{"id":20548,"date":"2022-01-30T08:57:08","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T08:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=20548"},"modified":"2022-01-30T08:57:08","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T08:57:08","slug":"can-you-help-a-child-with-down-syndrome-see-the-world-clearly","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/can-you-help-a-child-with-down-syndrome-see-the-world-clearly\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Help a Child With Down Syndrome See the World Clearly?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over 6 in 10 children with Down Syndrome experience vision problems. <\/b>How can parents and teachers help?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Down syndrome<\/a> is a chromosomal disorder that affects a person\u2019s development both physically and cognitively, with an incidence of over 1 in 800 births.<\/p>\n

Up to 60% of children with Down syndrome have severe vision problems that can impact their life and make learning more difficult.<\/b><\/p>\n

Parents and teachers need to be aware of these problems so they can proactively ensure that any visual difficulties are detected and dealt with. This will minimize the impact of these difficulties on the child, and allow them to thrive in and out of the classroom.<\/p>\n

Down syndrome and vision problems<\/b><\/h2>\n

Visual development<\/a> in the early years of a child\u2019s life will influence the way they are able to function in everyday life, and how they will eventually be able to learn in school. It is influenced both by genetics and the visual input and information a child is able to gather as they observe and interact with the world around them.<\/p>\n

Over the last quarter century, a great deal of research has been done into how vision develops in a child with Down syndrome, and how these developments will affect their view of the world.<\/p>\n

Some common vision issues Down syndrome can cause include:<\/p>\n

Refractive errors<\/b><\/h2>\n

A refractive error<\/a> occurs when the eye is not properly shaped, or there is a problem with the cornea or lens<\/a> of the eye. These cause light entering the eye to focus either too far forward or too far back in the eye, making images blurry at certain distances.<\/p>\n

Common refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness),<\/a> hyperopia (farsightedness)<\/a> and astigmatism<\/a> (blurring of vision at all distances).<\/p>\n

Research published in <\/b>Clinical and Experimental Optometry<\/i><\/b> (January, 2015)<\/i><\/b>, shows that close to 80% of children with Down syndrome require optical correction.<\/b><\/p>\n

Though many children have refractive errors as infants and small children, these errors tend to improve in most children, but this improvement does not seem to take place in children with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

Impaired focusing<\/b><\/h2>\n

Many children with Down syndrome have difficulties with the focusing skills on the eyes.<\/p>\n

Multiple studies, including one in <\/b>Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science<\/i><\/b> (<\/b>May, 2004)<\/i><\/b>, have shown that most children with Down syndrome struggle with difficulties in focusing.<\/b><\/p>\n

Focusing refers to the eyes\u2019 ability to change the shape of the lens accurately and efficiently to keep images in focus as a person shifts from near focus to far focus or vice versa.<\/p>\n

Difficulties in this area cause blurry vision each time the child has to change focus on what they\u2019re looking at and can also result in headaches, eye strain and frustration.<\/p>\n

SEE RELATED:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vision and Special Needs<\/a><\/h3>\n

For more information about how Down syndrome can affect your child\u2019s vision, and how you can help, contact your eye doctor near you<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t

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Find an eye doctor for children near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t
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