Vision Problems
What are Binocular Vision Disorders?
The word Binocular means “two eyes.” A Binocular Vision Disorder is a problem with how the two eyes are working together. Untreated binocular vision disorders can cause a lot of problems, ranging from attention and behavioral issues to difficulty with reading and learning (see symptom checklist for more in-depth list).
Eye Coordination (Convergence)
When our eyes do not work together correctly, it may result in frequent loss of place when reading, double vision, headaches or eyestrain, and inability to stay focused or pay attention to visual tasks that are at reading distance (or computer/digital device distance).
The most common eye coordination problem we see in our office is called Convergence Insufficiency. When we read, our eyes have to turn inward towards the words on the page (convergence) and they have to maintain that position while reading. It is also vital that our eyes aim at the same place in order to ensure one has single, clear vision. When the eyes drift out even a very small amount, it can result in difficulty reading and sometimes seeing double or feeling like the words are moving on the page.
Some of the more common signs of Binocular Vision Disorders include:
Avoids reading
Cannot remember what they read
Loses place when reading
Short attention span when reading
Smart in everything but school work
Rubs eyes when reading
Tracking
Eye Movement
If you think about how you use your eyes when you read, you will find that your eyes move a lot, back and forth along the lines of print.
When the eyes don’t move correctly along a line of print it may cause one to lose place when reading, have difficulty copying from the board, and skip or omit small words when reading.
Focusing
One needs to change focus when shifting from looking at something up close to looking at something far away. During the day your child needs to change focus to see the board in the classroom and then read or write at the desk.
Symptoms of an eye focusing problem may include blurred vision while reading, inability to see clearly far away after reading, holding head very close to reading material and fatigue or headaches while reading.
Eye-Hand Coordination
Scholastic tasks such as writing, drawing, as well as athletic skills such as throwing, hitting or catching a ball, require well developed eye-hand coordination skills.
Binocular vision disorders can cause difficulties with eye hand coordination.
The good news is that most binocular vision disorders can be corrected.
Schedule an evaluation with Dr. Kelly to ensure you and/or your child possess all the visual skills vital to reading and learning. The evaluation includes:
Visual Acuity at Near
Clear vision is critical to reading, writing, close work and computer use, etc. Most eye exams and vision screenings for school-age children test how well you can see in the distance (20 feet away) but typically do not test how well one sees when reading. Dr. Kelly performs a very thorough evaluation to determine not only how clearly one can see the words on the page when reading, but how long one can see clearly. Some children can only see clearly for a short time before it get blurry and hard to read. This can be very confusing for parents because some children can read fine for a short period of time but starts struggling the longer they read.
Eye Coordination Skills
When we read, our two eyes need to aim, move, and work together correctly. Deficiencies in eye coordination skills can cause numerous problems, including difficulty with reading, learning, attention and poor depth perception.
Eye Focusing Skills
Our eyes need to maintain clear vision at varying distances. They have to adjust rapidly when we change focus from looking up close to far away and back again. This is especially important when doing activities such as schoolwork, learning, reading, writing and sports, etc. Deficiencies can cause difficulty seeing the board after reading or writing, headaches and/or avoidance of close work.
Eye Movement Skills
In order to read our eyes need to track along the line of print. When there is a problem with tracking, children often lose their place, miss words and sentences, need to re-read in an attempt to improve comprehension, and can have difficulty staying focused and paying attention.
Reversal Frequency
When children reverse letters and numbers beyond what is appropriate for their age, there is often an underlying vision problem contributing to the reversals. During the evaluation Dr. Kelly will be testing the necessary visual skills relating to reversals.
Visual Information Processing
When children struggle with reading and learning they are often evaluated by educational and neuro-psychologists for visual information processing problems. Sometimes visual information processing problems are due to binocular vision disorders (described above). If you have been told your child has a visual information processing disorder, it is important to understand it could be very correctable. Be sure to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Kelly.
Schedule an Appointment Now
If you or your child have difficulty with any of the above or have any of the symptoms on the checklist, be sure to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Kelly.