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Learning and eyes

This has been a hot topic here and in the media recently. What role do our eyes play in learning? What is the best way forward if your child has some learning difficulties? Is behavioural optometry recommended? 

How do we learn to read and why are some children different?

Reading is the process of extracting meaning from print. Generally children who are in the early stages of learning to read are taught the phonological method of reading (ie the sounds letters make) to decode a word. They then start to learn word rules. As they become more practiced they start to remember words without needing to sound them out and their memory bank of sight words (words they know automatically, eg "the") improves, resulting in progressively more fluent reading.
Dyslexia refers to reading difficulties that can't be explained by lack of instruction or educational opportunities. Most experts agree that differences in brain functionality explain dyslexia and this has been convincingly demonstrated on functional MRI. Crucially those differences in brain function were no longer present on people when their functional MRI was repeated following remedial treatment for dyslexia.
There have been other attempts to explain dyslexia such as difficulties in visual function and eye movements. Research has shown us that learning difficulties occur no more frequently in populations with visual problems compared to the normal population, and therefore is not a causal relationship.
Another theory is that eye-tracking problems lead to reading problems. We normally read by a series of saccadic eye movements - ie little jumps from one word to the next. The dyslexic's eye movements may look similar to one who is learning to read in that there are shorter saccades, hesitation between words and re-reading of words or even a sentence. Interestingly the eye movements of adults who are learning to read in a new language reflect those of a child who is learning to read. Therefore so called "abnormal" eye tracking is the result, not the cause of reading difficulty and is not because of any abnormality of the visual system.
Most of us rely heavily on our vision to help us make sense of the world. However we also know that some people do have abnormal eye movements, are visually impaired or blind but can still learn to read, write, work, play sport, play an instrument and travel. Therefore although the complex process of reading usually starts with our eyes, perfect visual conditions are certainly not an absolute requirement.

How can you best help your child?

It is certainly wise to rule out a vision or hearing problem. A referral to a paediatrician may be warranted if there are concerns around concentration and the possibility of ADHD. If all is normal then it is advisable to invest your financial and time resources on current, evidence based treatment strategies in conjunction with an educational psychologist. This is likely to include a reading recovery program which concentrates on language and phonological processing skills. Behavioural optometry, which purports to improve visual conditions so as to alleviate reading difficulties, lacks both a rigorous theoretical model and externally validated scientific studies to prove it provides any benefit at all. It is therefore not recommended by the doctors at the Children's Eye Centre.



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