Billy is a 7 year old patient of ours.  He is in the second grade and has struggled in school since beginning kindergarten.  About 10 months ago, his mother found our office and brought Billy to see me, to see if vision problems might be to blame for his academic difficulties.

As it turns out, Billy had tremendous difficulty with his visual perceptual skills. 

What is visual perception?  It is, quite simply, the ability to make sense of what you see.

So, you can have 20/20 eyesight, but if you don't process what you are seeing well, then you still might have a vision problem!

Here's an example that's relevant to Billy.  He had difficulty remembering his letters in preschool.  Even though his mother had worked with him on learning letters and numbers, it seemed like the information wouldn't "stick."

The same thing happens when kids have difficulty remembering their sight words.  Or their multiplication tables.  Or math formulas.  These are delays in the skill of visual memory.  

6 months after arriving at our office, and driving over an hour each way, Billy is now nearing his graduation date from vision therapy to address his visual perceptual skills.  In a heartfelt note written to Billy's vision therapist, she notes that Billy would cry every day before school.  

Now, Billy goes to school willingly, ready to learn.  He is a happier child; his reading and math are improving.  He's getting the help that he needs and now he is ready to learn!

It's been a great day at the Center for Vision & Learning!

- Dr. Cheryl Davidson