When a child is asked to attend to near point tasks, such as reading or schoolwork, the visual demand naturally increases due to the close proximity of the task. Vision is called upon to converge, accommodate and track. One must converge to keep the image single, accommodate to keep the image clear and then track by moving eyes from “spot-to-spot” i.e. when reading or writing.  Of the three tasks, convergence delays, or convergence insufficiency, has been shown to overlap sym

Too often, pencil push-ups are assigned as an “exercise” to improve ocular convergence ability. Occupational therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, ophthalmologists and even optometrists often prescribe this sort of treatment for convergence insufficiency. Although, in theory, this method may seem like a suitable approach, it has several flaws. More so, there is a better method that is just as portable and more effective. First, let’s discuss why p

Visual perception is the process we use to gather visual information from the environment and the ability to organize, understand and give it meaning. Visual information is taken in from one’s surroundings and integrated with all other senses. This process can be done while incorporating all the integrated information with other things such as past experiences, motivation and development. It is essential to have these skills work together to further develop learning. The foll

Children with visual impairments experience greater difficulty with school-related tasks such as reading and writing, playing sports, and achieving success in future work roles. The most common vision problems in school-age children include focusing deficits, eye movement and tracking difficulties, amblyopia (lazy eye) and/or strabismus (wandering eye). Here are some signs to look for in a child who may have an underlying visual impairment: Appearance Closing an eye Eye turn