Vision and Reading.
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Perceptually Impaired: Now What?
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Vision and Reading:
Diane McGuiness, Ph.D., a cognitive developmental psychologist and professor at the University of South Florida, has written a wonderful book entitled: "Why Our Children Can't Read and What We Can Do About It". Dr. McGuiness notes:
"Children with serious problems in binocular control tend to telegraph this in noticeable behaviors. They frequently rub their eyes, squint at the page, cover one eye or turn sideways to read, or move their head from left to right instead of their eyes. Any one of these behaviors, if persistent, is an indication that parents should have their child tested by an optometrist specializing in diagnosing and treating visuomotor problems. Binocular fusion and controlled scanning are highly trainable."
There are three important messages here:
- Visual problems can interfere with reading even when a child has 20/20 eyesight.
- A child with reading problems and multiple symptoms or signs in the PAVE checklist should be tested by an optometrist specializing in these problems.
- Difficulties caused by vision problems can often by solved through vision training.
When Your Child Struggles:
As a parents you have to know how to work within the educational system. Equally and perhaps more importantly, you have to know when and how to go outside the system to get the learning assistance that your child needs.Lawrence Greene is an educational diagnostician and therapist who completed his studies in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. He has 28 years of experience in the field, and his programs for teaching strategic thinking and study skills are used in thousands of schools throughout the United States and Canada. He has recently written a book entitled "Finding Help When Your Child Is Struggling in School".
In his section on Developmental and Behavioral Optometrists, he notes that children who have difficulty using their eyes effectively usually struggle to read with accuracy. This can make reading a nightmare and cause children to become frustrated, demoralized, and reading phobic. When children have a very real problem contributing to their difficulties, and do not receive appropriate care, they begin to doubt themselves. Finding and receiving appropriate care for developmental or behavioral vision problems can be the key to ending needless frustration.
The Eye Bone's Connected to the . . . Brain Bone:
Your eye is basically a very smart receiver and transmitter. What makes your eye so smart is that it's retina, or screen, it a direct outgrowth of brain tissue. In fact, the optic nerve which enters and exits the back of your eye feeds information directly to the brain.Some well-meaning professionals mistakenly argue that the eyes have nothing to do with learning problems because learning disabilities are caused by faulty brain function. These professionals admit that eye muscle control problems can cause secondary problems such as headaches or double vision, but plenty of people are able to learn despite these challenges.
Well ... if your child is one of those people who is distracted by focusing or eye muscle problems, we think you should have an important say in determining how significant these challenges are. And further, if the problem lies in processing incoming visual information, specialized help will be needed. If you inquire about your child's vision, and are told that vision problems don't contribute to learning problems, just remember the jingle ("The Eye Bone's Connected to the ... Brain Bone") while you head to the nearest informed developmental or behavioral optometrist.
Perceptually Impaired: Now What?
Schools are very adept at assembling teams of professionals who conduct tests with the goal of placing labels on your child. One of the common labels is "Perceptually Impaired", or P.I., and the other is "Neurologically Impaired", or N.I. What is the purpose of these labels?On the surface, labels enable the school to provide special support services. This might consist of resource room help through an I.E.P. for special education programs. It might allow the school to pressure a parent to place a child in Ritalin. Most interestingly, it rarely provides support to help the child develop better skills. In other words, perceptual impairment is treated as a physical disability much like the absence of a hand or deafness in one ear. The goal is to help the child learn to compensate.
Optometrists providing vision therapy services go one step further. Rather than making the best of the situation, they make the best of the child. Parents interested in helping their children develop better perceptual or processing abilities, rather than learning how to operate better through crutches, should contact the College of Optometrists in Vision Development or the Optometric Extension Program for the name of a professional experienced in this field.
Irlen Filters -- Reading by the Colors:
We're periodically asked about the application of Irlen tinted lenses or filters for persons having difficulty reading or learning. Helen Irlen, a psychologist, introduced the concept of "Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome" (SSS), a condition suggestive of vision problems when reading.The symptoms of SSS include print blurring, ghosting, and swirling. A person with the condition can experience any or all of its factors: light sensitivity, poor print resolution, restricted span of recognition, and lack of sustained attention. Irlen test centers have sprung up all around the world, but testers seem to have overlooked Irlen's caution about searching for the magic pill.
In her book, Reading by the Colors , Irlen writes that individuals interested in being screened for SSS should first see an optometrist and receive a complete visual examination. When the exam is more than routine, additional tests will analyze the visual system in greater detail and will also evaluate focusing and tracking skills. Irlen notes:
"For SSS treatment to be successful, existing visual problems need to be treated first. Perception skills are based on a solid visual foundation. It is essential for individuals to eliminate all visual problems prior to getting treatment for perception and other learning difficulties."
URL=http://www.visionhelp.com