By Dr nicholas Altuneg, Behavioural Optometrist
Getting your child ready for the school routine often involves a flurry of preparations. From neatly ironed uniforms to carefully packed school bags and lunches, parents ensure everything is set for the exciting journey into learning. However, amidst these arrangements, there’s a crucial element many parents might overlook — the readiness of their child’s vision for the upcoming academic challenges.
Amidst the anticipation and excitement, assessing how well your child’s eyes and vision are prepared for the classroom is essential. While immunisations and dental check–ups are often prioritised, understanding how well your child processes information in a classroom setting is equally crucial.
Vision: The Silent Driver of Learning
Over 80% of the information a child receives is visual information, therefore, vision is the primary channel through which children receive, interpret, and understand information. Extensive research emphasises the strong link between vision and academic achievement.
The Unseen Impact of Vision
Imagine this: your child is sitting in a classroom, trying their best to focus on the teacher’s instructions. However, they’re quietly struggling because they mix letters, the words move on the page, or they keep losing their place when they read. Instead of complaining, they adapt, squinting, straining or rubbing their eyes, believing this is how everyone experiences the world.
As parents and educators, it’s not uncommon for us to misinterpret these silent struggles. We might think the child is being difficult, inattentive, or simply disinterested in learning. The truth is that these behaviours often stem from an undiagnosed vision problem, despite the child’s best efforts to cope with it.
It’s not just about seeing clearly; it’s about processing visual information effectively. Most children don’t complain of visually related learning problems. Instead they silently struggle, and as parents, we wonder why?
Spotting the Tell–tale Signs
If children rarely report symptoms of visually related challenges that they are experiencing, then as parents or educators, how do we know when they should have their eyes examined? The only way is for us to observe our child when they are trying to learn. The following signs could indicate that our child is silently suffering with a visually related learning problem:
- Frequent loss of place while reading: Does your child frequently lose their place, skip words, or read slowly compared to their classmates?
- Strain with visual concentration: Does reading, writing or drawing cause eye strain and headaches? Do you observe your child squinting or rubbing their eyes after a short period of visual activity?
- Avoidance of close–up work: Does your child avoid activities that involve focusing on tasks up close?
- Difficulty in concentration: Does your child struggle to sustain focus on visually concentrated tasks? Are they easily distracted?
- Poor visual memory: Does your child struggle remembering the same word on the next page? Are you surprised your child can’t remember words they should know?
- Struggles with comprehension: Are they often misunderstanding instructions, leading to assignment errors or frustrated that they are not as “smart as their friends”?
- Poor handwriting: Is their handwriting often illegible, making it challenging for teachers to assess work accurately?
- Poor performance in sports: Is hand–eye coordination in sports a challenge? Do they appear to track moving objects or judge distances inaccurately? Do they appear to lack general awareness, resulting in poor performance or clumsiness?
These examples highlight how vision–related challenges can hinder a child’s performance, leading to frustration, low self–esteem, and difficulty keeping up with peers. Identifying and addressing these issues through comprehensive behavioural optometry eye tests can significantly improve a child’s learning experience and overall success at school.
The Limitations of Standard Eye Tests
Many children undergo preschool eye screening tests, which only check the clarity of vision from a distance. However, these screenings often overlook the essential aspects of vision needed for learning—particularly at near, reading, or writing distances—where most learning occurs.
Standard optometric evaluations usually concentrate on ‘refractive error’, measuring clarity with letter charts. However, vision encompasses a complex process that extends beyond how clearly your child can see.
Behavioural Optometry: A Deeper Insight
Optometrists specialising in Behavioural Optometry delve deeper into various aspects beyond the standard eye exam. They assess critical functions like focusing, eye teaming, tracking, depth perception, and the child’s ability to comprehend what they see. Addressing subtle yet significant vision problems before they affect learning becomes the cornerstone of their approach.
Treatment Options for Learning–Related Visual Problems
Documented case studies highlight the success of behavioural optometric treatment for children with learning–related visual challenges. Vision therapy, combined with appropriate lenses, aids in processing visual information more efficiently and enhancing visual recall.
Moreover, properly prescribed lenses serve beyond mere clarity correction. They play a pivotal role in improving function, relieving eye stress, and addressing various visual problems encountered during tasks like reading, crafts, or computer use.
Ensuring Your Child’s Vision is Classroom–Ready
As a parent, understanding your child’s vision health through an eye test conducted by an experienced behavioural optometrist is vital. It offers valuable insights into their eye health and readiness for the remarkable learning journey ahead.
Recognising the signs of potential vision–related challenges in your child can be key to early intervention and successful learning. Symptoms such as frequent loss of place while reading, avoidance of close–up work, or poor hand–eye coordination during physical activities could indicate underlying vision issues affecting learning potential.
Vision readiness isn’t just about seeing clearly—it’s about how well your child’s eyes work together, interpret information, and comprehend what they see. A comprehensive behavioural optometry assessment can uncover these subtler yet critical issues before they impact your child’s learning experience. It’s about setting the stage for academic success by ensuring your child’s vision is prepared for the vibrant world of learning that awaits them.
This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general eye health topics. It should not be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health care professional prior to incorporating this as part of your health regimen.
Dr Nicholas Altuneg is a Behavioural Optometrist who has been working on the Central Coast for almost 30 years. He is the co–founder at Eyes by Design, which is in the Kincumber Centre. Appointments can be made by phone 4369 8169 or online at www.eyesbydesign.com.au