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Eye Problems Sometimes Mistaken For Learning
Disabilities
Kids' Vision Problems Often Go Unnoticed
from WRAL.com, September 19, 2002
For more articles on disabilities and special ed visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
If your child can't see well, you might expect him to tell you
things are fuzzy, or complain of headaches. But a surprising
number of kids' vision problems are never picked up, and the
children end up exhibiting behavior or learning problems.
One out of four kids in school may have vision problems, which
leads to some unexpected issues.
"Some kids are labeled as learning disabled, ADD or ADHD, or
some are just labeled as lazy, they don't want to do the work.
The child could act up in school because it's hard for them to
concentrate up close, hard for them to focus, hard to keep
their eyes on the page," said Dr. Ida Chung of the SUNY
College of Optometry.
That's one reason doctors recommend kids get their eyes
checked at age 1, 3 and 5, especially since some eye problems
need to be treated early or they turn into permanent
disabilities.
Also realize that children may not tell you they are having
trouble because they don't realize that the world isn't
supposed to be all blurry.
Signs Of Vision Problems:
The following signs and symptoms usually indicate vision
problems. Call an eye doctor for a diagnostic evaluation if
you or someone close to you exhibits any of the following:
Holding a book very close (7 or 8 inches away)
Turning head to use only one eye
Covering or closing one eye while reading
Squinting for either near or far visual tasks
Moving head back and forth, rather than eyes, while reading
Omitting letters, words or phrases
Complains of seeing double or of blurred vision
Writing that is difficult to read, crowded or inconsistent in
size
Mistakes words with similar beginnings
Miscalls or omits "small" words
Excessive blinking or watering of eyes
Losing place while reading
Using a finger or marker to keep place
Headaches during or after reading
Misaligns digits in columns of numbers
Writing uphill or downhill
Reversing letters (d for b) or words (saw for was)
Rereads or skips words while reading
Excessive rubbing of eyes while engaged in visual tasks
Fatigues easily
Lip reading or whisper reading to reinforce comprehension
Poor eye-hand coordination, i.e. difficulty with catching a
ball
Burning or itching eyes
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