Early intervention in visually impaired children

Vision plays an essential role in development and visual deficit constitutes a risk factor not only for visuo-sensory development, but also for overall development. Our experience working with visually impaired children and our consideration of these issues have allowed us to reach a number of conclusions in relation to early intervention in the visually impaired child. The first step in early intervention is to establish the origin of the visual impairment. In fact, the spectrum of visual problems in infancy is very broad and ranges from peripheral disorders due to receptor problems to cerebral visual impairment (CVI), a neurological disorder of childhood caused by damage to, or malfunctioning of, the retrochiasmatic visual pathways (optic radiations, occipital cortex, associative visual areas) in the absence of any major ocular disease. Sensory experience from the external world can influence how the visual pathways wire themselves up after birth. Visual experience is crucial, and it is also crucial to help the child learn to integrate alternative sensory information. Early intervention in visually impaired infants is mandatory, and treatment of sensory input impairments should begin as early as possible in a positive emotional setting that enhances the child's motivation and relationship with caregivers.