Learning-Related Vision Problems

I was really amazed at how frequently problems with learning are linked with vision. It is also something that can be helped. I would like to give you some signs of vision problems that would interfere with school performance.

A major portion of all learning is done visually. Reading, spelling, writing, homework, work at the board. And now, with computers, even more of the learning is done relying on vision. Each of these vision skills asks the child to see and understand things that are within arm's length from the eyes.

Many childrens' visual levels do not meet the demands of the types of situations in the classroom. Which is where problems occur.

Clear vision and eyesight isn't all that we're discussing here. We're also talking about difficulties scanning, focusing and visual coordination skills for learning, and for getting meaning from reading. If these skills aren't developed, or are poorly developed, learning is difficult and stressful, and children will react in one or more of the following ways:

• They avoid visual work entirely, or as much as possible
• They attempt to do the work anyway, but with lowered understanding
• They often experience discomfort, fatigue, and short attention span.
• They adapt by becoming nearsighted, or by suppressing the vision of one eye

Vision problems don't cause learning disabilities, but poor vision skills can cause learning problems. Good vision skills provide a sound foundation for learning.

***Most school vision screenings test just the sharpness of distance eyesight, so many vision problems go undetected. A child with 20/20 distance eyesight may still have great difficulty doing vision tasks less than arm's length away.

Signs of Vision Problems

• Holding a book very close (7-8 inches away)
• Child, or adult, holds head at an extreme angle to the book when reading
• Covering one eye when reading
• Squinting when doing near vision work
• Constant poor posture when working close
• Moving head back and forth while reading instead of moving only eyes
• Poor attention span, drowsiness after prolonged work less than arm's length away
• Homework requiring reading takes longer than it should
• Child occasionally or peristently reports seeing blurring or double while reading or writing
• Child reports blurring or doubling only when work is hard
• Loses place when moving gaze from desk work to chalkboard, or when copying from text to notebook
• Child must use a marker to keep their place when reading
• Writing up or down hill, irregular letter or word spacing
• Child reverses letters (b for d) or words (saw for was)
• Repeatedly omits "small" words
• Rereads or skips lines unknowingly
• Fails to recognize the same word in the next sentence
• Misaligns digits in columns of numbers
• Headaches after reading or near work
• Child blinks excessively when doing near work, but not otherwise
• Rubs eyes during or after short periods of reading
• Comprehension declines as reading continues
• Child fails to visualize (can't describe what they've read)

Eliminating vision problems can quickly change academic performance.

I have more information to share with you at another time if you're interested. Or e-mail me at tachizuno4@yahoo.com and I can talk with you further.