Problems Seeing the Board At School

Here‘s more Vision Therapy in the news!

1 in 4 students has a vision problem! 80% of what a child learns comes through vision, so a problem could prevent a child from earning the grades he/she should.

Here are some red flags:

  • headaches
  • complaints of not seeing the board
  • avoiding close work
  • child doesn’t like to read
  • doesn’t want to do homework
  • it takes hours to complete homework that should take 30 minutes

Watch the video to hear how vision therapy helped Spencer

Continue ReadingProblems Seeing the Board At School

When Your Child Takes Hours To Finish Homework

Does your child take an unusually long time to finish homework? Do you have to get into a “homework war” every night to get things done? Your child is not being lazy. Homework might be very difficult and uncomfortable if he/she is suffering from a vision problem.

If you are baffled because your child is passing 20/20 vision tests, but still complains about reading the chalkboard or worksheets, has headaches or blurred vision, or is just plain struggling in school, it’s important to rule out any visual challenges. The first step is to book a Visual Skills Assessment.

Click here to read about Nicholas, a second grade student who was very bright and had a good memory, but spent 2-3 hours on homework every night. The problem was convergence insufficiency, and he improved his reading and hand-eye coordination in sports with Vision Therapy.

 

Continue ReadingWhen Your Child Takes Hours To Finish Homework

When In Doubt, Take It Out!

Over the weekend, I encountered someone who was unwilling to stop wearing his contact lenses despite redness and irritation. This was at a social event, so I was unable to examine him properly, but I urged him to remove his lenses and visit his optometrist the next day. The rule of thumb is when in doubt, take it out! This is why it’s also important for contact lens wearers to have a good pair of glasses with a current prescription, in the event that you are unable to wear your contacts. He didn’t like wearing his glasses because the vision was not as good as with his contacts (perhaps an outdated prescription). For other people, it may be a vanity reason. In that case, it’s worth remembering that a big, red, drippy eye is not attractive either!

It is just not worth the risk. I was reminded of a recent news article where a student lost her eyesight as a result of over-wearing her contact lenses. She did not remove her limited-wear, disposable contact lenses for six months, and even wore them when swimming. Contact lenses decrease the amount of oxygen available to the cornea, especially when sleeping (even over one night!). This leaves them unhealthy and vulnerable to infection. Compounded with the bacteria from shower water and swimming pool water clinging onto the contacts, and you’ve got a recipe for an infection.

This girl was particularly unlucky, because Acanthamoeba infections are rare and extremely devastating for the cornea, but there are other bacteria in tap water and on the skin which are much more common and can also cause infections when the eyes are left vulnerable with contact lens over-wear. This case underscores the importance of using contact lenses as prescribed, taking them out every night, and disinfecting them with new solution every night

If your eyes look red, feel sore or painful, or have a gooey discharge, take your contacts out ASAP and go see your optometrist!

Continue ReadingWhen In Doubt, Take It Out!

Slow Reading Due to Convergence Insufficiency

“Whether it is the mystery of the bright child who struggles with reading or the child who takes forever to do homework, the story is often the same,” shares Ida Chung, OD, FCOVD, President of COVD, “these children continue to struggle until the underlying vision problem is identified and treated.”

Click here to read the story about 9-year-old Zach, who had frequent headaches, rubbed his eyes in the classroom, and was often the last person to finish his work. The school nurse reported his vision was 20/20 and the pediatrician said his eyes were healthy and that he didn’t need glasses. He actually had a convergence insufficiency, which would not have been helped with glasses anyways. Some children need a functional eye exam which looks beyond health and the need for glasses. Read more

Continue ReadingSlow Reading Due to Convergence Insufficiency