1 in 4 kids has a vision issue significant enough to impact learning. During back to school season, it's typically our goal to educate parents on the importance of a complete visual system exam instead of relying on the vision screenings provided at school--and now with distance learning in place, their annual eye exam becomes even more vital. Give your students the tools to reach their full potential--read on and click above or call us to schedule them a comprehensive vision exam for your student today.
Three vision issues unrelated to glasses that could be affecting your child’s ability to learn
We all know vision and learning are linked. Our eyes give you about 80 percent of the information we need to process new information. So while kids are in school, checking their eyesight becomes especially important.
A similar method is used in many school vision screenings. Typically a Gant chart (the lettered poster with the big ‘E’) is used to see if a child has issues making out objects from a distance.
But a simple distance vision test doesn’t give any information about other visual skills that could be affecting the way a child’s brain gets information
Failing to evaluate the entire visual system of a child could leave them at a disadvantage in the classroom. Here are three visual skills that should also be assessed, to ensure your child has the tools for successful learning: 
- Eye teaming: Also known as binocular fusion, is the eyes’ ability to stay aligned at the same point, at the same time. When eyes have trouble working together, this can cause double vision and loss of depth perception.
- Tracking: Otherwise known as ocular motor control. Troubles in this area cause eyes to jump around when we’re trying to move them in a straight line—like while we’re reading. This often caused readers’ eyes to skip around, missing words and even entire lines. They can also lose their place easily while reading.
- Focusing: Also known as accommodation, is the eyes’ ability to see clearly. Sometimes objects appear blurred only at certain distances or are a struggle to remain in focus. Headaches can also be caused by a struggle to keep objects clear in our sight.
When these skills are functioning properly and smoothly, this offers higher levels of processing visual information. In other words, concepts are more easily understood by the learner.
EYEcenter will evaluate your child’s complete visual system. We’ll be able to tell you if your child has difficulties with any of the above skills, and if one is found, help you plan treatment options.
Click here or call us to schedule their back to school appointment today.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
What does a functional vision issue look like? The symptoms above stem from issues with the following:
- Eye focusing – Blurred vision or ability to shift focus between objects between near and far distances may be compromised.
- Eye teaming - Your eyes may not work together properly as a team even to the point of experiencing double or very blurry vision.
- Eye movements – You may experience difficulty with eye movements when reading or trying to follow a moving object (like a ball being thrown). Losing your place while reading is a common complaint.
