Vision: 20/20 Is Not Enough!
Now is an excellent time to have your child's vision checked. Don't be too quick to say, "My child's vision is fine: 20/20!" In many cases that is not enough.
The Snellen chart, the instrument most frequently used to test eyesight, often gives people a false sense of security about their vision. It measures only acuity -- and that at a distance of 20 feet. How much does your child read at that distance?
The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that about 25 percent of children enter school with vision problems that can impede their school progress. Almost 50 percent of children with learning difficulties have vision problems, and up to 94 percent of children with reading problems have reduced visual skills.
Why does the Snellen chart leave some of these problems undetected? Vision involves much more than the sharpness of an image. It involves focusing -- and refocusing as attention shifts between far and near (as when copying from the board). It involves binocularity, the two eyes working together to capture accurate pictures of our world and of the printed page. Vision also involves perception, the brain's interpretation of the images taken in by the eyes.
Many people believe that vision should be checked by an ophthalmologist, the person with the highest credentials. While it is true that an ophthalmologist is an M.D., he or she has spent about the same amount of time studying the anatomy, functions, and diseases of the eye as an optometrist has spent studying vision alone. To check my child's vision I would seek an optometrist, specifically a "developmental" or "behavioral" optometrist. Not only will the vision exam be more thorough, but the developmental optometrist may prescribe a course of "vision therapy" to remedy problems.
Often we take vision for granted and do not think of it as a learned behavior. Because it is learned, however, through practice we can improve it. Experts speculate that the frequency of vision problems may be increasing because with television, video games, and computers, children today do not use their eyes in as many different ways as children did formerly; overall the vision of children entering school is less developed than it was a few decades ago.
What symptoms might indicate a vision problem? Any time a bright person struggles with reading, further investigation is warranted. Consider these specific questions in relation to yourself as well as in relation to your children or students. Answering yes to even a few of the questions justifies further examination. Do not discount a "yes" even if it is limited to special circumstances, such as fatigue.
Do you (or does the child) . . .
? hold reading material extremely close or far away?
? have poor posture or an unusual head tilt while doing close work?
? squint the eyes or open them very wide?
? cover one eye?
? frequently blink or rub the eyes?
? suffer from headaches, eyestrain, or fatigue?
? require excessive time to complete schoolwork or other near tasks?
? lose a place often when copying?
? skip words or lines when reading?
? report that words on a page blur or move?
? have poor comprehension of material read?
? run words together when writing?
? have poor hand-eye coordination?
I have first-hand experience with vision problems. I will be eternally grateful to Jane Porchey, my younger son's kindergarten teacher, for identifying his vision problem in October. She noticed that although he could count, he kept getting the wrong answer when counting dots in a square. Working with him individually and having him point to the dots as he counted them, she discovered that for him the dots moved. It is not unusual for children with vision problems to have words and letters swim on the page, appearing and disappearing, doing flip-flops. Imagine trying to read under these circumstances! Even if you could manage to decode the words, you would have very little reserve attention to devote to comprehension.
Life can be very frustrating for people with vision problems. The world as a whole is likely to be fluid and chaotic for them. School in particular is likely to become a source of failure. It has been found that 70 percent of juvenile delinquents have vision problems that interfere with their ability to achieve. In one study, however, the rate of recidivism dropped from 45 percent to 16 percent when offenders received on-site vision therapy.
People with vision problems usually do not realize that they have them; they have no reason to think that their view of the world is different from everyone else's.
My son's story has a happy ending. After a few weeks of vision therapy, his eyes began working together better. Letters and numbers were less mobile. He was able to corral his writing into primary triple-rule. By spring his penmanship looked like the handwriting chart. His behavior improved, too. The frustration he had experienced in school -- and in the world in general -- had often made him sad, contrary, and belligerent. Once he discovered order in his world, he became cheerful, confident, generous.
Two self-portraits -- both made in kindergarten -- show how John changed as a result of vision therapy. The first, made in September, shows the most forlorn-looking child I have ever seen. I did not even recognize him as the child I had lived with for six years. The crayon lines are rather faintly drawn. One eye is about an inch lower than the other; he has no nose or mouth. Stringlike arms issue from his sides, the right arm about three times longer than the left. His right arm sprouts three fingers; his left arm, five, the shortest of which is longer than the arm itself. Although a patch of magenta represents his shorts, he has no legs or feet.
The second self-portrait, done in May, includes me. The lines of the drawing are firm. We both have noses, U-shaped smiles, and eyes that are directly across from each other. We both have legs and feet. We are, in fact, nearly identical as we stand with our arms around each other.
Preschoolers -- even infants -- can benefit from examination by a developmental optometrist. If a problem is identified very early, correction might be possible before the problem has a chance to cause difficulty in school. Adults, too, can benefit from vision therapy.
I urge you to have your children's vision evaluated by a developmental optometrist as soon as possible, particularly if your children are having learning difficulties or if vision problems run in your family. Such an evaluation can only work for good. If a problem is discovered, you can begin working to correct it. If no problem is identified, you will have ruled out one possible cause of learning difficulties. That, too, is worthwhile.
For additional information about symptoms, therapy, and parent support groups, visit this site sponsored by Parents Active for Vision Education (P.A.V.E.), a national non-profit organization: http://www.pavevision.org/
A parent and former teacher, Fran Hamilton is the author of Hands-On English, now in its second edition. Hands-On English gives quick access to English fundamentals and makes grammar visual by using icons to represent parts of speech. The book is for anyone 9 years or older, including adults. Fran also publishes companion products to Hands-On English and free e-mail newsletters: LinguaPhile, published monthly, is for people who teach and/or enjoy English; Acu-Write, published weekly, addresses common errors in English. For more information, visit http://www.GrammarAndMore.com.
 Google News Updated : Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:45:55 GMT Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up ... - New York Times
New York Times - By Abha Bhattarai In an ominous sign for Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial machine, venture capital firms are cutting back on their investments in companies at their earliest stage of development and being forced to provide extra funding for later-stage ... VC Deals In Charts (Q2 2008)?Exits? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Exits? Venture investments in state total $77.6 million so far in '08 Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:54:52 GMT Aybar's triple caps Halos' rally over Sox - MLB.com
MLB.com - By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Pinch-hitter Erick Aybar hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning, Vladimir Guerrero blasted a solo home run and left-hander Joe Saunders pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to lift the Angels to a 4-2 win over the ... Aybar's three-run triple sends streaking Halos over BoSox Aybar's bases-clearing triple sparks Angels Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:52:04 GMT Panel Finds Misconduct By Fusion Researcher - Washington Post
Washington Post - INDIANAPOLIS -- A Purdue University panel has found two instances of misconduct by a researcher who says he produced nuclear fusion in tabletop experiments. Purdue physicist found guilty of misconduct Details of what Purdue's investigation found Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:47:31 GMT McCain Co-Chairman, Under Fire, Steps Aside - New York Times
New York Times - Carolyn Kaster/AP At a town-hall-style meeting Friday on energy, John McCain found himself questioned instead on his wartime positions. McCain Takes on the 'Cable Monster' and an 'Extreme' Obama Gramm Out as McCain Co-Chair; Obama Reacts Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:45:59 GMT What's the best Oscar strategy for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'? - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - That's a tricky Oscar question. On one hand you might think Heath Ledger should go supporting because, technically speaking, "The Dark Knight" is a film about Batman. Heath is where the heart is 'Dark Knight' sets box office record with $66.4M Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:18:18 GMT Growth ahead for more diversified game industry - Reuters
Reuters - By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Analysis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The video game industry looks set for at least another year or two of strong growth, driven by geographical expansion, a strong hardware lineup and growing pool of casual gamers, ... Nintendo Wii Tops for Console Sales in June Sony's press conference at E3 was a dazzling hi-tech showcase Publ.Date : Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:07:32 GMT US banks ask SEC to expand stock trade protection - Reuters
Reuters - By John Poirier WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An emergency move by US securities regulators this week aimed at curbing manipulative short-selling in some major financial firms should be expanded to all publicly traded banks, or it could erode confidence in ... SEC Short-Sale Rule Gets Negative Reviews SEC Spares Market Makers From `Naked-Short' Sales Ban (Update1) Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:02:49 GMT Increase Search Engine Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Diagnosing children and teens with ADHD can be a challenge.... Read More Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun... Read More While most fathers aspire to become the best Dads they... Read More Most of us recognize the continuing escalation of violence around... Read More Why do some children still do best after divorce and... Read More The Greatest Gifts in Life, which are always created for... Read More If your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then at... Read More We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More As the flurry of Back to School activities subside, parents... Read More 1. New Word of the DayIntroduce your preschooler to a... Read More "The best blush to use is laughter: It put roses... Read More Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More Coupons can be a great tool in educating your child... Read More I really like all natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder... Read More Strattera came out around January of 2003, and is becoming... Read More A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy... Read More During one "generation gap" quarrel with his parents young Michael... Read More "I could have helped you if I would have known,... Read More Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games... Read More It is extraordinary times that we find ourselves in. Change... Read More When my daughter was born, I must admit there was... Read More From criticizing a spouse, to claming up about one's own... Read More It's that time of year when mom and dad look... Read More
Adsense
websites
Co-Morbidity Rates: Other Problems That May Come With ADHD
Hints on how to encourage children to read
My Dads Secrets
From Good to GREAT: Secrets On Becoming A Better Dad
How to Teach Anger Management to Your Child
What Parents Should Do For Children To Do Their Best After Divorce?
Ten Helpful Little Tips For New Parents
Will My Child Ever Out-grow His Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Using Cloth Nappies
Backpacks and Bullies. Is Your Child Prepared?
6 Tried & True Fun Ways to Educate and Entertain Your Preschooler
Defrazzle with a Hearty Guffaw
Pieces of Time and Pivotal Moments
Teaching Your Children with Coupons
How Effective is the Nutraceutical ATTEND with ADHD?
What Should I Know About Strattera for ADHD?
Free Stuff for Twins: Incentives for Parents of Multiple Births
Developing a Fantastic Relationship with Your Child
The Old and the New
Parents - Create An Emotionally Healthy Connection With Your Child
Ultimate Airplane Themed Games & Activities for your Childs Birthday Party
Thriving As A Family When You Live In The Fast lane
Raising Strong Daughters
Top 10 Mistakes by New and Expectant Dads
Back to School Responsibilities Again
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Friendships - Helping Children Develop Friendship Skills
Reasearch into children's friendships shows that those children who are... Read More
Parenting
This article on parenting is by a practicing relationship counsellor/therapist,... Read More
Ten Ways To Become Your Teenagers Best Friend
Best friends! It may seem impossible to believe, but today's... Read More
A Chance for a Home
"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds... Read More
Kids, Chores & More
Are you a frustrated parent who sometimes finds it is... Read More
The Courage to Be a Loving Parent
Most of us really don't like it when someone is... Read More
Spending Time With Your Child
Why Is Spending Time with Your Child So Important?For children... Read More
Americas Public School System --- Brutal and Spartan
The public school system in America has become a dismal... Read More
When Your Childs Adoption Story Changes: Nothing But the Facts or is It Nothing are the Facts?
Elana, born in Russia, was told "We really don't know... Read More
Is Your Child Learning Nothing?
You send your child to school and the teachers teach... Read More
Things To Teach Your Teenage Driver
Is it hard to communicate with your teenager about issues... Read More
Parenting---Roots and Wings
I'm sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark... Read More
Parenting Your Teenager: The Teenager and the Gorilla
Q: A parent writes in to ask, "You write a... Read More
To Clean or Not To Clean
Before my daughter was born my house was... Read More
Homework Doesn?t Have to Be a Battle of Wills
Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of... Read More
Promoting Your Childs Motor Development
Assuming there are no serious motor problems present, what can... Read More
Jammin with Your Kids: The Wonderful World of Music
Does music need to be "dumbed-down" for kids? The answer... Read More
Marriages May End But Families Are Forever
It was at that time when our marriage was falling... Read More
School Issues: When Should an ADHD Child Be Held Back In School?
This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't... Read More
Thirteen Values You Can Teach Through Homework
Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to... Read More
How to Stop Bad Behavior Before it Starts
Coping with a child's bad behavior, perhaps more than any... Read More
Unique Baby Names
What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School ? Top Ten Safety Tips
When it's time to put your child into a daycare... Read More
Overscheduled Kids
Time devoted the better part of an issue to it.... Read More
From Childrens Stories to Study Skills: Help Your Children Succeed in School
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children,... Read More
Parenting |