An analysis of visual perception and visual attention skills in school-aged children with spina bifida and shunted hydrocephalus, an initial investigation

grantor: University of TorontoVisual perception and visual attention difficulties are consistently reported cognitive deficits in school-aged children with spina bifida and shunted hydrocephalus. An understanding of their pattern of strengths and weaknesses is incomplete. Seventeen 8-to-12 year old children were assessed using the Componential Assessment of Visual Perception$\sp\copyright$. Accuracy and speed data were collected and linked to medical risk factors. The application of a motor-reduced assessment helped to illustrate patterns of visual perception and attention performance. The results showed these children retain the ability to perform simple visual discrimination tasks, encode stimuli and shift attention. Difficulty ignoring irrelevant stimuli was found for complex tasks. Children with a greater number of risk factors demonstrated poorer performance. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.M.Sc