Now that school has been back in swing for a few months, you may have noticed that your child is having trouble. Have you noticed your child struggling to read or focus during school? Do they have a hard time sitting still in their desk during class time? Issues such as these often cause a misdiagnosis of a learning disorder, when the child simply has a vision issue. Undetected vision issues are common culprits to children having trouble reading, comprehending and focusing during school and extracurricular activities.
Whether your child is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or a generalized learning disorder, we can perform a developmental vision evaluation to ensure whether or not your child is suffering from a vision problem. Studies have shown that up to 90 percent of children with ADHD have unresolved vision issues that mimic the symptoms of ADHD and often cause misdiagnoses. Having a vision evaluation is critical, since 80 percent of what a child learns in school is visual, and visual problems are the fourth most prevalent class of disability in the United States.
The five most common signs that a vision problem may be interfering with your child’s ability to read and learn are:
- The child skips lines or rereads lines.
- The child has poor reading comprehension.
- Homework takes much longer than it should take to complete.
- The child reverses letters like “b” into “d” when reading.
- The child has a short attention span with reading and schoolwork, easily losing focus.
If your child suffers from the list of symptoms above, you need to schedule a vision evaluation immediately. If the results of the exam indicate that he or she has a vision problem rather than a learning disorder, we will develop an individualized vision therapy program for your child. Our therapy program consists of simple exercises and activities that encourage the brain and eyes to work together as a team for optimal learning. The length of your child’s therapy program will depend on his or her diagnosis.
The following symptoms indicate that it is very possible that your child is suffering from a learning-related vision problem rather than ADHD or another learning disability:
- Headaches or eye strain
- Blurred or double vision
- Crossed eyes or eyes that appear to move independently of each other
- Dislike or avoidance of reading and close work
- Turning or tilting the head to use one eye only, or closing or covering one eye
- Placing the head very close to the book or desk when reading or writing
- Excessive blinking or rubbing of the eyes
- Constantly losing place while reading
- Slow reading speed
- Difficulty remembering what was read
- Poor eye-hand coordination
A regular school eye examination will not be able to determine that vision is not the root of the problem causing these learning problems. A school eye examination is used to check distance vision only, and has nothing to do with near vision needed for reading or schoolwork. Our developmental vision evaluation will check all areas of your child’s vision, including the 17 near-vision skills required for optimal learning.
If your child is struggling in school or has been recently diagnosed with a learning disorder, we here at Vision For Life urge you to bring in your child for a developmental vision evaluation. If your child is diagnosed with a vision problem, we will develop a vision therapy program customized to fit your child’s vision needs. Vision therapy will not only improve your child’s vision, it can also improve their physical coordination and social skills. With vision therapy, learning will become more natural and easier, making school more fun for your child. Call us today at 618-288-1489 or contact us here to schedule your child’s vision evaluation!