August was declared National Children's Vision & Learning Month in 1995. The goal of this national observance is to help educate parents and educators about the critical link between vision and learning.
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- “25% of students in grades K-6 have visual problems that are serious enough to impede learning.” - American Public Health Association
- “When vision problems go undetected, children almost invariably have trouble reading and doing their schoolwork. They often display fatigue, fidgeting, and frustrations in the classroom—traits that can lead to a misdiagnosis of dyslexia or other learning disabilities.” - American Optometric Association
- “It is estimated that 80% of children with a learning disability have an undiagnosed vision problem.” - Vision Council of American
- “Early diagnosis and treatment of children’s vision problems is a necessary component to school readiness and academic learning; and that vision screening is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor. Comprehensive eye and vision examinations ... are important for all children first entering school and regularly throughout their school-aged years to ensure healthy eyes and adequate visual skills essential for successful academic achievement.” - National PTA Policy Statement 2005, Elements of Comprehensive Health Programs
- "Early testing for vision problems is key to preventing learning disabilities or, in some cases, significant visual impairment in children." - Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, Task Force Chairman, Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
- “A three year study of 540 children found that those children who had visual perceptual and eye movement difficulties did poorly on standardized tests.” - Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, FAAO, FCOVD, Developmental Optometrist and Past President of COVD.
Unfortunately, parents and educators often incorrectly assume that if a child passes a school vision screening, then there is no vision problem. However, school vision screenings often only test for visual acuity. In reality, the vision skills needed for successful reading and learning are much more complex. A child who can see 20/20 can still have a vision problem.
Vision is a complex process that involves over 20 visual abilities and more than 65% of all the pathways to the brain. One in four children has an undiagnosed vision problem which can interfere with learning and lead to academic and/or behavioral problems. However, it is important to know that these children frequently do not report symptoms because they think everyone sees the same way they do.
Often a child with a vision-based learning problem has excellent verbal skills, causing parents and educators to think the child must be lazy, have ADD/ADHD, or is learning disabled. The possible misdiagnosis can be due to similar symtoms, but the causes are not the same.
A comprehensive vision exam with a COVD optometrist is the first step in helping a child's vision and learning. Research comprehensive vision exams, and Locate a Doctor near you to discuss the issue and schedule an appointment.