Department of Kinesiology,
University of Waterloo –

The role of binocular vision in the development of fine motor skills

Seeing in depth is essential for guiding purposeful movements, such as reaching and grasping for toys or food, catching a ball or using tools to accomplish complex tasks. Binocular vision provides important cues for 3D depth perception. However, 3-5% of children with amblyopia or strabismus have abnormal binocular vision.

There is limited research on the effects of abnormal binocular vision on motor skill performance in school-aged children. Thus, the goal of this research is to investigate the role of binocular vision in the development of fine motor skills. It is essential to develop greater insight into the fundamental mechanisms that are disrupted by the visual impairment in order to develop evidence-based interventions for children with abnormal binocular vision.