Implementation of a large-scale functional vision screener in early childhood at a national level

Functional vision refers to the way in which an individual uses visual skills and abilities to perform everyday tasks. Limitations on the functional use of vision can interfere with school achievements if left undetected. Early detection is thus key to offer appropriate aids to avoid a negative impact on learning processes. To screen for functional vision impairments at a national level, we developed a set of items measuring visual skills that can be administered in a classroom setting to be included in the yearly school monitoring tests ‘ÉpStan’ in grade 1. Children identified as being at risk will be followed by the Centre pour le Développement des compétences relatives à la Vue (CDV, MENJE). Based on a theoretical model of visual perceptual processing (Humphreys and Riddoch, 1987), we developed 35 items that were pretested. The same first graders (n = 1034) were administered group tests with the newly developed items and existing standardized individual tests (by CDV clinicians). Based on the clinical outcome of the CDV, the items which best predicted functional vision impairments were selected to be implemented in the Luxembourgish school monitoring in grade 1, together with a validated short parent questionnaire (Gorrie et al., 2019). This talk will focus on the development of the screener and on the characteristics of the children with functional vision impairments.