Vision problems can have drastic effects on brain development and learning

Undiagnosed vision problems are a major problem in our society. And the most serious problems cannot be found in a simple school vision screenings or the kind of screening done in an pediatrician's office. An excellent article that appeared in the Livingston Daily explains the issue very well. Here is an excerpt:

When a child struggles with reading, learning can be challenging. How can you help?

If you are like most parents, you have already checked their vision ... or have you? People often assume that if their child sees the letters on the eye chart when tested by the nurse or at the pediatrician's office, then they have all of the skills that are needed for reading and learning.

Most people don't realize that the standard eye-chart test does not uncover all potential vision problems. In fact, having 20/20 eyesight simply means that one can see a certain size letter at a distance of 20 feet. However, measuring visual acuity alone may not uncover other serious vision problems. Vision is a much more complex process that involves many different visual skills.

Undiagnosed vision problems can make it difficult for a child to make sense out of what they read. They then do poorly on written tests. This can lead parents and educators to think that the child is just lazy, not trying hard enough, or may have a learning disability, such as ADHD.

One of the most important steps a parent can take is to schedule a developmental vision evaluation even if your child has had previous vision exams or screenings.
Undiagnosed vision problems can make it difficult for a child to make sense out of what they are reading, causing poor performance on written tests.

According to neurologists Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide in their new book “The Mislabeled Child,” if a child has a vision problem it can have “drastic effects on brain development, learning, and thinking if it prevents the flow of accurate information to the brain.” Too often parents assume that if a child passes a vision screening that everything is fine with their eyes, and that couldn't be further from the truth.

Read the whole article here: http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120314/LIFESTYLE/120313006/Optometrist-Eye-chart-test-doesn-t-uncover-all-vision-problems 
To learn more about vision problems that can't be fixed with lenses and need the intervention of a developmental optometrist visit http://www.covd.org/. or http://www.visiontherapy.ca/.


There has been research recently on the connection between ADHD and eye movement problems such as convergence insufficiency. Click here to learn more.


If you are interested in vision and learning, click here.

Can't recognize faces? You may have a brain-related vision problem.

A study in the new issue of Optometry and Vision Science helps increase our understanding of how people recognize faces and why some people have difficulty with that task.

The authors looked at adults who had one eye removed while they were babies.  The study's results show that face perception is more difficult for adults that developed with the use of only one eye. The authors propose that vision connections in the brain may be reorganized in response to the removal of one eye and suggest that the visual system requires normal binocular vision  (two eyes working together) during development in order for brain areas associated with the perception of faces to fully mature.

The study has important implications for childhood vision care and suggests that vision problems during childhood development can have lasting impacts on brain development.  Optometrists routinely check for and treat conditions that can impact normal binocular vision such as amblyopia, strabismus and convergence insufficiency. 

It is important, critical even, for parents to have their children's eyes examined every year to ensure that such a condition does not go untreated.  Most of these conditions are easier to treat while the child is very young.  Optometrists can examine a child as young as six months to ensure that their eyes and visual system are developing properly and can then monitor potential problems as the child grows and develops.  If  problems materialize they can be treated effectively if caught early. If you are a parent, click here to review my childrens' vision guidelines. For more information on optometry for children, click here.