Testing the Measure of Early Vision Use Survey
Researchers at Australian Catholic University are inviting you to help test a new tool called the Measure of Early Vision Use (MEVU).
What is the Measure of Early Vision Use? The Measure of Early Vision Use, or MEVU, is a tool that can measure how well your child uses their vision in everyday activities, interactions and environments. MEVU is a questionnaire for parents and caregivers that focuses on early visual behaviours. MEVU describes typical performance in everyday activities, not best performance. MEVU is different to a test of the eyes - other factors such as cognition or motor skills might also explain your child's ability to use (or not use) vision in everyday activities. In MEVU it doesn't matter 'why' - because your answers are all about 'how' vision is used.
MEVU was initially developed for children with cerebral palsy. It is now being tested with a wider group of parents and caregivers.
What is this research study about?
This research project is testing a way to assess how children use vision in everyday activities with the recently developed Measure of Early Vision Use (MEVU).
MEVU is a 14-item questionnaire that asks parents/caregivers about children's visual behaviours. How well a child can use their vision has a big impact on all other areas of development and learning so it is important that we have a way to describe and measure this. MEVU might be helpful by giving:
• A language or way to describe how a child uses their vision; and
• A score to use in goal setting and planning and monitoring therapy.
MEVU has already been tested with over 100 children with cerebral palsy and/or vision impairment and it appears to be a good way to describe early visual behaviours in children using observations made by parents/caregivers from everyday activities, interactions and environments. The focus of the current testing is to know:
• What does a score on MEVU mean?
• Is MEVU reliable?
The research team need MEVU scores from more parents to further test and understand MEVU.
