Visual impairment in newborns and young children is often congenital or genetic, and it usually results in a lifetime of disability. Supporting youngsters at this critical stage in their lives can help them grow into self-assured young adults who are economically active and contribute to our diverse community. The assessment of children’s visual functions necessitates patience, attention to detail, and a modification of adult-oriented procedures. This talk discusses the causes of visual impairment in children, explores the common behavioral signs of visual impairment in the young, and explains how to assess the visual functions in visually impaired children prior to prescribing the appropriate optical and non-optical aids.

Presenter: Dr. Ithar Beshtawi

Dr. Beshtawi is an Assistant Professor in Optometry and the Head of the Optometry Department, as well as, the optometry and low vision clinic at An-Najah National University, Palestine. She holds an MSc and Ph.D. in Optometry from The University of Manchester, UK. In 2014, she took part in a Tempus winning project with universities and organizations in Europe and the Middle East, “Curriculum and Skill Development in Vision Rehabilitation,” which aimed to improve the quality and quantity of the services for persons with visual impairment by developing university curricula and training resources on vision rehabilitation, in addition to the establishment of a multi-disciplinary network of vision rehabilitation professionals determined to support the development of comprehensive services in the region. Subsequently, a low vision center was established at An-Najah to be the only center in northern Palestine that provides low vision assessment and rehabilitation services. Dr.Beshtawi has also participated in JUSUR.

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