“Timmy, we’re almost finished. Just a few more minutes. Timmy, look back down at your book. Let’s read one more page, and then we can take a break. What do you mean you feel sleepy? It’s not bedtime yet. It’s only 4:00 o’clock. Pay attention! I’m only going to say this one more time! Stop being lazy. We’ve read this word just a few sentences before. If you were paying attention, you wouldn’t have missed the same word again. We just went over it. Timmy, stop looking around, and start reading!"
Does homework time in your house sound something like that? It’s a common scene in many households (see Dear Abby article
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4719727.html ). Vision problems can cause severe reading difficulties. One out of four school-aged children suffers from a vision problem great enough to affect academics according to the Vision Council of America. Ninety-two percent of children with reading dysfunction have a vergence eye problem according to another study.
This type of school failure that your child is experiencing can be stopped. Many children have benefited from vision therapy, and have seen a marked improvement not only in reading, but in self-esteem and self-confidence as well. I have recently been working with a child in third grade who has been experiencing severe difficulties in reading, math, spelling and academics in general. After beginning therapy, he is now voluntarily “reading more second grade chapter books whereas before he wouldn’t even pick up a book" according to his mother. This child now also wants to try to solve problems and actually think whereas before he would just throw his hands up in the air at the first sign of difficulty. This child is just one of the many children that I have seen, and that others have seen, improve their reading with vision therapy.
These vision problems and their role in reading and academics are often overlooked because the public does not know enough about it. Convergence insufficiency and other vision problems play a profound role in reading dysfunction for many children. If you would like a list of symptoms, or behaviors, that will clue you in that your child is suffering from a vision problem that is affecting his/her reading and learning, just email Dr. Edward Fong at
visionandlearning@hotmail.com.
School failure does not have to be an accepted daily experience for your child (please see the link above for a mother’s personal story). You and your child can get help.
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