If you're a parent with kids heading back to school, it may be a good time to see an eye care professional. More than 10 million children are estimated to suffer from vision problems, and it may affect learning. But, parents should look beyond just a regular eye exam.
“I couldn't see the chalkboard. I would lose my place,” said 7-year-old Anthony, about to enter second grade.
He spent the summer with Dr. Judy Hughes trying to correct a vision problem. A series of eye exercises have given him vast improvement so far.
"What we work on in the therapy room are eye movement control, focusing skills. This is what lets us see clearly at different distances – eye-teaming, how the eyes are working together," Hughes said of her methods.
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Vision therapy
Even kids with 20/20 vision may need it.
 
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Teresa Rodriguez, Anthony's mom, realized she needed to do something about her son's disability. It was affecting his school work and willingness to even attend.
"The teacher did bring it to my attention with the math difficulties. And I noticed a lot when I was reading with him at home that his eyes would just wonder all over the page and really wouldn't follow the lines or the words," she said.
Since the eyes are responsible for up to 80 percent of children’s learning, it's important for parents to make sure their child's eyes are examined for more than just 20/20 vision. "Most of these kids have 20/20 vision, so when they do the school screenings they pass, and then vision is ruled out," Hughes said.
If parents suspect a learning disability, they should take their child to get a developmental vision exam, which will test their vision skills. According to Hughes, "This is more comprehensive then just an annual eye exam that you would normally get."
Unless the vision problem is corrected, it doesn't matter what techniques a teacher uses. The child will have difficulty learning throughout childhood without the help of vision therapy.
For more information about vision therapy or to find out if your child may have a vision based learning problem that could be corrected
