A Student's Vision Checklist For Teachers

There is much more to teaching than meets the eye. You impart knowledge and strive to stimulate a desire to learn. When a student is having difficulty, you try to help him or her acquire skills needed for learning.

Many of those learning-related skills are visual skills. As a teacher you are in a unique position to detect symptoms of learning-related problems that your students may develop.

The following is a checklist of symptoms for learning-related vision problems. Record your observations of the student and then discuss them with the school nurse and parents. When recommending an eye examination for a child, ask the parents to give the doctor of optometry your checklist.

APPEARANCE OF THE EYES

1. Eyes crossed, turning in or out, or moving independently of each other.
2. Reddened, watering eyes, encrusted eyelids or frequent styes.

BEHAVIORAL INDICATIONS OF POSSIBLE VISION DIFFICULTY

1. Dislike or avoidance of close work.
2. Short attention span for the child's age or frequent daydreaming.
3. Turning or tilting head to use one eye only or closing or covering one eye.
4. Placing head close to book or desk when reading or writing.
5. Excessive blinking or rubbing of eyes.
6. Losing place while reading or using finger or marker to guide eyes.
7. Trouble finishing written timed assignments.
8. Difficulty remembering what is read.
9. Omitting, repeating and miscalling words or confusing similar words.
10. Persistent reversals after second grade.
11. Difficulty remembering, identifying and reproducing basic geometric forms.
12. Difficulty with sequential concepts.
13. Poor eye-hand coordination when copying from chalkboard, throwing or catching a ball, buttoning or unbuttoning clothing or tying shoes.
14. Displaying evidence of developmental immaturity.

COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH USING THE EYES

1. Headaches, nausea and dizziness
2. Burning or itching eyes
3. Blurring of vision at any time
4. Double vision

Students frequently having one or more of the checklist symptoms should be referred for a comprehensive optometric examination and vision analysis.

The information provided in this article and elsewhere on this website are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be considered a medical diagnosis or advice. When in doubt, please visit your local optometrist for a complete professional evaluation.