VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 2
conditions can be treated with a simple referral to an eye doctor, as the child may
benefit from glasses or other treatment options. Early treatment can improve
educational outcomes and avoid potential negative impacts to all areas of
development. Identifying vision concerns in young children through screening can
lead to the discovery of potentially more serious conditions like neurological
diseases. Newer functional vision screening tools are also more adept at targeting
functional visual manifestations that can accelerate the identification of
neurological visual impairments, such as cerebral/cortical visual impairment, even
without the presence of ocular findings. Finally, utilizing a vision screening tool
can help make determinations about a child's visual functioning by establishing
individual vision milestones. Early intervention providers can support vision
development in young children if skills and next steps are understood and
reinforced. Coaching a parent or caregiver about typical vision development can
help a family build the skills and confidence in advocating for their child by
avoiding a wait-and-see approach. For example, a parent may think it is common
for their 9-month old's eyes to move out of sync and not have a concern. However,
their early interventionist will be able to introduce the concept of vision milestones
and discuss that at approximately 6-7 months of age a baby's eyes will be moving
together all of the time. In this scenario, the provider was able to utilize the
