajectories for these high-risk children.
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