Most children have no idea how they are supposed to see. Therefore it is vital that you know the signs that a vision problem is interfering with your child’s ability to read and learn.
Do you know your vision facts?
- One out of four children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.
- It is estimated that over 60% of problem learners have undiagnosed vision problems.
- 80% of learning in the classroom is visual.
- The majority of the vision problems that interfere with reading and learning are very treatable.
- Seeing clearly (“20/20”) is just one of 17 visual skills critical to academic success.
The American Federation of Teachers acknowledged the vital role that vision plays in our children’s education and that:
“Even the most gifted students will struggle academically if they have trouble seeing the blackboard or focusing on a book. A tremendous amount of learning happens visually, so proper vision care is crucial to helping students reach their full potential.”
According to the National PTA "It is estimated that more than ten million children suffer from vision problems" that may cause them to fail in school. Vision screenings in schools and at the pediatricians offices usually only test distance vision. Most people think that 20/20 is "perfect vision", when in fact 20/20 is simply a measurement of what someone is able to see at a distance of 20 feet. Most of our learning is through reading, which is not at 20 feet at all!
There are over 15 visual skills required for reading and learning, including the ability to point the eyes together, to focus the eyes, to move across the page properly. These skills are often not tested in most vision screenings. Passing a vision screening which tests only distance vision leads parents to believe incorrectly that nothing is wrong.
If any of these visual skills are not working properly, it can make reading and learning an unnecessary challenge. Some children develop behavior problems, while others avoid reading or simply refuse to read. Usually the child is bright, causing parents to be confused by the child's difficulties. Often the child is labeled hyperactive, lazy, or slow. What makes this even worse is that many of these problems can easily be mistaken as learning disabilities or attention problems such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).
If your child struggles with reading or learning, call our office to schedule an appointment today.
Look over the symptom checklist to see how many signs your child has.
Vision Problems Resulting from Concussion
Post-concussion symptoms include vision problems that cause difficulties with concentration, eyestrain, loss of place while reading, slower processing speed, headaches and fatigue. These symptoms are very similar to symptoms relating to eye coordination disorders (which we often see in patients who have suffered a head injury).
We have known for years that concussions cause vision problems, and these are some of the types of vision problems that we specialize in treating to help children get back on track with their academics after a concussion.
It is vital that parents and educators know the signs and symptoms of vision problems that block learning as a result of a concussion. Signs of Post Trauma Vision Syndrome include:
- Double vision
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness or nausea
- Light sensitivity
- Attention or concentration difficulties
- Staring behavior (low blink rate)
- Spatial disorientation
- Losing place when reading
- Can’t find beginning of next line when reading
- Comprehension problems when reading
- Visual memory problems
- Pulls away from objects when they are brought close to them
- Eye turn – constant or occasional
- Difficulty shifting focus from near to far
- Words move or blur when reading
- Objects appear to move
- Unstable peripheral vision
- Difficulties with balance, coordination and posture
- Perceived movement of stationary objects
- Consistently stays to one side of hallway or room
- Bumps into objects when walking
- Poor walking or posture: leans back on heels, forward, or to one side when walking, standing or seated in a chair
- Perception of the floor being tilted
Just one of these symptoms could mean that your child is struggling with Post Trauma Vision Syndrome. Call today to schedule an appointment – we can help!