If you have a struggling student on your hands, booking an eye exam for them is one of the first things you ought to do when searching for a solution. Many people assume that students are having difficulty because they aren’t putting in enough effort, have a learning disability, or the teacher’s skills are lacking. And while those can certainly be contributing factors, eye issues may also be part of the problem. Here are some of the common vision difficulties that can negatively impact a student’s success in school.
Near-sightedness is common
Near-sightedness (also known as myopia), can cause a lot of learning issues for students, and is quite common in younger students. If they are sitting far away from the chalkboard, projector screen, whiteboard, or whatever medium their instructor is using to teach with, they may not be able to see what’s being taught. And if they can’t see what’s being taught, their academic performance is sure to suffer. Some students are able to compensate somewhat for this by paying extra attention to textbooks or other supplementary learning materials that can be viewed close up – but this isn’t a perfect solution because they’ll always be missing out on at least some of the important information that is only communicated via their teacher.
Far-sightedness might be the culprit, and can be diagnosed with a simple eye exam
Far-sightedness (also known as hyperopia), typically affects adult learners who are middle-aged or older. However, it can sometimes occur in children, too. The problem with far-sightedness is that the learner can’t read text in a textbook clearly, or even their own written notes. And as you can imagine, this makes studying the material difficult.
Computer vision syndrome is rising
Computer vision syndrome (CVS) refers to eye problems resulting from overuse of tablets, e-readers, cell phones (looking at the screen), and computers. Since almost all American families own a computer, and most children and adults are using these devices on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that computer vision syndrome is a big problem in today’s society.
Symptoms of CVS can include headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision, eyestrain, and neck or shoulder pain – all of these symptoms can be a great source of distraction for a student who is trying to learn. Some of the most common contributing factors are insufficient lighting, glare, and inappropriate viewing distances.
Getting an eye exam is the key to a proper diagnosis and solution
If you have a struggling student on your hands, be sure to book them for an eye exam as soon as possible. If they’re lucky, this exam will rule out eye issues as a contributing factor to their academic difficulties and allow you to look into other potential causes with confidence. But even the worst case scenario of an eye issue diagnosis isn’t actually all that bad. All of the conditions discussed above are easily treatable, and once they are resolved, the student’s academic performance should increase.