Curricula and Learning Links - Special Education
Vision Issues
Dyslexia (reversing letters, words, and numbers) is a common vision issue, but there are many others that are not as frequently mentioned. Many children get eye-fatigue after reading for periods of time. The letters may turn into dots, move around, or look like they are running off the page. Since your child has never seen a page any other way, he thinks this is normal! No wonder he is having trouble reading! Fortunately, many of these problems are corrected by the diligent practice of eye exercises. If your child is six or older and is still struggling to read, you may wish to try the exercises in these books:
- Developing Ocular Motor and Visual Perceptual Skills: An Activity Workbook by Kenneth Lane. Don't let the title scare you! This book is loaded with exercises to build strength and focusing ability in the eyes. It also has fun activities to increase hand-eye, hand-foot, and overall coordination. An EXCELLENT resource for all ages!
- Developing Your Child for SUCCESS by Kenneth Lane. Now out of print, this book has many exercises to improve vision coordination with preschool up to about first grade.
- Seeing Is Achieving by Donald J. Getz. This small book gives an outstanding introduction to vision issues. It also includes a few basic exercises to improve focusing.
Testimonies
My husband and I tried everything to get our younger son reading! One-on-one effort with a number of reading and phonics programs did not work. I had his vision tested, and it came out 20/20. Finally in frustration, I made an appointment with a developmental optometrist who tested my son and said he had a tracking/focusing problem. When my son saw the list of symptoms, he admitted that the left page of a book looked like dots to him and that the words moved around on the page! He thought that was normal.
The developmental optometrist would not give me the results that day, but we made an appointment for a week later. When I returned, my son had to wait in the waiting room. The receptionist showed me a guilt-inducing movie with people stating that the therapy had been so helpful that they would mortgage their houses if that's what it took to pay for therapy. (No joke!) I knew I was in big trouble with a high-powered sales pitch like that! Then the receptionist came in with the sales proposal -- $5,000 for fourteen weeks, one hour per week, with me doing thirty minutes per day at home. I almost fell out of the chair and told them I would need to think about it. I felt like I was buying a used car with high pressure tactics and a financing plan! I asked around and found out that this particular optometrist uses the Kenneth Lane books for the home therapy! I figured it was worth the investment in Developing Ocular Motor and Visual Perceptual Skills: An Activity Workbook before spending $5,000. Sure enough, my son improved dramatically within a couple weeks of diligent exercises! I highly recommend using a regular optometrist or ophthalmologist for a vision exam, and then buying the book for yourself. Martha R.
Two things have really worked with my son. First, and best, was having him evaluated by a developmental optometrist. With about six months of therapy his reading jumped two years, bringing him up to "grade level." Second, was simply time and maturity. I tried four or five different phonics programs and finally realized that phonics simply did NOT work for him. He could recite the rules, but couldn't apply them to reading. I still read to him as that's how he learns best. Books on tape, videos, graphs, and pictures all work much better than reading for him. (Math U See has been a blessing for math. He can do this completely independently.) He can read, but it's a lot of work and I doubt he'll ever enjoy it. Mostly, have patience and realize that dyslexia has nothing to do with your child's intelligence. - Lorinda
Links to Other Sites
Vision Questionnaire Try this to see if your child could benefit from vision therapy. (You CAN do vision therapy at home!)
Magic Eye 3-D eye exercises, games, puzzles, information on vision therapy
Vision Therapy for Children Information on many aspects of vision.
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