How do visual field defects affect how a child functions?
In children with certain neurological problems or eye problems, field of vision may be restricted and this can cause difficulties in the child’s mobility, reading ability and spatial awareness. Children with severe field defects often also experience developmental delays. It may be difficult for parents to know that there is a problem with the child’s peripheral vision because central vision (measured in visual acuity tests) may be normal. These visual field restrictions can affect function in a number of ways. For instance, they impact scanning eye movements used in reading and thus make reading more inefficient. A child with a visual field defect may only see part of a large object and must compensate by turning or tilting his or her head. Children with a visual field defect may frequently bump into things and have difficulties localizing objects that fall into the non-seeing field. They may have difficulty seeing objects and people at a distance, even when their visual acuity is nor
