Even though both auditory and visual processing skills are required for reading excellence, we have found that the majority of problem readers are suffering from a visual processing disorder(s). In fact, if your child has shown little to no improvement with standard reading tutorial within a six month period, it is highly likely they have an undiagnosed vision or vision processing problem. This is especially true, if your child has good comprehension when being read to but not when reading for them self.
At Reading Without Limits, Dr. David Bloch, OD will evaluate your child for key auditory and visual components necessary for accelerated reading improvement. Some of these components are: sustained visual acuity and focus, eye-coordination, tracking ability, specific auditory and visual pattern recognition, auditory and visual sequencing skills, auditory and visual memory ability. Once the reason for your child’s reading problem has been isolated, treatment is targeted to those areas that are under-developed.
Common Symptoms
Related to Reading Difficulty
- Labored and/or slow reading
- Loses place while reading
- Tires easily while reading
- Sees double while reading
- Gets headache from reading
- Avoids/dislikes reading
- Adds, omits, transposes, substitutes words
- Guesses at words
- Poor comprehension
- Words appear to move while reading
- Trouble remembering previously seen words
- Letter/word reversals
- Has difficulty spelling words
Key Points to Remember About Reading
- Reading and Vision Skills are related.
- A problem with auditory and/or vision processing skills can cause reading problems.
- If a student has good comprehension skills when read to aloud, but not when reading for themselves they have a strong likelihood of having an undiagnosed vision or vision processing problem.
- Vision problems that can cause reading problems include blurred vision, focusing difficulty, tracking problems, eye coordination issues, and vision processing problems.
- Vision processing problems include pattern recognition, sequencing ability, visual memory, speed of recognition, and other visual discrimination skills.
- Standard eye exams don’t test all visual skills required for good reading skills. Supplemental testing is required.
- Not all eye doctors assess and treat reading problems. This is a specialized area of vision care.
- The cause of a student’s reading problem can be isolated with a comprehensive eye exam in addition to specific pattern recognition tests, sequencing tests, and computerized eye tracking instruments.
- Traditional reading tutorial methods are based on auditory principles not visual principles.
- Students with vision processing difficulty do not have significant or rapid improvement in their reading skills with traditional reading tutorial.
- Students with vision processing problems do not respond well to phonetic or sight word methods of learning to read.
- Students with vision processing difficulties can quickly improve their reading ability with vision based therapy that emphasizes pattern recognition and sequencing skills.