When children have difficulty reading, parents often think poor vision is the problem. If a visit to pediatric eye doctor rules out any medical or vision problems, your child may have a learning disability.

A learning disability is a disparity between a person's ability and performance in a certain area. It has nothing to do with intelligence or IQ. A learning disability can make it difficult to succeed in school and, if untreated, can get worse, causing a child to lose self-confidence and interest in school.

Identifying the learning disability is the first step in treating it. Dyslexia, a reading disability that may involve reversing letters and words, is one of the many learning disorders that can affect reading.

Poor reading is not usually an eye problem; however many treatments have been tried and rarely prove helpful. Colored lenses, special diets or vitamins, jumping on trampolines, or walking on balance beams have been prescribed without much success. Over time, these methods have tended to fall out of favor.

Children with learning disabilities benefit from various educational programs, in or out of school. Parents also play a vital role. They can support their children by reading with them at home. Children with learning disabilities need to be encouraged to develop strengths and interests so they can fully develop their unique talents and abilities.

There are some medical and visual problems that if left uncorrected can affect a child's ability to see a clear and single image. If your child has one of these conditions, the disruption to their vision may significantly impact their reading abilities. It is very important to catch these problems sooner rather than later so that your child doesn't fall too far behind. Some of these conditions may be treated with glasses alone while others can be treated with a vision training program. Your pediatric eye doctor can recommend the most appropriate treatment if your child has one of these problems.

9/25/09