Visual Behaviours (ViBes) in Cerebral Visual Impairment: Validating a Descriptive Tool to Support Diagnosis and Monitoring

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is the most common cause of visual impairment in children in the UK. Diagnosis is based on identification of visual behaviours (ViBes) relating to visual dysfunction. Examination techniques and inventories have been developed to elicit these in children with a developmental age of two years or more. The absence of a structured approach to recording visual behaviours in children with complex needs is a barrier to diagnosis. The aim of the study was to develop a matrix of visual behaviours seen in pre-verbal and pre-motor children with visual impairment and establish its content validity and inter-rater reliability. METHODS: VIBE CONTENT VALIDATION: Visual behaviour descriptors relating to visual function were collated and categorised by expert consensus of vision professionals into a matrix composed of three functions (attention, field/fixation, motor response) and five levels (0 = no awareness; 1 = visual awareness; 2 = visual attention; 3 = visual detection; 4 = visual understanding). VIBE INTER-RATER RELIABILITY: The participants (two orthoptists, an optometrist, an ophthalmologist and two qualified teachers of the visually impaired) used the ViBe matrix to independently score each of 17 short video clips of children demonstrating visual behaviours seen in CVI. RESULTS: The ViBe matrix will be presented. Cohen’s kappa for the matrix was 0.67, demonstrating moderate-to-strong inter-rater reliability. CONCLUSION: The development of standardised descriptors can support clinicians and teachers in identifying areas of concern for children with complex needs. In addition, the ViBe matrix could be utilised in research, clinical and diagnostic reports to clearly communicate the areas of visual dysfunction and track progress resulting from interventions. KEY POINTS: The absence of a structured approach to recording visual behaviours in children with complex needs is a barrier to diagnosis. The ViBe matrix offers descriptors relating to visual behaviours and has demonstrated acceptable inter-rater reliability. The tool may support the identification and diagnosis of cerebral visual impairment in a population of children who cannot access standard testing.