Introduction
Visually significant errors during childhood are treated with proper diagnosis using lens extraction and inclusion of treatment such as vitrectomy or posterior capsulotomy. During the initial periods, the treatment and visual rehabilitation are done with the help of glasses, lenses, spectacles, and IOLs (Intraocular lenses). Every individual is treated as per the diagnosis made. Contact lenses for correcting refractive errors have been used for a long time. The use of IOLs also dates back now, but the acceptance by the Food and Allergy Administration delays the process, and issues related to the design of lenses and management of posterior capsules are also related to the use of IOLs. For 20 years, IOLs have been used mainly for monocular cataracts and unilateral or bilateral cataract cases. These are also used in juvenile and even infantile cases where the proper diagnosis is made at the correct time.
In many children suffering from Aphakia, the treatment includes the use of contact lenses or IOLs at early stages, such as in 1st year of birth. After the child undergoes the first surgery, an open discussion with the parents regarding the whole procedure and rehabilitation, including the effects that might be encountered in the coming years or decades, is discussed thoroughly.
Many options are given to the parents, and the complete details about the success and failure of each individual are discussed. The parents are kept well educated with all the treatment plans and procedures. The discussion may be delayed in case of an emergency, and the whole procedure is explained after a few days when the parents cope with the thought that their child has a visual impairment and will continue to be at some risk for a lifetime and will have to undergo surgical procedures at a very young age.
What Are the Methods for Visual Rehabilitation in Children?
Doctors have many methods to treat visual impairments in children. The first and foremost step is to treat amblyopia and then control its recurrence. Treatment of amblyopia can be carried out with traditional methods such as patching, punishment, or, more frequently, dichrotherapy. Many options are available for visually impaired children, such as optical and nonoptical aids.
Recently the role of advanced technology and AI in treating blindness and visually impaired children has become more important. The recently developed AI-equipped smart vision glasses are of much help. These glasses not only help visually impaired children to move but also allow them to listen to text in many languages.
The child's family history and background knowledge are significant in each case. Other important factors include classroom environment, such as lighting and teaching methods of traditional lack board, projector, etc, which also affect the child's visual development.
These methods affect children's health and are related to causing disabilities due to brain integration. Health professionals can issue special instructions to the school to manage the child of special needs in case of visual impairment, such as seat arrangement, time given during examination, and the use of visual aids.
How Is Visual Impairment Treated in Children?
Vision educators, psychologists, and ophthalmologists are the professionals involved in visual rehabilitation. Different methods are used to treat optical impairment. The treatments should be started after an early diagnosis. This should be focused on improving and positively impacting a child's overall physical, mental, and social behavior. For better results and cooperation of the child, involving the caregiver in the treatment may greatly help. Patience and speaking softly with the children help to gain their confidence. These options include vision training, working on vision, vision therapy, education about the environment, optometry training, and vision improvement. There are also various other techniques that are used for visual training programs. They are also known as visual education. Some of these are as follows:
-
Improvement of Optical Equipment
Working on the adverse effects of wearing glasses or lenses is a prerequisite for training and vision education. A widespread recommendation is high-quality optical devices such as glasses or electronic devices that are generally unsuitable for children. Mental and physical disabilities are associated with the use of these devices, and their use is specific to various tasks. Many other optical devices are used for myopia studies. Using optical devices for children is problematic, and compliance issues are often faced. Children usually refuse to wear glasses or spectacles.
-
Ergonomic Interventions
These include adapting to light, contrast, color, and movement of object stimuli and natural and visual stimuli. This is also a form of visual rehabilitation. This adaptation to visual stimuli is also considered visual rehabilitation. It is usually the second step in the visual stimulation program after the initial step involving the prescription and use of glasses.
-
Optometry and Visual Intervention
These are also known as visual or optical therapy and are designed to address acuity, fixation, accommodation, binocular vision and movement of the eye, nystagmus, and myopia. The techniques used are eye exercises and biofeedback. The eye exercises are shown to be very effective in cases of lack of coordination and in some cases when there are issues related to stereoscopic skills. The body's motor system is trained to follow voluntary control with auditory or visual feedback in biofeedback techniques.
-
Routine Visual Training
These techniques are provided by staff who work closely with visually impaired children. Routine methods are used to communicate and maintain interaction with visually impaired people. The tips include time, speed, and location of talking with the child. In some cases, the methods include ergonomic adaptation, which is of much help. These have a high social and educational impact.
Conclusion
Training various healthcare professionals in pediatric visual rehabilitation is not overemphasized. Hospitals with ophthalmic departments should encourage training more doctors and optometrists. Training some counselors used as a bridge between healthcare, parents, and school teachers. This is helpful in the development of children and in improving social integration.
