Children with Visual Disorders - Cognitive development, developmental disorders and consequences for treatment and counselling

The causes of visual impairment and blindness has changedover the years, in industrialised countries, giving rise to a newpopulation of visually impaired children. Damages to the posteriorvisual pathway and the brain are now common causes of visualimpairment. In this thesis this changed panorama was explored andcognitive and behavioural outcome in children with ocular vs.cerebral visual impairment was examined in various studies. Morecognitive deficits and developmental disorders, such as autism,attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and complex visualperceptual and visual cognitive disorders were found in childrenwith cerebral visual impairment or combinations of ocular andcerebral causes of visual impairment. Children born preterm, nowform a considerable part of the population of visually impairedchildren and are at risk for such disorders. Children born at termwith visual impairment due to causes in the anterior parts of thevisual system have an entirely different developmental outcome.Psychological assessment methods, early intervention andcounselling should be adapted to correspond with this changingpopulation of visually impaired children.