Pediatric ophthalmologists are frequently consulted by families, pediatricians and teachers of children with reading and learning disorders.
A comprehensive pediatric ophthalmologic examination will determine if there are any vision problems requiring eyeglasses, eye muscle imbalances including convergence difficulties or ocular health issues that may be contributing to any reading or learning difficulties.
If the pediatric ophthalmologic examination is normal, the appropriate remediation is then required either with a private reading tutor or resource room at school providing “evidence based” remediation. Parents must be wary of non-evidence based remediation such as various “vision therapy” regimens and prism glasses.
These are excellent sources of information for parents of children with reading or learning difficulties:
- Landmark article published in Scientific American highlighting the pioneering work of Dr. Sally Shaywitz at Yale regarding reading disorders.
- Excellent book chapter on learning disabilities.
The fallacy of vision therapy for treating reading or learning disorders is well defined in these links:
- American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Ophthalmology statement denouncing vision therapy for learning disabilities.
- Medical Journal article denouncing vision therapy for learning disabilities.
Pediatric Ophthalmic Consultants
40 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10023 | 212-981-9800
The content of this Web site is for informational purposes only. If you suspect that you or your child has any ocular problem,
please consult your pediatrician, family practitioner, or ophthalmologist to decide if a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist is required.
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