Learning Related Vision Problems

Learning Difficulties?  Get Vision Therapy!

Sometimes a success story from a parent will help in understanding how vision therapy can help with learning difficulties.  Maybe there are headaches or eyestrain.  Many times there will be difficulties in skipping words or lines when reading.  Visual concentration is often reduced. In the following video you will learn about anger problems with a child who had learning related vision problems.  I think you will really enjoy "Sophie's Story".  It was provided by Dr. Gabby Marshall of Bend, OR.

--James B. Mayer, O.D., F.C.O.V.D.
     Agape Learning & Optometry Center
     Thousand Oaks, CA   91360

Learning Related Vision Problems

Vision and Learning(Info provided by COVD.org)

Many parents indicate to us that their child's eyes are fine.  They have passed the pediatrician's vision screening or one at their school.  How could there possibly be a vision problem contributing to difficulties in learning and school?  The answer is complex but we often find subtle problems that are not detected in screenings.  Academic success requires 17 different visual skills and seeing 20/20 is just one of these skills.  Screenings do not check for all of these skills.

Symptoms of a learning related vision problem include:
---Struggles with schoolwork
---Short attention span with reading
---Poor reading comprehension
---Homework overwhelm

Contact us if your child has any of these symptoms.

James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
   Agape Learning & Optometry Center
   Thousand Oaks, CA   91360

Visual Difficulties after Brain Injury (Video)

Vision problems are among the most common problems associated with acquired brain injuries.   Causes of brain injury can include trauma, auto accidents, suffocation, drug reaction and strokes.  Initially symptoms may be subtle but often become more of a concern with time. Specific problems can include poor memory, disorientation, loss of reading skills or poor word recall.

Common visual symptoms after brain injury include:

• Double vision
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Dizziness or nausea
• Attention or concentration difficulties
• Staring behavior (low blink rate)
• Spatial disorientation
• Lose place when reading
• Can't find beginning of next line when reading
• Comprehension problems when reading
• Visual memory problems
• Pulling away from objects when they are brought close

Unfortunately conventional ophthalmological treatment for these difficulties is many times limited.  I have seen a number of patients told to cover one eye with a patch if they have double vision!!  Others with slow reading speed have been told to get books on tape!!  Some with attention and concentration difficulties are told to just accept it.

These difficulties can often be helped through the use of specialized lenses/prisms and/or optometric vision therapy.  If you have concerns for yourself or a relative, give me a call so we can discuss it further.


--James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
     Agape Learning & Optometry Center
     Thousand Oaks, CA

Back To School Eye Exams

SOME STATS . . . .
Can you believe that 50% of all kids in the U.S. have never received a comprehensive vision exam???  Many have vision problems that have never been addressed.  Some have eye health issues.  Others have visual skill deficits such a tracking or convergence difficulties.  This is especially troubling because 80% of what kids learn come through their eyes.  Problems can impact school performance.  In fact, 25% of kids have a problem which interferes with their learning.

VISION PROBLEMS & BEHAVIOR . . . . .
Did you know that many kids diagnosed with ADHD or ADD actually have vision problems?  Attention and concentration can improve tremendously with a eye exam!!  CAVEAT - I always do tests for tracking and convergence - others don't.  Vision screenings at school and the pediatrician are especially poor.  I have parents tell me routinely their child passed the school screening despite having problems with tracking and/or convergence.

FREQUENCY . . . . . .
Eyes are as important as teeth, especially with academics!!  Be sure to have yearly eye exams.  They provide peace of mind in our hectic society.

--James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
     Agape Learning & Optometry Center

KABC-TV Channel 7 Is it ADD or a Vision Problem?

In 2010, 4.5 million U.S.children were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).  That is approximately 7% of all the children in the U.S.  A new study out of Michigan indicates that over 1 million of these kids may actually have a vision problem which is being wrongly diagnosed as ADD. 

Kids with learning problems will often have these types of developmental vision problems.  These kids can often see quite well (20/20) but have problems with eye coordination, tracking or processing.  On the surface it appears as if they have ADD but these subtle vision problems are the real deficit.

I can perform the sensitive developmental vision testing needed to diagnose these problems.  Give me a call with questions.

--James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
   Agape Learning & Optometry Center
   Thousand Oaks, CA  91360
   (805)495 3937

ADHD? Poor concentration? (video)

More than 1 million children may be misdiagnosed as ADHD!!  This news video comes from Minnesota.  Dr. Lori Mowbray demonstrates some optometric in-office vision therapy procedures used in the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). 

If this sounds like your child, give us a call.  There is no reason to suffer with this problem when it can be fixed relatively easily.

--James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
   Agape Learning & Optometry Center
   Thousand Oaks, CA  91360
   (805)495 3937