Eye problems often the reason why kids cause disruption in classroom

Date Published: {J}

Children who become disruptive in class or start falling behind in their schoolwork are usually labelled as dyslexic or as suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder but more often than not it may be a simple case of poor vision.

Research has shown that there is a strong relationship between vision and dyslexia and learning difficulties but an ordinary eye examination screening may not help as it concentrates on shortsightedness and doesn’t look into the effects of binocular vision or reading.

The optometrist, Richard Hughes, who opened his first practice in Woodquay, Galway in 1983, has recently opened a School Vision Clinic at his Knocknacarra practice which he opened almost ten years ago.

In fact, Richard admits that he is more enthusiastic today about being an optometrist than ever before, thanks to new advancements in the profession. He has furthered his own education in recent years and is now specialising in children’s and sports vision. His optician’s practice continues to operate, thanks to the help of his niece, Melanie McGovern, a qualified optometrist and to a staff which he describes as fantastic.

A keen sportsman himself, he is equally thrilled to be able to offer a specialised vision service to people involved in all sports.

In fact the two visions, children’s and sports’, are based on the same principle – binocular vision (eye/hand coordination), co-ordination, peripheral vision and focus.

Richard’s specialised school vision eye assessment takes one hour and involves a regular eye test as well as a binocular test, a reading speed test, measuring the eye dominance versus the hand and eye tracking (eyes with poor control will not be able to read efficiently or co-ordinate with the hand to write).

He also takes a detailed history from the child and parents to establish what symptoms had been noticed and how.

“I have no doubt that many children are just automatically labelled as being dyslexic or have ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder] when their behaviour and learning difficulty might simply be due to poor vision.

“I don’t believe in just diagnosing. I also believe we should know the cause and how it can be solved or helped, which is why I have a renewed enthusiasm for my job because an eye test can reveal so much more and lead to a better quality of life.”

Richard is the first person in the country to have qualified with a diploma in school vision and it is very much a specialised part of his profession at the moment. He hopes that parents will increase their awareness and that teachers are further educated to link vision with learning difficulties.

The symptoms in a child include blurred print, movement of print when reading, illusions of colour, rapid tiring, headache or visual discomfort and sore, red or watering eyes.

Signs parents should look for are if the child is moving closer to or away from the page, becoming restless, quickly, using finger as a marker, skipping words or lines, rubbing eyes and blinking excessively. Low self esteem can also be an issue.

It is this low self esteem which leads to the disruptive behaviour, disguising frustration and being an underachiever due to visual stress.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.