How do children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual difficulties perform on key academic domains in grade 1?

MONTEIRO, Sara; ESCH, Pascale; Hipp, Géraldine; UGEN, Sonja

doi:10.1080/09297049.2025.2454450

Article (Scientific journals)

How do children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual difficulties perform on key academic domains in grade 1?

MONTEIRO, Sara; ESCH, Pascale; Hipp, Géraldine et al.

2025 • In Child Neuropsychology: A Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence, p. 1 - 21

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10993/64326

DOI
10.1080/09297049.2025.2454450

PubMed
39835648

Files (1)Send to Details Statistics Bibliography Similar publications

Files

Full Text

How do children with Cerebral Visual Impairment CVI -related visual difficulties perform on key academic domains in grade 1 .pdf

Author postprint (1.23 MB)

Download

All documents in ORBilu are protected by a user license.

Send to

RIS BibTex APA Chicago Permalink X Linkedin

Details

Keywords :

Cerebral Visual Impairment; early literacy; large-scale screening; listening comprehension; mathematics

Abstract :

[en] Previous research estimated a prevalence of 3.4% Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual problems within primary school children, potentially compromising students' performance. This study aimed to clarify how CVI-related visual difficulties relate to academic performance in standardized achievement tests. As part of the Luxembourg school monitoring programme, 1129 first graders (mean age of 7 years) participated in three competence tests (mathematics, early literacy and listening comprehension) and in student and parent questionnaires (background information). The same children took part in a CVI-related visual difficulties screening (Evaluation of Visuo-Attentional abilities battery, optometric and orthoptic measures). The sample was divided post-screening into 38 children with potential CVI-related visual difficulties (18 females, 20 males, mean age 7y, range 6-8y) and 890 typically developing (TD) children (445 females, 430 males, 15 missing, mean age 7y, range 5-10y). Compared to the TD sample children with CVI-related visual difficulties significantly underperformed in early literacy and mathematics, but not in listening comprehension, even when controlling for background characteristics known to influence performance (gender, socio-economic status, migration background, parental education, home language, age). The results confirm the association of CVI-related visual difficulties with learning processes already at primary school level and emphasize the need to implement a systematic screening for CVI-related visual difficulties, as early as possible within the school path, to ensure adequate measures are employed to aid students at risk.

Disciplines :

Education & instruction

Author, co-author :

MONTEIRO, Sara ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences > LUCET > Team Sonja UGEN

ESCH, Pascale ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > LUCET

Hipp, Géraldine ; MENJE, Centre pour le Développement des Compétences relatives à la Vue, Bertrange, Luxembourg

UGEN, Sonja ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > LUCET

External co-authors :

Language :

English

Title :

How do children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual difficulties perform on key academic domains in grade 1?

Publication date :

21 January 2025

Journal title :

Child Neuropsychology: A Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence

ISSN :

0929-7049

eISSN :

1744-4136

Publisher :

Informa UK Limited, England

Pages :

1 - 21

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09297049.2025.2454450

Available on ORBilu :

since 23 February 2025

Statistics

Number of views

89 (5 by Unilu)

Number of downloads

40 (2 by Unilu)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

Bibliography

Agirdag, O., & Vanlaar, G., (2016). Does more exposure to the language of instruction leads to higher academic achievement? A cross-national examination. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006916658711
Barclay, L. A., (2015). Assessments linked to interventions: Literacy and math. In A. H. Lueck & G. N. Dutton (Eds.), Vision and the brain: Understanding cerebral visual impairment in children (pp. 411–434). AFB Press American Foundation for the Blind.
Belote, M., (2020). Central auditory processing disorder: The hearing equivalent of CVI. Risk factors, features and strategies. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services California, 25(1), 12–15.
Boonstra, F. N., Bosch, D. G. M., Geldoff, C. J. A., Stellingwerf, C., & Porro, G., (2022). The multidisciplinary guidelines for diagnosis and referral in cerebral visual impairment. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.727565
Cappagli, G., Cuturi, L. F., Signorini, S., Morelli, F., Cocchi, E., & Gori, M., (2022). OPEN early visual deprivation disrupts the mental representation of numbers in visually impaired children. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25044-1
Cavézian, C., Vilayphonh, M., de Agostini, M., Vasseur, V., Watier, L., Kazandjian, S., Laloum, L., & Chokron, S., (2010, September). Assessment of visuo-attentional abilities in young children with or without visual disorder: Toward a systematic screening in the general population. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(5), 1102–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.03.006
Chandna, A., Ghahghaei, S., Foster, S., & Kumar, R., (2021, November16). Higher visual function deficits in children with cerebral visual impairment and good visual acuity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 711873. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.711873
Chokron, S., (2007). Troubles neurovisuels d’origine centrale chez l’enfant: vers un diagnostique et une prise en charge précoce. Ophthalmologies, 1(5), 94–98.
Chokron, S., (2015a). Approche neuropsychologique des troubles neurovisuels chez l’enfant. Revue de neuropsychologie, 7(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.3917/rne.071.0041
Chokron, S., (2015b). Evaluation of visuo-attentional abilities (EVA): A simple and rapid battery to screen for CVI in young children. In A. H. Lueck & G. N. Dutton (Eds.), Vision and the brain: Understanding cerebral visual impairment in children (pp. 385–390). AFB Press American Foundation for the Blind.
Chokron, S., Cavézian, C., & de Agostini, M., (2010). Troubles neurovisuels chez l’enfant: Sémiologie, retentissement sur les apprentissages et dépistage. Développements, n° 6(3), 17. https://doi.org/10.3917/devel.006.0017
Chokron, S., & Dutton, G. N., (2016, October4). Impact of cerebral visual impairments on motor skills: Implications for developmental coordination disorders. Frontiers in Psychology. 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01471
Chokron, S., & Dutton, G. N., (2023, December22). From vision to cognition: potential contributions of cerebral visual impairment to neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of Neural Transmission. 130(3), 409–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-022-02572-8
Chokron, S., Kovarski, K., & Dutton, G. N., (2021, October13). Cortical visual impairments and learning disabilities. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 713316. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.713316
Chokron, S., Kovarski, K., Zalla, T., & Dutton, G. N., (2020, July). The inter-relationships between cerebral visual impairment, autism and intellectual disability. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 114, 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.008
Collignon, O., Voss, P., Lassonde, M., & Lepore, F., (2009, January). Cross-modal plasticity for the spatial processing of sounds in visually deprived subjects. Experimental Brain Research, 192(3), 343–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1553-z
Colling, J., Hornung, C., Esch, P., Keller, U., Hellwig, A. L., & Ugen, S., (2024). Literacy acquisition in German or French in the pilot project “zesumme wuessen!” - Preliminary épstan results of student characteristics, achievement, motivation, and parental support. Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET). https://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/61424
Corkum, V., Byrne, J. M., & Ellsworth, C., (1995, April). Clinical assessment of sustained attention in preschoolers. Child Neuropsychology, 1(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049508401338
Dahaene, S., Bossini, S., & Giraux, P., (1993). The mental representation of parity and number magnitude. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 122(3), 371–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.122.3.371
Duong, M. T., Badaly, D., Liu, F. F., Schwartz, D., & McCarty, C. A., (2016). Generational differences in academic achievement among immigrant youths: A Meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 86(1), 3–41. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315577680
Dutton, G. N., (2003, April). Cognitive vision, its disorders and differential diagnosis in adults and children: Knowing where and what things are. The Eye, 17(3), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6700344
Dutton, G. N., (2013, August). The spectrum of cerebral visual impairment as a sequel to premature birth: An overview. Documenta Ophthalmologica, 127(1), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-013-9382-1
Dutton, G. N., (2015). The brain and vision. In A. H. Lueck & G. N. Dutton (Eds.), Vision and the brain: Understanding cerebral visual impairment in children (pp. 411–434). AFB Press American Foundation for the Blind.
Fazzi, E., Bova, S., Giovenzana, A., Signorini, S., Uggetti, C., & Bianchi, P., (2009, December). Cognitive visual dysfunctions in preterm children with periventricular leukomalacia. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 51(12), 974–981. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03272.x
Fazzi, E., Micheletti, S., Galli, J., Rossi, A., Gitti, F., & Molinaro, A., (2019, October). Autism in children with cerebral and peripheral visual impairment: Fact or artifact?Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 31, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2019.05.008
Fazzi, E., Signorini, S. G., Bova, S. M., La Piana, R., Ondei, P., Bertone, C., Misefari, W., & Bianchi, P. E., (2007, March). Spectrum of visual disorders in children with cerebral visual impairment. Journal of Child Neurology, 22(3), 294–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/08830738070220030801
Fazzi, E., Signorini, S. G., & Lanners, J., (2010). The effect of impaired vision on development. In G. N., Dutton & B., Martin (Eds.), Visual impairment in children due to damage to the brain (pp. 83–104). MacKeith Press.
Fischbach, A., Ugen, S., & Martin, R., (2014). Épstan technical report[Internet]. 1–31. University of Luxembourg, ECCS research unit/LUCET. http://www.epstan.lu
Ganzeboom, H. B. G., (2010). A new International Socio-Economic Index (ISEIO of Occupational Status for the International Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO-08) Constructed with DATA from the ISSP 2002–2007; with an Analysis of Quality of Occupational Measurement in ISSP. [Internet]. Annual Conference of International Social Survey Programme, Lisbon. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/index.htm?
Ganzeboom, H. B. G., & Treiman, D. J., (1996, September). Internationally comparable measures of occupational status for the 1988 international standard classification of occupations. Social Science Research, 25(3), 201–239. https://doi.org/10.1006/ssre.1996.0010
Good, V., Jan, J. E., Barrovich, A. J., & Hoyt, S., (1994). Cortical visual impairment in children. Survey of Ophthalmology, 38(4), 351–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-6257(94)90073-6
Good, W. V., Jan, J. E., Burden, S. K., Skoczenski, A., & Candy, R., (2001, February14). Recent advances in cortical visual impairment. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 43(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2001.tb00387.x
Goodale, M. A., (2013, November). Separate visual systems for perception and action: A framework for understanding cortical visual impairment. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(s4), 9–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12299
Goodale, M. A., & Milner, A. D., (1992). Separate visual pathways for perception and action. Trends in Neurosciences, 15(1), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-2236(92)90344-8
Hokken, M. J., Krabbendam, E., van der Zee, Y. J., & Kooiker, M. J. G., (2023, April3). Visual selective attention and visual search performance in children with CVI, ADHD, and dyslexia: A scoping review. Child Neuropsychology, 29(3), 357–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2022.2057940
Hokken, M. J., Stein, N., Pereira, R. R., Rours, I. G., Frens, M. A., van der Steen, J., Pel, J. J., & Kooiker, M. J., (2024, August). Eyes on CVI: Eye movements unveil distinct visual search patterns in cerebral visual impairment compared to ADHD, dyslexia, and neurotypical children. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 151, 104767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104767
Hokken, M. J., van der Zee, Y. J., van der Geest, J. N., & Kooiker, M. J. G., (2024, March19). Parent-reported problems in children with cerebral visual impairment: Improving the discriminative ability from ADHD and dyslexia using screening inventories. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2024.2328875
Hornung, C., Schiltz, C., Brunner, M., & Martin, R., (2014, April4). Predicting first-grade mathematics achievement: The contributions of domain-general cognitive abilities, nonverbal number sense, and early number competence. Frontiers in Psychology. 5. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00272/abstract
Hornung, C., Wollschläger, R., Keller, U., Esch, P., Muller, C., & Fischbach, A., (2015. Report No.: Nouveaux résultats longitudinaux issus du monitoring scolaire national ÉpStan en première et troisième année scolaire (cycles 2.1 et 3.1): tendance négative au niveau du développement des compétences et redoublements inefficaces. Nouveaux résultats longitudinaux issus du monitoring scolaire national ÉpStan en première et troisième année scolaire (cycles 2.1 et 3.1): tendance négative au niveau du développement des compétences et redoublements inefficaces [Internet]. LUCET & SCRIPT. https://doi.org/10.48746/bb2021lu-fr-14
Hubbard, E. M., Piazza, M., Pinel, P., & Dehaene, S., (2005, June1). Interactions between number and space in parietal cortex. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 6(6), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1684
Hyvärinen, L., Näsänen, R., & Laurinen, P., (1980, August). New visual acuity test for pre-school children. Acta Ophthalmologica, 58(4), 507–511. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.1980.tb08291.x
Hyvärinen, L., Walthes, R., Freitag, C., & Petz, V., (2012, June). Profile of visual functioning as a bridge between education and medicine in the assessment of impaired vision. Strabismus, 20(2), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.3109/09273972.2012.680235
Ishihara, S., (1917). Tests for Colour-Blindness. Hongo Harukicho.
Khetpal, V., & Donahue, S. P., (2007, June). Cortical visual impairment: Etiology, associated findings, and prognosis in a tertiary care setting. Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 11(3), 235–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaapos.2007.01.122
Lam, F. C., Lovett, F., & Dutton, G. N., (2010, October). Cerebral visual impairment in children: A longitudinal case study of functional outcomes beyond the visual acuities. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 104(10), 625–635. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1010401008
Laurent-Vannier, A., Chevignard, M., Pradat-Diehl, P., Abada, G., & De Agostini, M., (2006, February). Assessment of unilateral spatial neglect in children using the teddy bear cancellation test. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 48(2), 120–125. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0012162206000260
Lueck, A. H., & Dutton, G. N., (2015). Vision and the brain understanding cerebral visual impairment in children. AFB Press American Foundation for the Blind.
Lueck, A. H., Dutton, G. N., & Chokron, S., (2019, October). Profiling children with cerebral visual impairment using multiple methods of assessment to aid in differential diagnosis. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 31, 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2019.05.003
Manley, C. E., Walter, K., Micheletti, S., Tietjen, M., Cantillon, E., Fazzi, E. M., Bex, P. J., & Merabet, L. B., (2023, September). Object identification in cerebral visual impairment characterized by gaze behavior and image saliency analysis. Brain & Development, 45(8), 432–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.braindev.2023.05.001
Martin, R., Ugen, S., & Fischbach, A., (Eds.). (2015). Épreuves Standardisées - Bildungsmonitoring für Luxembourg. LUCET.
McConnell, E. L., Saunders, K. J., & Little, J., (2021, March). What assessments are currently used to investigate and diagnose cerebral visual impairment (CVI) in children? A systematic review. Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics, 41(2), 224–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12776
McDonald, S. A., Spitsyna, G., Shillcock, R. C., Wise, R. J. S., & Leff, A. P., (2006, January1). Patients with hemianopic alexia adopt an inefficient eye movement strategy when reading text. Brain A Journal of Neurology, 129(1), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awh678
McDowell, N., (2020). A pilot study of the austin playing card assessment: A tool to detect and find the degree of visual perceptual difficulties related to clutter. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 38(2), 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264619619896008
McDowell, N., (2023, December14). Children with cerebral visual impairment related visual issues in the classroom. Kairaranga, 24(2), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.54322/kairaranga.v24i2.365
McDowell, N., & Butler, P., (2023, November). Validation of the austin assessment: A screening tool for cerebral visual impairment related visual issues. PLOS ONE, 18(11), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293904
MENFP. (2011a). Plan d’études école fondamentale. Ministère de l’Éducation nationale et de la Formation professionnelle.
MENFP. (2011b). The levels of competence - cycles 1-4 [Internet]. https://men.public.lu/en/publications/enseignement-fondamental/informations-generales/niveaux-competence-cycles-1-4.html
Merabet, L. B., Mayer, D. L., Bauer, C. M., Wright, D., & Kran, B. S., (2023). Motion and form coherence processing in individuals with cerebral visual impairment. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 65(10), 1379–1386. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15591
Micheletti, S., Corbett, F., Atkinson, J., Braddick, O., Mattei, P., Galli, J., Calza, S., & Fazzi, E., (2021, November24). Dorsal and ventral stream function in children with developmental coordination disorder. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 703217. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.703217
Molinaro, A., Micheletti, S., Rossi, A., Gitti, F., Galli, J., Merabet, L. B., & Fazzi, E. M., (2020, August1). Autistic-like features in visually impaired children: A review of literature and directions for future research. Brain Sciences, 10(8), 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10080507
Molloy, C. S., DiBattista, A. M., Anderson, V. A., Burnett, A., Lee, K. J., Roberts, G., Cheong, J. L., Anderson, P. J., & Doyle, L. W., (2017, April3). The contribution of visual processing to academic achievement in adolescents born extremely preterm or extremely low birth weight. Child Neuropsychology, 23(3), 361–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2015.1118024
Monteiro, S., Esch, P., Engel, P. J., & Ugen, S., (2024). Visuelle Beeinträchtigungen im Kindesalter: Früherkennung mit dem nationalen Bildungsmonitor Épstan. SCRIPT & University of Luxembourg.
Ortibus, E., Laenen, A., Verhoeven, J., De Cock, P., Casteels, I., Schoolmeesters, B., Buyck, A., & Lagae, L., (2011, August). Screening for cerebral visual impairment: Value of a CVI questionnaire. Neuropediatrics, 42(4), 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1285908
Ortibus, E. L., De Cock, P. P., & Lagae, L. G., (2011, July). Visual perception in preterm children: What are we Currently measuring?Pediatric Neurology, 45(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2011.02.008
Pawletko, T., Chokon, S., & Dutton, G. N., (2015). Considerations in the behavioral diagnosis of CVI: issues, cautions, and potential outcomes. In A. H., Lueck & G. N., Dutton (Eds.), Vision and the brain: understanding cerebral visual impairment in children (pp. 145–173). AFB Press.
Philip, S. S., & Dutton, G. N., (2014, May1). Identifying and characterising cerebral visual impairment in children: A review. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 97(3), 196–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/cxo.12155
Pilling, R. F., Allen, L., Bowman, R., Ravenscroft, J., Saunders, K. J., & Williams, C., (2022, October18). Clinical assessment, investigation, diagnosis and initial management of cerebral visual impairment: A consensus practice guide. The Eye. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-022-02261-6
Roman-Lantzy, C., (2018). Cortical visual impairment: An overview. In C. Roman-Lantzy (Ed.), Cortical visual impairment: An approach to assessment and intervention (pp. 7–18). AFB Press American Foundation for the Blind.
Sakki, H. E. A., Dale, N. J., Sargent, J., Perez-Roche, T., Bowman, R., (2018, April). Is there consensus in defining childhood cerebral visual impairment? A systematic review of terminology and definitions. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 102(4), 424–432. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-310694
SCRIPT, MENJE. (2022). Enseignement fondamental: Statistiques globales et analyse des résultats scolaires, Année scolaire 2020/2021. Luxembourg: Official Journal of the European Union, 1 – 79.
Valdois, S., (2022, November). The visual-attention span deficit in developmental dyslexia: Review of evidence for a visual-attention-based deficit. Dyslexia, 28(4), 397–415. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1724
Williams, C., Northstone, K., Sabates, R., Feinstein, L., Emond, A., & Dutton, G. N., (2011, March21). Visual perceptual difficulties and under-achievement at school in a large community-based sample of children. PLOS ONE, 6(3), e14772. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014772
Williams, C., Pease, A., Warnes, P., Harrison, S., Pilon, F., Hyvarinen, L., West, S., Self, J., & Ferris, J., (2021, June). Cerebral visual impairment-related vision problems in primary school children: A cross-sectional survey. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 63(6), 683–689. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.14819