September 2007

Vision Related to Behavior Problems?
No Way! Really? Your S.M.A.R.T. workshop taught you about vision beyond the Snellen Vision Test and that... 80% of what a child perceives, comprehends, and remembers depends on the efficiency of the visual system. Vision is a complex process involving over 20 visual abilities (distance acuity - sight - being only one of them, which is not even needed for up close reading yet it is the only one we check in schools). Current research estimates 25% of children and 70% of juvenile delinquents have vision problems that interfere with their ability to achieve in school. There are many examples of academic, social, behavioral, and physical symptoms caused by undiagnosed vision problems. The article below seemed very relevant to all of this and we wanted to share it with you as a reminder to observe children's eyes as they are doing their vision activities and to look for symptoms of vision difficulties during reading and writing tasks (e.g., head moving, covering/blocking one eye, skipping or re-reading words or lines, short attention span, blinking or squinting, rubbing eyes or eyes tearing, etc.). You could also refer to the back of your S.M.A.R.T. Curriculum Guide for a vision checklist to help.

by Cindy Harvey

Lastly, this article appeared in The New York Times - September 11, 2007 and is titled: "Not Autistic or Hyperactive: Just Seeing Double" (click here)