How do children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual difficulties perform on key academic domains in grade 1?

Previous research estimated a prevalence of 3.4% Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)-related visual problems within primary school children, potentially compromising students' performance. This study aimed to clarify how CVI-related visual difficulties relate to academic performance in standardized achievement tests. As part of the Luxembourg school monitoring programme, 1129 first graders (mean age of 7 years) participated in three competence tests (mathematics, early literacy and listening comprehension) and in student and parent questionnaires (background information). The same children took part in a CVI-related visual difficulties screening (Evaluation of Visuo-Attentional abilities battery, optometric and orthoptic measures). The sample was divided post-screening into 38 children with potential CVI-related visual difficulties (18 females, 20 males, mean age 7y, range 6-8y) and 890 typically developing (TD) children (445 females, 430 males, 15 missing, mean age 7y, range 5-10y). Compared to the TD sample children with CVI-related visual difficulties significantly underperformed in early literacy and mathematics, but not in listening comprehension, even when controlling for background characteristics known to influence performance (gender, socio-economic status, migration background, parental education, home language, age). The results confirm the association of CVI-related visual difficulties with learning processes already at primary school level and emphasize the need to implement a systematic screening for CVI-related visual difficulties, as early as possible within the school path, to ensure adequate measures are employed to aid students at risk.