THE CORRELATION BETWEEN VISION & CHILDHOOD LEARNING

Nearly 80% of all learning occurs visually, this means that kids with poor vision quality are, automatically, at an educational disadvantage. Children who suffer from vision problems are less likely to do well in school. This can lead to long-lasting, adverse effects on their rate success as adults (edSource.org, 2018). In the U.S., one in four children with correctable vision ailments are unable to obtain vision correction services (Prevent Blindness, 2018).

Back in 2010, about 30 million U.S. citizens suffered from myopia, a term that refers to mild to severe nearsightedness. It is estimated that, by the year 2030, that number will have risen to 40 million Americans- spanning races and cultures (edSource.org, 2018). For kids, the increase in vision impairment is largely, but not solely, attributed to increased screen time and less time spent outdoors. Research suggests that myopia is currently affecting youth at a much younger age than in past years.

According to information obtained from a study conducted at UCLA, access to the proper vision care services and eyeglasses, early on, can remove critical learning barriers for children (visionandlearning.org, 2018).

80% of children who are reading disabled, including dyslexics, have vision problems which can be solved.
25% of ALL children have a vision problem significant enough to affect their performance in school.
95% of first grade nonreaders have significant vision problems. They have nearly 2.5 times more visual problems than first grade high achievers.
School vision screenings, such as a Snellen eyechart, detect only 20-30% of vision problems in schools.
Only 13 % of mothers with children younger than 2 years of age have taken their baby for a functional well-care eye exam. Yet 1 out 10 children are at risk of having an undiagnosed vision problem (visionandlearning.org, 2018).