{"id":19889,"date":"2021-11-04T11:11:25","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T11:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=19889"},"modified":"2021-11-04T11:13:32","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T11:13:32","slug":"vision-and-learning-excerpts-from-dr-donald-getz","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-for-school\/vision-and-learning-excerpts-from-dr-donald-getz\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision and Learning: Excerpts from Dr. Donald Getz"},"content":{"rendered":"

If vision is learned, then it can be improved.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Dr. Donald Getz (1931-2012) was a world-renowned lecturer, author and leader in vision therapy<\/a>, he taught the idea that since vision is learned, it can be improved.<\/p>\n

If a child lacks the necessary visual abilities, he might be trained to acquire them with the help of vision therapy techniques<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Learning requires strong visual skills<\/b><\/h2>\n

Because children learn about 75 to 90 percent via their visual pathways, it stands to reason that if those pathways are under-developed or disrupted, a child will not develop to their full potential.<\/p>\n

There are a range of visual skills<\/a> needed for academic success;<\/p>\n

Visual acuity<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are many important visual skills needed for learning. Though it may sound surprising, visual acuity, or the ability to see clearly, is one of the less crucial skills.<\/p>\n

This is the so-called 20\/20, 20\/400, and other measurements of vision. The number 20\/20 simply means that a person can see clearly from a distance of 20 feet away.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, how well a child sees at 20 feet has no bearing on how well he sees at a reading and learning distance, which is roughly 11-16 inches from the face.<\/p>\n

In fact, Dr. Donald Getz believes that measuring vision only using an eye chart exam<\/a>, which determines visual acuity,<\/a> causes more harm than good<\/b>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because it provides a false sense of security to both parents and teachers by implying that vision is normal when the child\u2019s key visual abilities may not be developed.<\/p>\n

Binocular coordination<\/b><\/h2>\n

The ability to coordinate the two eyes together is one of the most important visual skills for learning.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Although this coordination<\/a> is automatic in many children, in other cases a child must learn to use their eyes in tandem.<\/p>\n

Some children, for example, acquire a visual condition known as exophoria<\/a>, which is a tendency for the eyes to deviate outward.<\/p>\n

This can cause the child to experience headaches, fatigue or eye strain and impact their ability to complete homework or study for an exam.<\/p>\n

If you are concerned about your child\u2019s school grades, schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you<\/a> to have your child\u2019s vision evaluated.<\/b><\/p>\n

SEE RELATED:<\/strong> Does My Child Have Dyslexia?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t

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