Vision is a complex process involving the eyes and brain. Visual impairments, including partial sightedness and blindness, can impact a child's educational performance even with correction. Early assessment of vision problems is important to identify issues and provide appropriate intervention programs that support the child's development and learning. Common signs of vision impairments in children include rubbing their eyes frequently, having a short attention span, avoiding close work, and complaining of headaches or difficulty seeing clearly.

1. VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
Dr. MOHIBULLAH KHAN MARWAT
SUIT Peshawar
dsmarwat@yahoo.com
Cell. 03333161616
Cell. 03113161616

2.  The term “Vision” is not limited to only the act of
Seeing or Watching but it is a Complex Process that
involves Eyes & Brain as well.
 Vision includes:
 1. Ability of the Eyes to properly Take and Send
the picture to the Brain and
 2. Immediate act of Processing and
Interpretation of the Brain about the picture
sent by the Eyes.
1. What is “Vision”

3. 2. Visual Impairment
 Visual Impairment is any visual condition that
Impacts an Individual’s ability to Successfully
Complete the activities of everyday life.

 Visual Impairments including Blindness are defined
as the “Vision” that, even with correction, Adversely
affects a child’s Educational Performance.
(Contd)

4.  Visual Impairments includes both
 Partial Sightedness and
 Complete Blindness.
3. Visual Impairment (Contd)

5. 4. ASSESSING VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
 Early Assessment is key to helping a student benefit
from appropriate intervention programs.
 Severe Visual Impairments are more easily
identified in schools than Milder Vision Losses.
 The warning signs of visual impairment include Lack
of Coordination in the eyes or Excessive Eye
Movement and Blinking.
 (Contd)

6. 5. ASSESSING VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
 Children who Rub their eyes or who have frequent
Watering and Signs of Eye Infections may need
Assessment for Visual Impairment.
 If a child Confuses Colours, Complains of Headache,
or has Poor Posture when reading or writing, they
may have Vision Impairment.
 More Obvious Signs include Squinting, Sitting very
close to the Board or Screens, Untidy Work, or
complaining of difficulty Seeing Things Clearly.

7. 6. COMMON EYE DISORDERS
 More than 30 Specific Diseases and conditions are
associated with Visual Impairments.
 Amblyopia
 The common name for Amblyopia is “Lazy Eye”. It
develops in early childhood and involves One eye not
working well with the Brain, resulting in reduced
vision in the affected eye.
 Amblyopia affects about Two to Three out of every 100
Children. (Contd)

8.  Amblyopia includes:
 Myopia (Nearsightedness) and Hyperopia
(Farsightedness).
 Myopia (Nearsightedness)
 It is the most common refractive error of the eye,
and it has become more prevalent in recent years.
7. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

9.  Causes of Myopia :
 Its exact cause is unknown, many Eye Experts feel it
has something to do with Eye Fatigue from
Computer Use and other close Vision Tasks, and
possible Genetic predisposition for Myopia.
 Symptoms of Myopia :
 Squinting, Eye Strain and Headache. Feeling
Fatigued when Driving or Playing
8. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

10.  Treatment of Myopia
 It can be corrected with
 Glasses,
 Contact Lenses or by
 Surgery
9. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

11.  Hyperopia (Farsightedness ):
 Hyperopia is a Defective Vision condition in which one
can see distant objects Clearly, but objects nearby may be
Blurry. The degree of the Farsightedness influences the
Focusing Ability of the eyes. It is usually inherited.
 Farsightedness occurs if Eyeball is Too Short or the
Cornea has Too Little Curvature, so light entering the
eye is not properly focused.
10. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

12.  Cause of Hyperopia.
 In Hyperopia, Eye is Shorter than Normal,
Cornea is not Curved Enough, or the Lens sits
Farther back in the eye than it should Be.
 These differences Cause a problem in the
Focusing Mechanism of the eyes.
11. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

13.  Common Symptoms of Hyperopia:
 It includes difficulty in Concentrating and
Maintaining a clear focus on Near Objects, Eye
Strain, Fatigue, Headaches after close work,
Aching or Burning Eyes, and Irritability or
Nervousness after Sustained Concentration.
12. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

14.  Nystagmus:
 Nystagmus is an Involuntary Movement of the eye
that reduces vision.
 Normally, Eye movement is from side to side, but it can
be Up and Down or Circular.
 The condition may be Hereditary and can result in
Severe Reduction in Vision.
 Students may need Extra Time for reading to Scan
Text.
13. COMMON EYE DISORDERS (Contd)

15. 14. Facts Sheet
 Most of the vision related available Statistical DATA ARE
about the USA, EU Countries and Australia.
 Vision problems affect One in Twenty Preschoolers and
One in Four School-aged Children. “Prevent Blindness
America:
 Only 1 out of 3 children receives an Eye Exam before
Entering the School.
“U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”

16. 15. Facts Sheet (Contines)
 Research has proved that 25% of high school children
(11-14 years) can't read the Blackboard because of
Myopia (Nearsightedness).
“Helen Keller International”
 Research indicates that 70% of juvenile delinquents in a
recent study had Vision Problems.
“Study published in the Journal of Behavioral
Optometry”

17. 16. Facts Sheet (Continues)
 Report of the “Task Force on Vision
Impairment and its Rehabilitation,
National Eye Institute” maintains that
 “More than 80 % of all learning in the First
12 years is through Vision”.

18. 17. How Does Vision Work?
 Vision is a Highly Complex, Finely Tuned,
Organized Process between Eyes and Brain.
 It is composed of the Optical System (eyes, eye muscles,
optic nerve) and the Perceptual System (Brain).
 All these parts must be Intact and Properly
Functional for Perfect Vision to occur.
 The visual system serves the role of an Information-
Gathering and Motor-Monitoring System.
 (Contd)

19. 18. How Does Vision Work? (Continues)
 Optical Components collect Visual Stimuli and
Sends them to the Brain, where they are Identified,
Classified, and Filed in Memory.
 The Brain builds a collection of Images through
which it Understands the World, and which are
then used for Formal Logical Reasoning.
(Contd)

20.  Based on the Brain's Processing of the
Information sent to it by the Eyes, the Brain
Sends Instructions to the body about how to
Move in order to Retrieve, Avoid, or Further
Examine an Object or Situation.
(Contd)
19. How Does Vision Work? (Continues)

21.  Following Conditions are required for Proper Vision
Output:
 The Eyes must be in Alignment.
 The Pupil Size must be adjusted for Lighting
Conditions.
 The Lens must Adjust its Shape to the Environment
 The Transparent Parts of the Eye must be Clear
(Cornea & lens).
(Contd)
20. How Does Vision Work? (Continues)

22.  The Retina must be Functional (i.e., the
Photo-Receptor Cells must be Working).
 The Optic Nerve must be Capable of
Transmitting the Image to the Visual Cortex
(area of the Brain responsible for Visual
Processing).
21. How Does Vision Work? (Continues)

23.  Vision is the Primary Sense upon which most
Traditional Education Strategies are based.
 These strategies must be Modified to reflect the child's
Visual & Auditory capabilities.
 In order to ensure a Normal Physical, Mental and
Emotional Growth, Early Intervention is essential
for both the Child and the Family.
22. ROLE OF VISION

24. 23. ROLE OF VISION (Continues)
 As the child grows, the Impaired Vision begins to
Interfere in his/her Routine Activities.
 No Other Sense can stimulate Curiosity, Interest,
Motivation, Eagerness, or Invite Exploration in
the same way, as Efficiently as Vision.
 Students with Visual Impairments can and do
Succeed, but after proper Intervention in terms of
Overall Examination and Follow-up work.

25. 24. Signs of Vision Problems
 A child may Not Tell You that he or she has a Vision
Problem because they may think The Way They See is
The Way Everyone Sees.
 Signs that may indicate a child has vision problem include:
 1. Frequent Eye Rubbing or Blinking
 2. Short Attention Span
 3. Avoiding Reading and Other Close up Activities

26.  4. Frequent Headache
 5. Covering one eye
 6. Tilting the head to one side
 7. Holding Reading Materials Close to the Face
 8. Seeing Double
 9. Losing Place when Reading
 10. Difficulty Remembering what He or She Read
25. Signs of Vision Problems (Contd)

27. 26. What does “Opia” mean?
 Opia is a Combining Form, occurring in compound
words denoting a Condition of Sight or of the Visual
Organs:
 Diplopia;
 Hemeralopia;
 Myopia;
 Hyperopia.

28. 27. What is “Eye Teaming”
 Eye Teaming:
 It is the ability of Both Eyes to Work Together.
 Each Eye sees slightly different image and Brain Blends
these two images into One Picture.
 This process of Brain is called Fusion.
 The ability to use both eyes as a “Team,” or a Single
Functioning Pair, is what allows our brain to Merge the
two separate pictures coming in from each eye into a
Single Image. (Contd)

29.  Eye Teaming.
 It is a Visual Efficiency Skill that allows
Both eyes to work together in a Precise and
Coordinated way.
 Good Eye Teaming allows Sustained, Single,
and Comfortable Vision, and is the basis for
Depth Perception.
28. What is “Eye Teaming” (Contd)

30. 29. Eye Teaming

31. 30. Common Problems of Vision Disorder
Children with vision-based problems may . . .
• Have Trouble in Understanding
• Avoid Reading or other Close-up Tasks
• Omit, Turn Around, or Confuse words
• Use their Finger to follow a Line of Print
• Have a Short Attention Span
• Need Breaks during Homework
• Get Tired Quickly when they read
• Suffer from Eye Strain
• Have Red or Watery Eyes when reading (Contd)

32. 31. Common Problems of Vision Disorder
 Complain of Blurred, Double, or Moving Print
 Squint or Rub their Eyes While Reading
 Hold books Too Closely when reading
 Cover One Eye when Read
 Have difficulty in Copying from the Board
 Complain of Headache
 Have Poor Handwriting

33. 32. Why is this a Educational Problem?
 Child with Undetected Vision Problems often Shows
Slow Progress in School.
 Good Vision is the Pre-requisite for Success in school.
 Child must be able to Coordinate their Eye
Movements as a Team.
 Child must be able to Follow a Line of print Without
Leaving the Seat.

34.  Child must be able to make Quick Focusing Changes
when looking up to the Board and Back to the Desks.
 Child must be able to Accurately Process what they
are Seeing.
 If a child has Faulty Vision, he/she can experience
Great Difficulty in School, especially in Reading.
 Proper Vision Check-up is Need of the Day.
33. Why is this a Educational Problem?

35. THANK-YOU
ANY QUESTIONS?
Bye For Ever
March 26, 2016