There is one key factor most people overlook when trying to figure out why their kids may be struggling in school. Whether they’re having trouble with focus, concentration, sitting still, staying on task, reading comprehension, behavioral issues, etc. This one key factor is the eyes.
I don’t necessarily mean a traditional vision test, although that would be helpful. Most pediatricians already check this regularly. What I’m talking about is a functional vision test.
A majority of your child’s school success will depend on your eyes’ ability to:
Move independently of your head: Your eyes should be able to stay locked onto a target regardless if your head is moving or not. Without a well-functioning vestibular system, a child’s eyes will go wherever their head goes.
Hold gaze: Some kids simply cannot hold their eyes in one spot and lock onto a target. Their eyes are constantly shifting from one thing to the next. You can understand how this would affect concentration, focus, and more.
Pursue: Many kids cannot make their eyes smoothly glide from one target to the next. Instead, it looks rather jagged. Imagine trying to track a line while reading and your eyes are jumping all over.
If you are curious about having your child take a functional vision test, I am offering it to Edge Magazine readers free of charge. It only takes about 10 minutes. Your child will sit in front of a screen that has the ability to track where their eyes move with special sensors.
For example, it may ask your child to follow a dot from side to side on the screen. It will ask them to jump their eyes from one target to the next. It will have them read a paragraph. When they are finished, it will replay back exactly what their eyes did. Many parents will be shocked to see their children may not even be looking at half the words.
Why? Because their functional vision is not where it needs to be. They may see 20/20, but that is much different than getting their eyes to move in a coordinated fashion, which is needed to succeed in school (think reading and reading comprehension).
If you would like a free functional vision report for your child, call our office at 402.504.4676 or message me on Facebook at my page “Dr. Stephen Stinn.” I look forward to working with you in the future!
