BINOCULAR VISION DISORDERS

Most children have no idea how they are supposed to see. Therefore, it is vital that you know the signs that a vision problem is interfering with your child’s ability to read and learn. 

 

Do you know your vision facts?

• One out of four children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.

• It is estimated that over 60% of problem learners have undiagnosed vision problems.

• 80% of learning in the classroom is visual.

• The majority of the vision problems that interfere with reading and learning are very treatable.

• Seeing clearly (“20/20”) is just one of 17 visual skills critical to academic success.

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According to the National PTA: "It is estimated that more than ten million children suffer from vision problems" that may cause them to fail in school. Vision screenings in schools and at pediatricians' offices usually only test distance visual acuity (clarity). Most people think that 20/20 is "perfect vision," when in fact 20/20 is simply a measurement of what someone is able to see at a distance of 20 feet. Most of our learning is through reading, which is not at 20 feet at all!Passing a vision screening that tests only distance vision leads parents to believe incorrectly that nothing is wrong. 

 

If any of these visual skills are not working properly, it can make reading and learning an unnecessary challenge.  Some children develop behavior problems, while others avoid reading or simply refuse to read. Often, the child is bright, causing parents to be confused by the child's difficulties. Also frequently, the child is labeled hyperactive, lazy, or slow.  What makes this even worse is that many of these problems can easily be mistaken as learning disabilities or attention problems such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).