Vision Problems and Learning

Children with vision problems are generally unaware of their condition, because they assume everyone sees the way they do. It’s important to be on the watch for signs that suggest your child may be struggling to see. Some common signs and symptoms include:

• Squinting
• Excessive blinking
• Excessive eye rubbing
• Tearing, red, itchy, or burning eyes
• Holding objects close to the eyes
• Headaches or eye strain
• Blurry vision or double vision
• Eye turn (strabismus)
• Turning or tilting the head
• Covering or closing one eye

Most of these are fairly intuitive, but there is a long list of other signs and symptoms that are linked to vision and learning that aren’t so obvious. Some of these include:

• A dislike of near work (for example, a dislike for playing Lego)
• A short attention span
• Day dreaming during work time
• Skipping words, letters or lines when reading or taking notes from the board
• Using a finger or moving the head to track when reading
• Trouble reading, difficulty remembering what was read or poor comprehension
• Delayed learning of the alphabet
• Persistent letter, number or word reversals
• Problems with laterality
• Not completing assignments on time
• Difficulty with geometric shapes
• Poor hand-eye coordination
• Poor performance in school
• Behaviour problems

If your child is experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, it is important to address the issue with your optometrist. Treatments such as vision therapy or reading programs may be needed to help with the underlying vision problem. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s vision, book an appointment with your local optometrist.

References

1. Scheiman M et al. Optometric management of learning-related vision problems. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2006.
2. Meier JH. Prevalence and characteristics of learning disability found in second grade children. J Learn Disabil. 1971;4:1-16.
3. Evans BJQ et al. Linking the sensory and visual-correlates of dyslexia. In: Wright SF, Groner R, eds. Facets of dyslexia and its remediation. Amsterdam: North-Holland 1993.
4. Farrar R et al. A comparison of the visual symptoms between ADD/ADHD and normal children. Optom. 2001;72:441-446.