Is it a vision issue or a learning issue?

A parent emailed with this question: George has had eye exams, but I really want to find someone who is good at sorting out how much of his learning issues are vision related and how much is from learning or processing issues.



To tell the difference between a learning issue and a vision issue, you can go one of two ways.


1. Do a vision exam with a eye doctor who believes in vision therapy and who will assess vision skills like tracking, visual discrimination, visual memory and other vision issues which can impact reading and learning skills. This way if no problems are found with visual issues you can take the next step and assess for a learning issue.

If visual issues are identified, you will have the information you need address them. Once the visual issues are addressed there may still be some learning areas that need to be strengthened, but it will be easier now that the visual skills are working better.


2. Have an educational evaluation that includes auditory and visual processing issues including: auditory and visual memory, auditory and visual attention, phonological processing, visual scanning, visual-motor integration, along with reading, writing, math and language ability. This kind of testing usually also includes an WISC IV IQ test, so cognitive abilities can be compared to processing and academic abilities.

This assessment will give a good overall picture of the child's learning strengths and weaknesses. Then a plan can be made to build the weak areas and maximize the strengths.

Processing Speed

 

 

Processing Speed

 

 

What most parents ask me is," What does this mean for my child? Why is this important?"

 

  

There is now an overload of information given out. Definitions and diagnoses are easy to find, the hard part is figuring out how this affects the everyday life of your child and what you can do to help.

 

The thing about processing speed is that there are actually two kinds. To understand how it is affecting your child you need to know what is going on with your child.

The first kind is visual processing speed, this is the most common kind referred to. Visual processing speed is how fast your child can look at and processing information on a task that does not take anymore thinking that noticing the differences or sameness in the objects shown. This type of processing speed issues may be helped by vision therapy, or larger print. Extra time on tests is important so the child has time to correctly "see" the information and not make careless errors due to misreading the information.

 

 

 

The second kind of processing speed is cognitive processing speed. This is how long it takes a child to process ( take in information, think about it and then give an answer). This type of child also needs extra time on tests, not "see" the information but to "think" about the answer.

 

 

 

While both processing speed types need extra time on tests to enable them perform at their potential, the reason behind the extra time is very different. This means if you are trying to help build the areas of weakness, those weak areas are going to be very different.

  

Processing Speed

 

http://www.etfo.ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/SpecialEducation/Pages/Processing%20Speed.aspx

Processing Speed is one of the measures of cognitive efficiency or cognitive proficiency. It involves the ability to automatically and fluently perform relatively easy or over-learned cognitive tasks, especially when high mental efficiency is required. That is, for simple tasks requiring attention and focused concentration. It relates to the ability to process information automatically and therefore speedily, without intentional thinking through.

  

A student with processing speed needs has difficulty in performing simple cognitive tasks fluently and automatically, especially when mental efficiency in focusing concentration is required.

  

• Students with processing speed needs may take more time to:
• recognize simple visual patterns and in visual scanning tasks
• take tests that require simple decision making
• perform basic arithmetic calculations and in manipulating numbers, since these operations are not automatic for them
• perform reasoning tasks under time pressure
• make decisions that require understanding of the material presented
• read silently for comprehension
• copy words or sentences correctly or to formulate and write passages

 

 

 

 

 

Seven Steps to Building Reading Skills

A child who can read is a child who can learn.

And a child who can learn is a child who can succeed in school and in life.

Secretary of Education, Margaret Spelling.

Margaret Spelling reminds us that learning to read is one of the foundations of life success. Learning to read can be challenging for young children. Many parents and volunteers wonder how the time they spend reading with children can be more productive. The following suggestions are aimed to help parents and volunteers make reading more fun and successful for beginning readers.



1. SET THE STAGE Use the title and cover picture to create enthusiasm for the story. Discuss the picture and how it relates to the title. Ask the reader ,"What do you think the book is going to be about?"



2. LOOK FOR CLUES If this is a phonics-based book, review the phonetic rule for the book. Often the rule is on the inside back cover of the book. Spend a moment with the child playing with the rule. Write the rule down and add sounds. For example, if the rule is long /a/. Write ___a___e and then fill in letters to make words: date, late, mate, kate. Let them have fun, don’t worry if it's a real word or not, just enjoy the process.



3. WATCH OUT FOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD Scan the book for difficult words before you start reading. Write the words on index cards and read them for the child before you start reading. Pull out the card if the child has trouble reading the word in the text and read it to her again. Then let her read the sentence on her own. This process will help with reading fluency and increase the motivation and enjoyment of reading.



4. GREEN LIGHT, GO! Ask the child to start reading.



5. RED LIGHT, STOP TO CORRECT ERRORS When a child makes an error, break down the word into smaller parts. Ask him to identify the first sound, and then the vowel sound. If he doesn’t know either, give him the sound. If there is a rule, follow the sound with the rule. For example, magic E jumps over one letter to make a vowel say its alphabet name, so late has a long /a/sound. Remember, most beginning reader books have the rule in the back or front of the book.



6. YELLOW LIGHT, CAUTION! Prep for success. If the child has a repeating error, write it on an index card in large letters and show and read it to the student each time she makes that error. This builds sight word vocabulary.



7. WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? Use visual cues in the book as frames of reference to make sure the student understands what he reads. Question the reader, Why is this picture in the book? Ask comprehension questions such as: What do you think is going to happen next? Who is your favorite character, and why ?Was this a funny story? Why or why not?



Reading is a complex skill that requires strong visual, auditory and attention proficiency. Many times, beginning readers need more developmental time to acquire these skills.



You can find a checklist designed to help you know where to focus when reading with a child at www.Kandmcenter.com. It is in the articles section. After you complete the checklist, add up the score and read about additional ways to help the specific child you are reading with.