The Prevalence of Visual Disorders in Speech and Language Delayed Children

<p>Many of the tests used in speech and language evaluations involve visual stimuli. It is assumed that the child being tested has adequate vision to perform these tests. The present study examined the prevalence of vision problems in speech and language delayed children to determine if a routine vision screening is necessary. The study also investigated whether student speech pathologists' screening results were significantly different from an optometrist's results.</p> <p>Prior to actual testing, the student speech pathologists were taught how to administer and score a vision screening composed of tests from the Modified Clinical Technique. The children were initially screened by their own clinicians and then re-screened by an optometrist. The sample population consisted of 25 children, ages three to eight years old, who were receiving therapy at the La Sierra Hearing, Language and Speech Center.</p> <p>Statistical analysis found that the prevalence of visual disorders in the sample population was not significantly greater than the incidence found in the general population. Analysis of the screenings indicated that there was no significant difference between the student speech pathologists' and optometrist's results. However, when each test was compared, there was a significant difference in the results obtained for visual acuity and ocular motility dysfunction. These differences were due to over referral by the student speech pathologists.</p> <p>Although results indicate that there is no significant difference between a general population and the sample population, the finding that 28 percent of the speech and language delayed children have possible visual disorders indicates that it may be beneficial to train student speech pathologists to conduct effective vision screenings as part of a complete speech and language evaluation.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Speech-Language Pathology

Year

1981

Author dc:creator

• Hanson, Lori A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Melvin S. Cohen
• E. Evelyn Britt
• J. Philip Martin

• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Optometry
• Speech Pathology and Audiology
• Vision Disorders -- in infancy & childhood; Speech Disorders -- in infancy & childhood; Language Disorders -- in infancy & childhood.

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1108

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1575