Jan
14
2010

Homework Meltdowns: A Tip for Parents

There are a lot of educational strategies to help children with homework.  But what happens when a child hits a meltdown?  Or worse yet, when you hit that meltdown?

Working with a bright child who seems to get it, but can’t focus on homework can be very frustrating.  Your child seems motivated, but somehow takes forever to do homework.  What’s wrong?

According to the American Optometric Association over 60% of children who have difficulty with reading and learning also have vision problems that have not been identified.  Vision problems are often missed because people think that all there is to vision is being able to see the eye chart during the vision screening or eye exam.

The first step is to identify the problem.  This is often the most difficult step.    Observing your child when doing homework may provide some very helpful clues.  If you know what to look for, you may be able to unlock the door to success.  For example, does your child:

  • avoid reading or homework?
  • understand the materials when you read them to her, but not when she reads for herself?
  • turn his or her head at an angle when reading?
  • have more trouble comprehending what is read the longer he or she reads?

The signs and symptoms that a vision problem is blocking learning are easy to see, when you know what to look for.  Unfortunately, parents and educators assume that a child can see up close because the child can obviously see things in the distance – like the board in the classroom, the TV, etc.  They also assume everything is fine visually because the child hasn’t complained about a vision problem.

So the next time you are about to get into a homework battle, give our office a call instead:  603.766.4548

Success Corner

We are honored to work with a variety of patients from young children to older adults who have all struggled in their lives in different ways prior to meeting us.

At our recent Open House to celebrate our new location we held a special graduation ceremony for those who completed vision therapy.  If you missed it and would like to share your continued success with us, we would love to hear from you!  Just send us an email at:

doctoramy@visualvictorytraining.com

“Without vision therapy I would still be unable to walk with both eyes open, unable to drive a car, or return to work.”           –Maryann P.

“Vision Therapy has given Rebecca much confidence in her school work and decreased her struggles in writing in the classroom.  Her reading is improving.  It would be great if some conferences be given at the schools in the area to make other parents and teachers aware of what visual therapy is all about!  Thank you for what you have done for my daughters and husband.”  –Rachelle

“Vision Therapy helped me to read and helped me to get my eyes straight.”  –Skylar

“Vision Therapy gave our daughter the skills to be successful at school.  After a few months of therapy, she was able to complete homework independently.  She even made Honor Roll!”  –Stacy D.

“Vision Therapy helped my child feel more confident about her ability to read, play sports and balance.  She is able to visually process information and improve her letter reversal, recognition and ability to track, scan things better.  Your teaching helps many kids make progress!!  Not all vision issues are glasses related.”

A Special Word for Parents & Educators:

Did you know that Dr. Amy offers complimentary in-services for your teachers and staff?

Dr. Amy is also available to speak to homeschool groups  and parent-teacher associations, as her schedule permits.

For more information, please give us a call, ask for Rebecca:  603.766.4548

We’ve Moved!!!

Due to the continually growing demand for vision therapy we have opened a new office which is completely dedicated to developmental vision care and vision therapy.

Please make a note of our new location & hours:

Visual Victory Training Center
150 Griffin Rd., Suite #3,
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Hours:

Tuesday through Thursday 9:00 am -5:30 pm

We are dedicated to helping people  in the Northern New England area who have vision problems that interfere with their ability to read or perform their normal activities of daily living .

www.visualvictorytraining.com

Feb
5
2008

Visual Victory Training Mentoring Tips

All of the symptoms below may indicate a serious eye condition

1. Frequent loss of place while reading:

Have you ever been frustrated by losing your place when reading, skipping words, or having to reread something because you did not grasp the meaning the first time through? Try cutting a one- or two- sentence sized slot in a piece of blank paper or light cardboard. Use this “mask” to block off text above and below what you are reading to help keep your place, and reduce visual confusion!

2. Eyestrain on the computer:

The American Optometric Association tells us that many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing a computer screen for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use. The most common symptoms associated with Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) are.

  • eyestrain
  • headaches
  • blurred vision
  • dry eyes
  • neck and shoulder pain

These symptoms may be caused by:

  • poor lighting
  • glare on the computer screen
  • improper viewing distances
  • poor seating posture
  • uncorrected vision problems
  • a combination of these factors

In addition, you might be sensitive to the flicker of the computer monitor, despite not being able to “see” it flicker! Try decreasing the brightness to decrease your sensitivity to the flicker. Alternatively, you might include a very faint grey tint to your glasses if you wear them. The tinted glasses may also help with sensitivity to fluorescent light flicker in large stores.

3. Occasional blurry vision while reading, or changing from reading to across the room:

If your vision is blurry when looking up from reading, your focusing system is in spasm, or cramping, and can not change the focus right away. One way to improve your focusing stamina and flexibility is to get in the habit of alternating focusing far and near whenever you have to wait for things, such as at the bank or grocery store. If you do this frequently, you may find that the vision is more consistent for you when you have been reading for a while. It is also good for your eyes to glance away, at something across the room for about 20 seconds every fifteen to twenty minutes when reading to relax the muscles periodically.