Does your child need an eye exam?
When you're deciding whether or not you should take your child in for an eye exam, consider the following:
- Home tests or vision screenings will not detect all of a child's vision problems
- 80% of what a child learns during the first 12 years is obtained through vision
- Visual impairment in children is associated with developmental delays and the need for special educational, vocational and social services
- 25% of students in grades K-6 have visual problems that are serious enough to impede learning.
- When vision problems go undetected, children almost invariably have trouble reading and doing their schoolwork. They often display fatigue, fidgeting, and frustration in the classroom – traits that can lead to a misdiagnosis of dyslexia or other learning disabilities.
- It is estimated that 80% of children with a learning disability have an undiagnosed vision problem.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of children’s vision problems is a necessary component to school readiness and academic learning.
- Vision screenings are not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor.
- Early testing for vision problems is critical to preventing learning disabilities or, in some cases, significant visual impairment in children.
Vision is a complex process that involves over 20 visual abilities and more than 65% of all the pathways to the brain. One in four children has an undiagnosed vision problem which can interfere with learning and lead to academic and/or behavioral problems. However, it is important to know that these children frequently do not report symptoms because they think everyone sees the same way they do.
Often a child with a
vision related learning problem has excellent verbal skills, causing parents and educators to think the child must be lazy, have ADD/ADHD, or is learning disabled. The possible misdiagnosis can be due to similar symptoms, but the causes are not the same.
Vision problems can elicit a wide range of signs and symptoms. Some, like eyestrain or blurred vision, can usually be attributed directly to a vision dysfunction. Others, such as poor attention span at school, clumsiness in sports, or reduced productivity at work, may not immediately be recognized as possible sign of a
vision problem. The great news is that many of the vision conditions that contribute to difficulties in school and cause symptoms, such as eyestrain or blurred vision, can be treated.
Physical signs or symptoms:
- Frequent headaches or eye strain
- Blurring of distance or near vision, particularly after reading or other close work
- Avoidance of close work or other visually demanding tasks
- Poor judgment of depth
- Turning of an eye in or out, up or down
- Tendency to cover or close one eye, or favor the vision in one eye
- Double vision
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Difficulty following a moving target
- Dizziness or motion sickness
Performance Problems:
- Poor reading comprehension
- Difficulty copying from one place to another
- Loss of place, repetition, and/or omission of words while reading
- Difficulty changing focus from distance to near and back
- Poor posture when reading or writing
- Poor handwriting
- Can respond orally but can’t get the same information down on paper
- Letter and/or word reversals
- Difficulty judging sizes and shapes
Treatment of Learning-Related Visual Problems
Since 1991 our team of trained specialists have been providing accurate, professional diagnoses and state-of-the-art treatment you can count on. Our expertise, experience and results speak for themselves. We look forward to being of service to you and your family.