Yet another reason why school vision screenings are no substitute for comprehensive eye exams. It is estimated that 80-90% of all learning is done visually……
ScrippsNews (11/21, Dean) reports that a recent study by the National Eye Institute “found that one in 20 students may suffer from a childhood eye-muscle coordination problem called convergence insufficiency, or CI.” Youngsters “with CI find it difficult to make their eyes focus inward or converge.” Optometrist Benjamin Kohn, O.D., explained that CI is “a reading-related vision disorder” which may be caused by “visual stress, such as reading, writing, and working on computers.” He pointed out that the majority of vision-screening tests performed by pediatricians or schools do not catch the condition, because they are designed to “test distance acuity.” Children with CI may express “some sort of block where reading is concerned,” which vigilant parents and teachers should investigate. The study also “concluded that a combination of office-based vision-therapy treatment, coupled with at-home reinforcement, is more effective than home-based methods most commonly used” to treat the disorder.