Some observations of the relationship between the visual perceptual skills development of young hyperopes and age of first lens correction

Abstract

A recently published report suggested that young hyperopes are more likely to manifest substandard visual perceptual skills than are young emmetropes and myopes. This study addresses some of the clinical implications of that proposition by comparing the visual perceptual skills of 48 six‐to‐twelve‐year‐old hyperopes (> 2.25D), some of whom (N = 18) obtained their first glasses before their fourth birthday, the others (N = 30) after that time. Data are presented that (a) corroborate the above cited report there is a high prevalence of visual perceptual skills deficits among young hyperopes;(b) support the notion that early application of lenses for hyperopia is likely to contribute to the ultimate development of adequate visual perceptual skills: the hyperopic children in this study who started to wear glasses before age four manifested far fewer visual perceptual skills delays than did those who began to wear glasses after their fourth birthday.

Key words:

• Hyperopia
• visual skills development
• visual correction
• age effects