35 areas of the brain are involved with visual information processing— and up to 80% of the information that the brain processes comes through the visual system. So a problem in any area of the visual system can create significant challenges for a child.
Recent research has found that up to 25% kids struggle with reading and learning problems because of undiagnosed vision conditions.
Children with special needs often demonstrate certain behaviours that may be perceived as a symptom of their specific diagnosis. But vision problems can cause, or exacerbate, behaviours that are common in children with special needs.
Vision problems can add to a child’s challenges— affecting behaviour, interfering with reading and learning performance, and impacting daily routine tasks.
These problems may include:
- Nearsightedness (myopia)
- Farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Eye turns (strabismus)
- Eye focusing
- Lazy eye (amblyopia)
- Eye teaming and tracking
- Binocular coordination (stereo vision)
- Depth perception
- Visual information-processing
Red flags of a vision condition
If you have a child with special needs it is crucial to identify behaviours that may indicate a vision problem.
Things to look out for in your child:
- Omits/skips/repeats small words or lines when reading
- Holds reading material too close
- Tilts head/closes one eye when reading
- Reduced visual attention or avoids reading all together
- Avoids near work
- Poor reading comprehension
- Difficulty copying from board
- One eye turns in or out (Strabismus)
- Unable to listen and look at same time
- Messy handwriting
- Visual perceptual problems
- Clumsy or prone to tripping
- Unusual neck and body postures
- Motion sickness
How can your child with special needs benefit from eye care?
Early identification of vision conditions are essential to achieve optimal treatment results— allowing children to reach their highest potentials. A comprehensive assessment of children with special needs usually requires a developmental vision evaluation to examine the integrity of their visual skills.
Eye care, including eyeglasses and/or vision therapy, can aid learning performance, as well as ease everyday tasks so the challenges your child faces are minimised where possible.
Specialist optometry testing
It is crucial that children with special needs have regular eye exams in order to assess their ocular health, as well as their vision acuity. A standard 20/20 vision screening is not sufficient.
Specialist optometrists perform a functional visual evaluation to assess your child’s visual system. They look at eye movements, eye teaming, eye tracking, visual processing, visual-spatial judgment, and central/peripheral vision.
See Optometry have modified their practice to take into account the needs of neurodivergent patients.
The spaces have been specifically designed to be as comfortable as possible for children, and those with developmental issues.
We have a quiet environment, with a dedicated space for children.
Our treatment rooms are bigger than normal and we ensure that the appointment time is longer so there is no rush. We understand that multiple visits may be needed to complete an examination.
Plus our practice is not located in a shopping centre, so there’s less overstimulation and no queues. We also provide services in Adelaide - at Mile End, in McLaren Vale and our main practice in Victor Harbor.
Our staff don’t change often. Optometrist Martin, has been in the practice for over 8 years. He works alongside Occupational Therapists and those in the NDIS space to provide care for special needs children. He’s also undergone special training to deliver the best care possible to those with developmental issues.
