What children with learning related vision problems see.

“We were told our child had 20/20 eyesight. The teacher thought they just weren’t trying hard enough.”

An eight year old child passed the 20/20 eye chart test with flying colors, yet she saw letters move around on the page, words and letters disappear, and print goes in and out of focus. When asked if she had ever told her parents or teacher that this was happening, her reply was, “No, I thought books did that to everyone.”

Children with learning related vision problems rarely report symptoms. They think everyone sees the same as they do. The fact is 1 in 4 people, adults and children, have a vision processing problem.

Up to four children in every classroom see print this way! They can’t control their eye movements at close distances, making reading and attention almost impossible. As the print moves and blurs, they stumble over words, lose their place and can’t comprehend. Out of desperation, they give up and quit. Is it any wonder they struggle in school.

It is estimated 10 million children 10 and younger have a vision problem. 80% of what a child learns during the first 12 years is obtained through vision. Children with a vision problem are typically associated with developmental delays and the need for special educational, vocational and social services.

Vision is more than 20/20 eyesight. It is a complex process involving over 20 visual abilities and more than 65% of all of the pathways to the brain. Nearly 80% of what a child perceives, comprehends and remembers depends on the efficiency of the visual system.

A child can’t learn to read when the words get jumbled up on the page and he/she can’t remember or make sense of what was just read.

Every person adult and children should receive a comprehensive eye exam that is struggling or has struggled with reading. Please refer to College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) or Optometric Extension Program Foundation, Inc. (OEP Foundation) for a referral to a trained Developmental Vision specialist.

Sources:

College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD)
215 West Garfield Road, Suite 200
Aurora, OH 44202
(330) 995-0718, (888) 995-0719, FAX (330) 995-0719

Optometric Extension Program Foundation, Inc. (OEP)
1921 E. Carnegie Ave., Ste. 3-L
Santa Ana, CA 92705-5510
(949) 250-8070