Are Your Child’s Grades a True Reflection of their Potential?

By Dr. Russel Lazarus
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Is your child struggling in school?

They may have a vision condition that is affecting their ability to achieve academic success

When school becomes difficult for a student, it’s stressful for both the child and the parents. Not only is good performance and behavior in the classroom important to parents, they don’t want to see their child struggle.

Sometimes, when children exhibit behavioral problems at school it is due to a vision problem, these children can benefit significantly with specific eyeglasses, or possibly vision therapy.

Diagnosing and improving a student’s visual skills can have a positive impact on a child’s life, in and outside of the classroom.

If your child is finding school challenging vision therapy may help. The Find an Eye Doctor directory lists eye doctors near you that are experienced in vision therapy.

SEE RELATED: Vision Therapy for Learning Difficulties: Success Stories

Find an Eye Doctor for Children near you

When is vision therapy needed?

Think about your child when it comes to learning. Have you noticed any of these symptoms?

  • They are smart, but are getting low grades and failing scores
  • They have a difficult time focusing
  • They are disruptive to the rest of the class
  • They have 20/20 vision, but complain about headaches when reading or doing homework

If any of these signs sound familiar, then don’t hesitate to schedule an eye exam with an optometrist familiar with vision therapy.

The school based vision screening are not reliable, so it is still recommended to schedule a functional vision evaluation with an eye doctor. A basic vision screening can measure a child’s visual acuity – how clearly they can see distant objects — but it cannot detect a problem with visual skills.

How does vision therapy help?

Vision therapy is a personalized treatment program that involves specific eye exercises that help to retrain the eyes and brain to communicate better.

Researchers have found that vision therapy can be helpful for children with common behavioral and learning issues often experienced in the classroom, such as autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.

It’s viewed as a domino effect: if the child’s eyes aren’t focusing properly, then attention, focus, grades, reading abilities, and behavior are affected.

Treating visual problems often has a direct and positive impact in reducing problematic behavioral and learning problems.

LEARN MORE: Vision for School

If your child is showing their full potential in school, schedule a vision evaluation with a developmental optometrist near you.