Karen Herz
Learning Resource Specialist, Hales Corners Lutheran Elementary School
As a learning resource teacher, every school day I have the opportunity to work side by side with struggling readers. These students often have low self-esteem, little confidence, behavior issues, and great difficulty completing grade-level school work. Their parents have sought advice from one professional after another and many times their children have been diagnosed as learning disabled, inattentive, or in many cases, no specific problem is determined. Their struggles continue day after day.
The students at our school have been blessed with a staff that has some knowledge of developmental vision skills and the relationship to learning. I am grateful to two parents who approached me several years ago when I first became the Reading Specialist. Both were parents of students who had benefited from vision therapy, and they wanted me to know about vision training so I, in turn, could help other children. I am thankful for Dr. Kellye Knueppel of The Vision Therapy Center for spending much time educating me and other teachers in the area. Web sites, books, and articles were also very helpful.
When I first learned of vision therapy and its correlation with improved learning abilities, I could hardly believe it. It sounded like a miracle. Then the questions came. Does it really work? How could anything so life-changing be such a secret? Why doesn’t anyone know about this? During the past eight years, I have seen many students benefit from vision training, and it does seem like a miracle!
Dr. Knueppel, Dr. Begotka, and The Vision Therapy Center staff have been instrumental in providing success for many struggling learners. Reading levels soar, handwriting becomes neater, fluency improves, and students can stay focused and complete their school work. Instead of avoiding books, students develop an interest in reading. We are very fortunate to have The Vision Therapy Center in our area, and their expertise and commitment to behavioral optometry are very much appreciated. I feel very confident referring new patients to her practice as they will receive excellent care.
Developmental vision concerns seem to be increasing as evidenced by the number of students in my reading classes with vision problems. It is estimated that 25% of our students have developmental vision problems that interfere with learning. How many students would that be in your classroom? How many in your school?
It is disheartening to know that large numbers of children everywhere continue to struggle with learning because teachers, parents, and administrators are not aware of the great impact developmental vision problems can have on learning. Vision therapy can make a huge difference in the lives of students, and I would encourage parents and teachers to consider developmental vision exams for their children.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
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