Vision problems in Down syndrome adults do not hamper communication, daily living skills and socialisation

Background Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition with a prevalence of 11.2–10000 life-births in Europe. The most important concern consists of various degrees of intellectual disability and sensory deficits. The overall prevalence of ophthalmologic abnormalities has been reported to be as high as 46–100 %. Impairment of vision potentially hampers the capacity of learning and communication and thus of social integration. The aim of our study is to assess prospectively the occurrence of vision problems in patients with DS with special emphasis on adaptive behaviour and cognition.