At least one in every ten children has vision problems significant enough to interfere with their learning. Children may not easily realize irregularities in their eyesight, but if left unnoticed, these problems may affect not only their eye health, but also their academic progress. For your understanding, let your go-to vision correction center, The Myopia Institute, explain the role of stable visual health in your child’s performance in school.
How Your Eyes and Brain Work Together
When your child sees an object across their visual field, light rays bounce off it and pass through their eyes’ outermost covering, the cornea. The received light thens enter an opening, known as the pupil. Afterward, the lens will direct these light rays on the retina. The latter is responsible for converting them into nerve signals, which the optic nerve would deliver to the brain for image interpretation.
Common Learning-Related Vision Problems
Refractive errors happen when structural irregularities cause problems with the light bending process in your eyes. A wide gap between your cornea and retina, for example, causes the light rays to focus in front of the latter, instead of directly on it. This may lead to difficulties seeing distant objects while your children’s near-range vision remains intact, a condition known as myopia or nearsightedness. When this happens, they may find it hard to read notes written on the board, which may interfere with their learning. Since eyesight errors often occur during kids’ formative years, it’s important they undergo a comprehensive eye exam regularly. The sooner we establish them, the greater chances we have of maintaining their visual health and ensuring their continuous learning.
How Vision Therapy Works
Apart from eyeglasses and contact lenses, most pediatric optometrists recommend having your children undergo vision therapy as an adjunct management. This is a customized, non-surgical method of treating existing visual impairment and improving their ocular skills. Studies reveal its success at correcting binocular eyesight disorders, as well as eye alignment and movement irregularities.
Vision therapy is also effective as a sight rehabilitative method, especially for children who have traumatic brain injuries or developmental delays. Its main goal is to improve the working relationship between their eyes and brain. This option involves performing a series of eye exercises for a given period. It may also include using lenses, patches, and prisms.
For more information about the link between your children’s vision and learning, contact a local myopia specialist near you.