The Bright Underachiever: Is she just not trying hard enough or is something else wrong? According to Dr. Thomas Unger, a developmental optometrist in Troy, “There are over 20 visual skills required for reading and learning besides being able to see the eye chart. Sometimes these vision problems are tough to locate even in a comprehensive vision exam. If your child has any of the above symptoms you want to take your child to a Developmental Optometrist.�
Does your child: Get frustrated trying to read or do homework? Have trouble keeping attention on reading? Take much longer on homework than it should? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a vision problem may be contributing to your child’s difficulties. These are just a few of the more common symptoms. For a more complete list call Dr. Unger’s office. Bright children who don’t achieve to potential are an interesting puzzle. Many factors contribute to their difficulties. Research has found that vision problems play a role in academic achievement yet are often inadvertently overlooked. Did you know that an untreated vision problem can mimic ADD/ ADHD? LD? and can contribute to behavioral problems? Typically if a child can pass the vision screening, vision is automatically ruled out, because most people think that “20/20� means you have perfect vision. But, did you know that the test that is used in most vision screenings (the Snellen Chart) was designed in the 1800’s? And, only 5% of actual vision problems are caught with that screening? To clarify what “20/20� actually means, the first “20� means you are looking at the eye chart from a distance of 20 feet. The second “20� means you are able to see the size of letter you are supposed to see from 20 feet. That’s all it means! The test doesn’t tell us if the child has all the visual skills required to read (example: following along a line of print easily). Students who are struggling with undiagnosed vision problems will often be very bright yet their intelligence won’t be reflected in their performance on standardized tests. According to Dr. Linda Silverman, an educational psychologist who has worked with gifted children for over 40 years, “A high Verbal IQ combined with a Performance IQ that is 20 points lower should signal the need for an optometric evaluation.�
The good news is that if a vision problem is at the root of your bright child’s struggles, help is just a phone call away. Dr. Unger can be reached at (618) 667-2020; wwwungereyecare.com.
From STRUGGLING... 1 out of 4 children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.
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If your child has any of the above symptoms, he or she may have a 100% correctable vision-based learning problem. Children who once struggled go from failure to success when these vision problems are treated. Call us today to schedule a Developmental Vision Evaluation.
Unger Eye Care
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Marketplace Magazine | Early Spring Issue 2012 | marketplacemagazineonline.com | 27