August is Children's Vision & Learning Month
Clear, Healthy Vision is Paramount for Learning
80% of the information children receive in school is presented visually, therefore, clear and healthy vision is paramount for learning. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 60% of children that show difficulties with learning actually have undetected vision problems.
Signs that your little one may be suffering from vision problems include:
1. They hold reading material, books and tablets too close to their faces.
2. They lose their place while reading or use a finger to guide their eyes along the line.
3. They squint when looking at an object that is far away.
4. They rub their eyes often.
5. They report that their eyes constantly feel heavy or tired.
6. They complain of headaches, especially after reading, doing homework or a long day of school.
7. They avoid near work, including reading, writing and computer use.
8. Their eyes tear up, especially while engaged in a visual task.
9. They seem to be light sensitive.
10. Their grades are lower than normal.
Vision problems are diagnosed during a Comprehensive Eye Exam where an Optometrist examines visual acuity, focusing & eye teaming skills and the health of the eyes using dilation eyedrops.
For most children vision problems are related to blurry vision such as Nearsightedness (Myopia) and Farsightedness (Hyperopia). Blurry vision is easily treatable with eyeglasses. However, some children can exhibit trouble with focusing & eye teaming skills which require special intervention known as Vision Therapy.
Why is focusing & eye teaming so important?
When the two eyes do not work together as a cohesive, well orchestrated team it results in struggles with concentration and attention, causing a negative effect on learning.
Some examples of such conditions include:
1. Strabismus - or "an eye turn", misalignment of the two eyes where one eye may be turned in-wards (Esotropia) or out-wards (Exotropia). An eye turn may be present all the time or just sometimes. This can lead to double vision and reduced self esteem.
2. Amblyopia - or "a lazy eye", one eye will see clearly and therefore take on all the work, while the other eye is blurry. This can lead to visual and mental fatigue and the development of strabismus overtime.
3. Convergence Insufficiency - when the two eyes cannot focus together accurately on a near object, or cannot sustain that focus for a long time. This can lead to learning and attention disorders, scrambling of words on the page and headaches.
If your little one is struggling to learn, schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam with one of our Optometrists to ensure that they start their school year off on the right foot.
Please call our office at 201-333-2768 or email us at info@jceyes.com for more information on how we can help.