Just like adults, our children also have specific visual needs and sometimes these go undetected. As a parent, it is not always easy to recognize the signs of dyslexia in our kids. When they are little, they don’t know what it’s like to see normally. They’re also unable to tell us just how they are seeing things.

In some cases, these issues are only discovered when they start falling behind at school. The problem is often put down to the child being lazy or disinterested. Sometimes, it’s blamed on hyperactivity, an inability to concentrate or that he’s just being naughty.

Consider also that some of these problems are inherited. Is there anyone in the family that has reading and learning difficulties or was diagnosed with dyslexia?

Some other common symptoms reported:

• Excessively close working distance
• Complaints of seeing double
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Eye fatigue
• Difficulty in reading and concentrating
• Skipping lines
• Covering one eye when reading
• Poor handwriting

The ability to see is not just the ability to read the bottom line on a standard letter chart. There are many other factors that contribute towards clear & comfortable vision. These are all assessed in a comprehensive eye examination. If the child needs corrective lenses to focus better, then these will make a big difference. However, these alone will be insufficient if there are issues with visual processing such as those related to light and pattern sensitivity which are far more common amongst the dyslexic population.

Light and pattern sensitivity is called “visual stress” and specially filtered lenses can neutralise this annoying problem. For the child wearing these filters, the whole world appears clearer and calmer and not coloured. They allow the child to function normally.

However, we must keep in mind that the whole learning process can be affected by multiple factors and not just vision.

Ask yourself, can my child following instructions? Do they have difficulties remembering their to-do tasks? Often, it is not due to a hearing problem but due to auditory processing and memory issues.

Therefore, all of these need to be addressed if the child is to not only succeed, but just as importantly, enjoy the whole learning experience.