They avoid near 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 near sighted, or by suppressing the vision of one eye. Visual stress reactions can help explain the discomfort, fatigue, changes in behaviour, altered eyesight and declining academic performance that often indicates a learning-related vision problem* *(Vision problems do not "cause" learning disabilities. However, poor visual skills, by interfering with the process can impede remedial efforts. It's like trying to build a house on sand. Good vision skills, on the other hand, can provide a solid foundation for learning) Behaviourally orientated optometrists such as ourselves, may help their patients deal with the visual stress by prescribing "stress-relieving lenses." These make it much easier for a child or adult to benefit from near vision work. Another fundamental approach is visual training. This is a sequence of activities prescribed by the optometrist, in which the child builds visual skills and the abilities to efficiently take in, understand and use visual information. We find that many children with learning related vision problems have good distance eyesight, but have great difficulty doing vision tasks less than an arm's length away. Most school screenings test just the sharpness of distance eyesight, so many vision problems that affect learning go undetected. Parents and teachers can learn to spot learning-related visual problems. Some of these signs are on the following checklist. If a child is continually exhibiting any of these signs, it's time to arrange for a behavioural vision evaluation Signs of Vision Problems:
- Holding a book very close (0nly 7 - 8 inches away)
- Child holds head at an extreme angle to the book when reading
- Child covers one eye when reading
- Child squints when doing near vision work
- Constant poor posture when working close
- The child moves his or her 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 persistently reports seeing blurring or double while reading or writing.
- Child reports blurring or double only when work is hard.
- Loses place when moving gaze from desk to chalkboard, or when copying from text to a 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 words or lines unknowingly.
- Fails to recognise the same word in the next sentence.
- Misaligns digits in columns of numbers.
- Headaches after reading or near work.
- Burning or itching eyes after doing near vision work.
- Child blinks excessively when doing work, but not otherwise.
- Rubs eyes during or after short periods of reading.
- Comprehension declines as reading continues.
- Child fails to visualise (can't describe what they have been reading about).
Eliminating the visual problems that are helping to produce these signs can quickly pay off in the child's improved school performance.
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