| Developmental Disorders Series
Visual Impairment
I. What is visual impairment?
Visual impairment (VI) refers to a significant functional loss of vision that cannot be corrected by medication, surgical operation, or ordinary optical lenses such as spectacles.
Visual impairment can be classified into three levels:
Mild VI:
- Can read relatively larger characters
- No difficulty in identifying shapes, colours and brightness contrasts
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Moderate VI:
- Can tell shapes and colours of objects and can distinguish between brightness and darkness
- Can only read characters with larger size and broader strokes
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Severe VI:
- Can only distinguish more obvious changes in brightness and darkness
- May not see anything (completely blind)
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II. What are the symptoms of children with visual impairment?
During infancy:
- Lack of eye contact
- No blinking to bright light
- Do not look at his/her hands
- Do not visually follow moving objects in front of his/her face
- Slow response to voiceless toys or parents' faces; respond only to sound
- No imitation of others' expressions and actions
- Do not actively reach out for his/her favourite toys
- Fear of gross motor activities, such as crawling
During early childhood:
- Often keep his/her head down; lack eye contact with others
- Limited facial expression and body language
- Tend to hold objects very close to the eyes when looking at them
- Abnormal responses to bright light (gazing at light excessively or trying to avoid it)
- Often bump into objects or fall over, and get confused with directions
- Search for his/her way using hands
- May press on eyeballs with fingers
- Jerky movements of the eyeballs
III. What causes visual impairment?
- Infections during pregnancy, e.g. rubella infection
- Congenital eye diseases, e.g. congenital cataract
- Factors during delivery, e.g. asphyxia, retinal problems of prematurity
- Acquired eye diseases, e.g. corneal infection, tumour of eyeball
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IV. Why is it necessary to arrange for early assessment and treatment?
- Parents can understand their child’s developmental problems at an early stage and provide appropriate and timely support to maximize the potentials of their child
- Visual impairment or even blindness can be avoided if eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataract are detected and managed at an early stage
- Secondary problems on areas including emotion, behaviour and learning can be prevented
- Parents can understand their child’s developmental problems at an early stage and provide appropriate and timely support to maximize the potentials of their child
- Visual impairment or even blindness can be avoided if eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataract are detected and managed at an early stage
- Secondary problems on areas including emotion, behaviour and learning can be prevented
Overall Cognition
- Encourage children with VI to touch physical objects more frequently and use simple verbal descriptions, to strengthen conceptual understanding of objects and events
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Sensory Training
- Strengthen sensory training on senses other than vision, e.g. the sense of touch, hearing, smell and taste
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Residual Vision
- Assist children with VI in protecting and making good use of their residual vision
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Personal Experience
- Encourage children with VI to participate actively in activities so as to enrich life experience. Avoid helping them on everything and allow them learn independently as appropriate
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V. Where can parents seek help if their child is suspected to have visual impairment?
Preliminary Screening |
Maternal and Child Health Centres / Paediatric departments of hospitals / Private practitioners |
Further Assessment
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Child Assessment Centres |
Ophthalmic departments of hospitals |
Treatment, Training and Education |
Medical service
- General and Low Vision Clinic
- Occupational therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Speech therapy
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Social Welfare Department / Education Bureau
- Early Education and Training Centres
- Integrated Programme in Child Care Centres
- Special Child Care Centres
- Special schools, e.g. Ebenezer School and Ebenezer Training Centre
- Supportive Remedial Service for pupils with visual impairment
- Ebenezer Early Intervention Programme for visually impaired children
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After adolescence:
Continuing Education:
- Vocational Training Council
- Tertiary institutions
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Employment:
- Hong Kong Society for the Blind
- Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department
- Employment service of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
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Enquiry Numbers and Related Websites
Government Bureau / Departments |
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Child Assessment Service
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2246 6633
www.dhcas.gov.hk |
Family Health Service
(Maternal and Child Health Centres)
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2961 8855
www.fhs.gov.hk |
- Social Welfare Department
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2343 2255
www.swd.gov.hk
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- Education Bureau
(24-Hour Hotline)
Special Education and Special Schools
Special Education Resource Centre
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2891 0088
http://serc.edb.gov.hk |
- Vocational Training Council
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2836 1000
www.vtc.edu.hk |
Other Organisations |
- Hospital Authority
(General Enquiry)
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2300 6555
www.ha.org.hk |
- Hong Kong Blind Union
The Trailwalker Education & Resources Centre
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2337 2736
www.hkbu.org.hk
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- The Hong Kong Society for the Blind
Parents Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired Children
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2994 9655
www.hksb.org.hk
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- Ebenezer Early Intervention Programme for Visually Impaired Children
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2817 0329
www.ebenezer.org.hk
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Copyright @ 2008
Child Assessment Service, Department of Health, HKSAR
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