en-year-old Eric seemed to be addressed as soon as possible be in a world of his own. He so that normal development is not T had trouble concentrating, interrupted. Studies did not read as well as the other kids, and was not very good in Almost one in four school-aged softball. He felt like a failure. Neither children have vision disorders that show that 60% of Eric, his teachers nor his parents can affect learning. Elementary realized that what he needed for schools typically present 50% of children identified the material visually. In higher grade “ success was a pair of eyeglasses. levels, that increases to 75%. Children with untreated vision as “problem disorders have a difficult time A child who can’t see well may succeeding in school. Healthy believe that he is not smart enough vision is critical for children’s to learn how to read. He might learners” actually learning: Up to age 12, more than react by behaving inappropriately. 80% of learning is through the eyes. Studies show that 60% of children suffer from Poor eyesight makes class work identified as “problem learners” difficult. Sports and games are hard actually suffer from undetected to enjoy if you can’t see the ball eye disorders. The child may be undetected eye or the game. It’s not easy to make wrongly diagnosed as having friends if an eyesight problem keeps attention deficit hyperactive you from recognizing faces. disorder (ADHD), or mislabeled as disorders. Vision develops between birth and lazy, dyslectic, autistic, slow, or age 10 to 12. During that time, eye simply as a troublemaker. muscle coordination and focusing One of the best ways to help ability develop. The eye and brain ensure that your children can learn ” learn to work together to interpret is to take them to an optometrist images from each eye. When a or ophthalmologist for regular, child has a vision problem, it should comprehensive eye exams. parents or teachers. And some eye age 3 and again just before starting Hidden Eyesight problems, such as amblyopia (see school. After that, school-age Problems sidebar), may not have symptoms. children need an exam every two to three years if no vision disorder has When a child has trouble reading, been diagnosed. Those who require poor eyesight is sometimes Eye Exam = eyeglasses or contact lenses overlooked as the possible root should get an exam every year. of the problem. Maybe the child Pathway to Success appears to be able to see and does Remember that one of the most Reading requires many different not complain about his eyes. He important tools for success in eye skills: coordinating both eyes may have passed a school vision school is healthy eyesight! as a team, tracking printed words screening. This type of screening, across a page, and adjusting focus however, typically uses an eye chart as you move toward or away from to check only distance vision. It an object. During a comprehensive does not find vision disorders in eye exam, all of your child’s vision one-third of children who actually skills will be tested. If a problem have a vision problem. is diagnosed, the doctor can Also, kids often don’t realize that prescribe eyeglasses, vision therapy their vision is not normal because or both. they don’t know what they’re The American Optometric supposed to be seeing. Even if Association recommends that they acknowledge a problem to children have an eye exam by the themselves, they may not tell their age of 6 months, then again by

Convergence insufficiency. A Symptom: One eye is turned Diagnosis… disorder that causes children to outward or inward. Farsightedness (difficulty seeing have trouble making their eyes turn close-up), nearsightedness toward each other in order to focus Amblyopia (lazy eye). A (difficulty seeing at a distance) on words in a book or on near developmental disorder in which or astigmatism (blurry objects. Treatment: Vision therapy. the quality of the two images from vision caused by abnormal Symptoms: each eye is different. The brain eye curvature). Treatment: • Omits, inserts or rereads letters or learns to ignore the picture from Prescription eyeglasses or words the weaker eye. This disorder contact lenses. Symptoms: • Fails to recognize the same word usually occurs only in one eye. • Holds a book too close or too in the next sentence Treatment: Encouraging use far away of the weaker eye by placing • Blurry or double vision a patch on the stronger eye or • Squints or tilts the head to using vision-blurring eye drops. see better • Sleepiness or difficulty concentrating Symptoms: None. • Loses his or her place while reading, or uses a finger to • Poor judgment of distances, as Sources: American Optometric Association, follow words on the page when catching a ball National Commission on Vision and Health, All About Vision, Optometrists Network • Avoids activities that require good vision, such as reading Strabismus. A problem with eye (if farsighted) or sports (if muscle control prevents the eyes nearsighted) from working together as a team. • Closes or puts a hand over one Strabismus may lead to amblyopia. Treatment: vision therapy. 159 Express Street | Plainview, NY 11803 | eye in order to see better 800.328.4728 | www.davisvision.com