Back
to School Basics: Add Seeing to Reading and Writing
When
you send your children back to school this fall, you are likely to get
them new clothes and school supplies, but what about an eye examination?
More
than 10 million American children will start the school year with an
undetected vision problem, says the Vision Council of America
(VCA).
The
association says 80 percent of a child's learning is done visually.
Research shows that 70 percent of the 2 million school-aged children
in the United States with reading difficulties suffer some type of visual
impairment. These include ocular motor, perceptual or binocular dysfunction,
says the VCA, a nonprofit optical trade association.
A recent
VCA survey found that 6 percent of parents recognize
that vision problems can cause learning difficulties and less than half
of the parents took their child for a comprehensive eye examination
within the past year.
Here
are 10 signs that may indicate your child has a vision problem:
-
squinting,
closing, or covering one eye
-
holding
a book close to the face
-
losing
their place while reading
-
headache,
nausea, or dizziness
-
excessive
clumsiness
-
tilting
head to one side
-
frequent
daydreaming
-
using
a finger as a place mark while reading
-
performing
below potential
-
rubbing
eyes repeatedly
Always
consult your child’s physician for more information.
In
Other News About Your Child's Health:
A New
School Year Means a Different Kind of Coping for Kids Who Suffer From
Social Anxiety Disorder
For
hundreds of thousands of American kids, the start of a new school year
means coping with more than just the disappointment that summer vacation
is over.
About
1 percent (400,000) of children and teens between the ages of 10 and
18 suffer from social anxiety disorder, a psychiatric condition caused
by an intense fear of being judged or scrutinized by other people. The
disorder, also called social phobia, can lead to severe social withdrawal
and problems with daily functioning.
They
may invent reasons why they cannot go to school, refuse to ride on the
school bus, and refuse to take part in after-school activities.
"In
my clinical work, I've encountered children who would hide in the restroom
instead of entering the school cafeteria for lunch hour," says Patricia
DiBartolo, an associate professor of psychology at Smith College.
"In
the classroom, these kids would desperately avoid speaking out or reading
aloud in class. Some would lug all their books with them throughout
the day, rather than stop at their lockers, where they might have to
chat with a classmate," DiBartolo says.
If
the symptoms of social phobia are not treated, they can increase over
time and hinder a child's natural progress and growth. Preemptive treatment
can make a huge difference for these children.
Treatment
includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, where children are gradually
exposed to anxiety-causing situations.
DiBartolo
says parents and teachers should take note of adolescents' social behavior
by watching them over a month or two to see how they deal with the normal
challenges of the school day. That includes observing how they interact
and develop relationships with other children, whether they speak in
class, and whether they approach exams with undue anxiety.
Always
consult your child's physician for more information.
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