What Are Vision and Learning Problems

Learning-Related Vision
Problems

Learning-related vision problems are vision disorders that interfere
with reading and learning. Often these problems are not due to how
clearly a child can see, but how effectively his or her eyes and brain
can acquire and process what they are seeing. Problems with eye
focusing, eye teaming, eye tracking and visual perception can lead to
learning difficulties.

Children often use extra effort to compensate for a vision problem
making it more difficult to remember and understand what they are
reading. The harder they try, the more they can develop symptoms
of eye discomfort and fatigue. Behavior problems may also develop
due to frustration felt by students who want to perform, but don't
understand why they can't.

The signs of learning-related vision problems may be similar to those
seen in children with learning disabilities or Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As a result, some children are
mislabeled, when in reality what they have is an undetected vision
problem.

Signs of learning-related vision problems include:

l Losing place and skipping words when reading
l Complaints of blurry vision
l Closing or covering one eye when reading
l Short attention span
l Trouble finishing written assignments
l Errors when copying from the board
l Poor reading comprehension
l Moving head excessively when reading

If a child is struggling in school or performing below his or her
potential, a learning-related vision problem may be the cause.