Vision, visual-information processing, and academic performance among seventh-grade schoolchildren: a more significant relationship than we thought?

Abstract

Objective: To compare visual and visual-information processing skills between children with and without mild reading and academic problems and examine the incidence of visual deficits among them.

Method: Seventy-one seventh graders classified as proficient (n = 46) and nonproficient (n = 25) readers were compared with respect to scores on an accepted vision screening, on tests of visual-perception, visual-motor integration, and academic performance. Further, academic performance and visual-information processing were compared between children who failed and passed the vision screening.

Results: Visual deficits were found in 68% of the participants, and among significantly more boys than girls. Nonproficient readers had significantly poorer academic performance and vision-screening scores than the proficient readers. Participants who passed the visual screening performed significantly better in visual perception than those who failed.

Conclusion: Visual function significantly distinguishes between children with and without mild academic problems, as well as on visual-perception scores. The high occurrence of visual deficits among participants warrants consideration of vision deficits among schoolchildren with academic performance difficulties.