Current estimates state that 70-80% of children with reading or learning disabilities have visual problems not diagnosed on eye exams.
We have treated many children labeled learning disabled, ADHD, dyslexic, and reading disabled, with much success.
Contact our office at the numbers below to discuss any questions you may have on any of the above topics.
Dr. Lawrence D. Lampert, a developmental optometrist in Boca Raton, takes into account the difference between “sight”, the actual ability to see, and “vision” which is the ability to interpret and understand the information taken in through the eyes.
Many people demonstrate 20/20 sight, which means they can see well at a sight of 20 feet or more and still have a critical vision problem that goes undetected. Current research indicates that almost one out of four children has a vision problem that is interfering with their academic success or other achievements, whether in athletics or other extracurricular activities.
Generally, children do not report symptoms that could indicate a learning-related vision problem; they think, for example, having letters move around on their paper or disappear while they’re reading is normal.
Informed parents and teachers should look for signs of learning-related visual problems and arrange for a developmental vision evaluation. There are only about 350 people in the world with this certification.
As an authority in the field, Dr. Lampert has patients flying in from around the world for consultations and evaluations. “A lot of times, kids come in demoralized,” he says. “They’ve been labeled lazy, learning-disabled or troubled, clumsy or dyslexic, and have been told they are not trying. Yet, they have been working to the best of their ability.”
When a child is referred to Dr. Lampert for a learning problem, the doctor first observes subtleties while the child is reading. He then looks at the child’s posture and how and where he or she focuses from blackboard to paper. Dr. Lampert then does a “visual perception” exam to see what the brain is doing with the visual information it receives.
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment calls for either prescription or preventive “stress-relieving” lenses and/or visual-training exercises and activities done at Dr. Lampert’s office to help the child build visual skills and the ability to efficiently take in, understand and use visual information.
Dr. Lampert says parents should not just accept that their child got checked out with 20/20 vision without accessing other things in the visual system, if there are still signs of a problem. There is a long list of symptoms that can be cured or greatly improved if children are taken to the proper specialist. “The biggest complaint I hear from people is that they wish they had known about this type of option sooner,” Dr. Lampert says. “But, it’s never too late to see dramatic results.”
In addition to children with school performance problems, Dr. Lampert also treats brain-injury patients, professional athletes and local little leaguers who want to improve their sports performance.
If your child has any type of reading or learning problem, you owe them a specialized type of eye exam. If you believe you have checked everything but have not done this, then you have missed a major part of your child’s evaluation.