[Sensory disorders screening in learning disabilities].

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Sensory disorders are frequently observed in children with learning disorders.
• The causal relationship between sensory impairments and learning disabilities remains debated, particularly for visual disorders.
• Current French guidelines do not recommend orthoptic treatment as a specific therapy for learning disorders due to a lack of evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on the association between sensory disorders and learning disabilities.
• To describe a standard orthoptic assessment and evaluate its findings in children with dyslexia and Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD).
• To compare orthoptic assessment results between control groups, dyslexic children, and children with DCD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on sensory disorders and learning disabilities.
• Prospective comparative study involving three groups: controls, dyslexic children, and children with DCD.
• Orthoptic assessment including vision and ocular motor function evaluation.

Main Results:

• Strabismus and binocular vision disorders are prevalent in children with DCD.
• Ocular motor function is impaired in 90% of children with DCD, 34% of dyslexic children, and 13% of controls.
• Visual disorders are present in both learning-impaired and typically developing populations.

Conclusions:

• While visual disorders are associated with learning disabilities like DCD and dyslexia, they are also found in the general population.
• Orthoptic assessment findings should be interpreted within a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation framework.
• The evidence does not support orthoptic treatment as a standalone therapy for learning disorders.