Ophthalmologic Screening of Deaf Students in Oregon

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the frequency of Usher's syndrome and other ocular disease in students receiving special education services for the deaf in Oregon and to assess the amount of existing ophthalmologic surveillance of this population. A special emphasis was placed on screening for Usher's syndrome. Methods: From 1980-1990, a prospective twocenter visual screening program of 231 deaf students in schools throughout Oregon was conducted using an ophthalmic questionnaire, complete eye examinations, and electroretinography. Students were between the ages of 10 and 21 years and participated on a volunteer basis. Findings for etiology and severity of visual loss and the scope of ophthalmologic surveillance within this population were analyzed. Results: Two hundred seventeen of the 231 students examined received electroretinograms. Significant ocular pathology was found in 1 1 1 (48%) of the students. The most common diagnoses were congenital rubella (21%), significant uncorrected ametropia (16%), and ocular hypertension (9%). Five students were diagnosed with Usher's syndrome. Of the students with significant ocular pathology, only 37% were actively followed by an ophthalmologist. Conclusion: Deaf students in Oregon's schools had a high frequency of eye disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of eye disease in this population could benefit the quality of life of these students. This study alerted the providers of special education services for the deaf and the ophthalmologic community in Oregon of the need for better eye care for these students. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2001 ;38:1 1 -1 5.

Prevalence and causes of visual impairment amongst hearing impaired school-going children in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

“…Reports suggest that the prevalence of ocular morbidities and refractive error amongst children with hearing impairment is 5 -90.1% and 7.2 -62.65%, respectively. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Most of the causes of the reported visual impairment are avoidable. Also, studies have reported that children with hearing impairment are at a higher risk of visual impair-ment than children with no impairment.…”

“…The aetiology of the significant causes of childhood visual impairment and hearing impairment in Sub-Saharan Africa is associated with measles and rubella . 17 There still exists the lack of scientifically rigorous studies that have investigated the prevalence and causes of visual impairment amongst learners living with hearing impairment in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to evaluate published scientific research studies on the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in children living with hearing impairment in terms of their visual acuity status, causes, interventions provided/suggested and limitations of the studies.…”

“…The aetiology of the significant causes of childhood visual impairment and hearing impairment in Sub-Saharan Africa is associated with measles and rubella . 17 …”

Problemas oculares en pacientes con discapacidad auditiva neurosensorial

“…Por lo cual los señalan que en los servicios de educación especial donde asisten personas con discapacidad auditiva deben reconocer la necesidad del cuidado visual. 14,15 En general, los errores refractivos son el problema ocular más frecuente en niños, con una prevalencia global estimada de 4.6 a 14.9%. 16,17 Pero en niños con discapacidad auditiva puede ocurrir hasta en 60%, 5 como lo observamos en este estudio que fue de 50%.…”

Assessment of refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision among hearing-impaired and deaf students in Kermanshah

“…Hearing-impaired and deaf individuals rely on their visual senses more than healthy people; therefore, even low degrees of refractive error, if uncorrected, can reduce visual performance and present people with serious problems [ 7 ]. In addition, previous studies that assessed visual disorders among the deaf and hearing impaired demonstrated that the prevalence of refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision among deaf and hearing-impaired children is higher in comparison with their hearing peers [ 3 , 4 , 7 ].…”