Undetected Vision Problems Add Stress to Standardized Tests

MARIETTA, Ga., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine you are a student, sitting down to take your school's annual standardized test.  Feel the tension, the pressure building inside?  Your teacher, your parents, everyone has stressed the importance of doing well. 

But there is a problem:  You can't clearly see to read the test in front of you, let alone comprehend what you are supposed to do.  

For as many as one in five students, this is a reality – even if they have had normal eye exams or have 20/20 eyesight, according to Dr. David Cook, founder of Cook Vision Therapy Center, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia, and author of When Your Child Struggles. 

"Many students have vision-related issues that make it uncomfortable, even painful to see clearly up close, especially within arms' reach," said Dr. Cook.  "They may see double, or see the words 'dance' or 'move around' on the page.  The problems also can result in headaches or fatigue after just a few moments of reading.  The longer they try to focus, the worse the symptoms become."

These vision issues affect performance year-round, but they are especially challenging during the high-pressure atmosphere of timed, standardized tests.  

Unfortunately, children often do not realize they have these vision issues. Because they have always seen that way, they think it is normal.  Therefore, they don't tell anyone about it.  Further, these eye-muscle issues are seldom tested for during vision screenings at school or in a pediatrician's office, or even in standard eye exams with an optometrist.

But parents and teachers can watch students for these signs:  frequent headaches, re-reading material, rubbing of the eyes or tilting of the head, decreased comprehension and performance the longer the student works, and spending hours doing a few minutes' worth of homework.

While these eye-muscle, vision issues can be harder to detect, they also are relatively easy to correct through vision therapy, which is basically physical therapy for the eyes. Through a series of specific eye exercises, people can permanently correct their vision issues and eliminate the resulting problems in a matter of weeks and months. 

For more information about vision therapy or to schedule a screening appointment, contact Cook Vision Therapy Center at 770-419-0400 or visit cookvisiontherapy.com.   

SOURCE Cook Vision Therapy Center