
WHY????
A kindergartner has just been diagnosed with nearsightedness and an outward eye turn. It didn’t have to happen. Due to our American school system, which uses methods that are inefficient, introducing concepts above the proper age level, and the infusion of digital devices, a child’s vision has just been destroyed. The nearsightedness has resulted from excessive close work with lessons too hard for her developing visual system. The eye turn came from her eyes pulling back from excessive close work.
A kindergartner has just been diagnosed with nearsightedness and an outward eye turn. It didn’t have to happen. Due to our American school system, which uses methods that are inefficient, introducing concepts above the proper age level, and the infusion of digital devices, a child’s vision has just been destroyed. The nearsightedness has resulted from excessive close work with lessons too hard for her developing visual system. The eye turn came from her eyes pulling back from excessive close work.

Because the child is bright and has felt challenged by her teacher’s academic expectations, she has put forth extreme effort to perform at this unnaturally high level. She also willingly does the 20 minutes of homework every night, which is based on tasks above her developmental level.

Even so, developmental optometrists found a way to help the children avoid nearsightedness. They applied learning glasses (lens therapy) and teamed with the Gesell Institute in designing the classroom furniture, lighting, etc to avoid impediments and distractions to the vision system.
Scandinavian countries, which perform above the US academically, do not teach reading until a child is visually ready at age seven.
Scandinavian countries, which perform above the US academically, do not teach reading until a child is visually ready at age seven.
The shame in this fact is that the research on which Scandinavia has based their academic policies was done by a US educator, George Spache. He found that those who read before age seven were ahead of their peers in the 4th grade, but those who waited until after seven were ahead by high school-where reading counts the most.

Unfortunately, our kindergartner's mom relied on the antiquated school screening that only finds anything after the problem is already there. On top of that it is not designed to pick up a visually related learning condition. The original intent of school vision screening was to pick up vision conditions that hinder learning. Thus, school vision screening reports too late and does not find the vision conditions the program was set up to find! Even worse, since it does not detect visually related learning problems,

it gives false assurance that those struggling in school do not have a vision problem when a high percentage do.
The mother of one of our patients Previously did not bring her daughter for vision care despite eye care coverage because her child passed school vision screening. The passage of the screening falsely assured her her child's eyes were fine. After her child developed nearsightedness(not related to learning) the screening found a problem. Had we seen her at the start of school we could have provided learning glasses (lens therapy) and visual hygiene procedures that may have avoided the nearsightedness in spite of the overburdening classroom academics. She also had an eye turn which the screening did not pick up. Had mother not relied on the misleading school screening, we would have found the eye turn at a point where it may have been easier to treat.
The mother of one of our patients Previously did not bring her daughter for vision care despite eye care coverage because her child passed school vision screening. The passage of the screening falsely assured her her child's eyes were fine. After her child developed nearsightedness(not related to learning) the screening found a problem. Had we seen her at the start of school we could have provided learning glasses (lens therapy) and visual hygiene procedures that may have avoided the nearsightedness in spite of the overburdening classroom academics. She also had an eye turn which the screening did not pick up. Had mother not relied on the misleading school screening, we would have found the eye turn at a point where it may have been easier to treat.

Your teachers could identify those with visually related learning problems. Section (e) of The CA vision screening law, CA Education Code 4945, requires teacher and nurse training to recognize vision symptoms, but this portion of the law is ignored. Insist your school gets this training.

Our education system is creating increasingly more damage to our kids vision while worsening our countries academic standing. Not until we wake up and make appropriate modifications the downward spiral will continue. Imagine how far we are behind Scandinavian countries.
I, Dr. Henshaw, am only one voice, but we are able to help the kid’s in our office with the above mentioned learning glasses and visual hygiene even though the schools push our kids beyond their limits. I created a positive series of information for parents on this website to assure your children’s academics are productive without harm to their vision.
As a parent , there is a lot you can do. Below I will answer the following 7 questions:
I, Dr. Henshaw, am only one voice, but we are able to help the kid’s in our office with the above mentioned learning glasses and visual hygiene even though the schools push our kids beyond their limits. I created a positive series of information for parents on this website to assure your children’s academics are productive without harm to their vision.
As a parent , there is a lot you can do. Below I will answer the following 7 questions:

1. What part of vision is related to learning?

2. What is the best economical school vision screening that relates to learning for which the original mandate was written?

3. At what age should reading be introduced?

4. What happens if kids are introduced to academic skills above their age level?

5. Why are children introduced to academic content above their age level?
6. What should be done to assure neither vision nor academics are harmed in the school setting? |
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7. What can we do now as the US education system won’t change over night? Dr. Henshaw's Two Step Program Go to 7 Steps to Preserve your Child's Vision at School for details. |