| Learning disability testing or diagnosing learning | | | | the child has no longsight presenting, the incapability |
| disabilities is a complex and often contentious area. | | | | to focus or the stress involved with focusing can be |
| With no particular testing available which instantly | | | | a great big factor in both the learning disability and |
| diagnoses "learning disability", is comes down to a | | | | overall concentration. |
| selection of practitioners using a sequence of tests | | | | 4. Testing how the eyes coordinate together, |
| to "piece together" the diagnosis. | | | | because a child failing to coordinate their eyes when |
| Fundamentally, learning disability testing revolves | | | | reading (such as in convergence insufficiency) can |
| around the particular area of the tester, with | | | | certainly contribute in the learning disability. |
| educationalists applying tests which center on | | | | 5. Testing how the child tracks their eyes across the |
| education, though clinical psychologists apply tests | | | | page, since the reading disorders related with |
| which revolve around intelligence and problem solving. | | | | diagnosing learning disabilities can often be affected |
| As an Optometrist, I run a lot of tests for not | | | | by poor tracking or eye movement skills. |
| merely eye related problems, but also visual | | | | 6. Testing visual memory, because reduced visualizing |
| perception, both of which can have a effect on | | | | and visual memory can radically impact the ability of a |
| diagnosing learning disabilities, but I do not run any | | | | child to bear in mind and keep in mind spelling words, |
| particular educational tests for a child with learning | | | | which reduces sight words and contributes to |
| disabilities. | | | | diagnosing learning disabilities. |
| However, as we are increasingly learning, a l child with | | | | 7. Testing other areas of perception, including |
| learning disabilities shows a complex series of | | | | sequencing, coding, visual manipulation, directionality |
| problems, lots of of which span quite a few of the | | | | (for letter reversals) and other perceptual skills which |
| areas of expertise of the many learning disability | | | | can adversely affect a child in their learning. |
| testing practitioners. In other words, no one particular | | | | This list of tests is purely from a Behavioral |
| examination confirms or denies a learning disability. | | | | Optometry point of view, yet each of these areas |
| Examination any child and you will often find that no | | | | can have a mammoth affect on a child suffering with |
| one area of health science or education has all the | | | | a learning disability. Testing and treating a l child with |
| answers. Similarly, there are loads of learning | | | | learning disabilities may be difficult, but I find it |
| disabilities resources, but many of of them are | | | | remarkably rewarding when we can offer the |
| excessive in costs or located out of the field for | | | | facilitate this child badly needs. |
| numerous people. | | | | When facing a child with learning disabilities, I am in |
| For my part, as a Behavioral Optometrist, the testing | | | | essence testing the workings of the eyes and visual |
| that I pursue for child with learning disabilities follows | | | | system, and the visual skills the child has available for |
| the following outline | | | | the tasks of reading, writing and spelling. The great |
| 1. Testing the overall health of the eyes and visual | | | | news is that, once we confirm strictly where the |
| pathways, including the sight (seeing ability) of the | | | | child lacks skill, we can use Optometric Vision |
| child, to confirm that the learning disability is not the | | | | Therapy to instruct those areas which are deficient |
| direct result of a loss of vision. It rarely ever is. | | | | and pick up the performance of a child in those skills. |
| 2. Testing the refractive status of the child, which is | | | | With "Learning @ Lightspeed", this is only to do at |
| their prescription (for distance). This ascertains if they | | | | home and very cheap, so if you have had learning |
| are long or shortsighted, if any astigmatism is present | | | | disability testing done with your child, I strongly |
| and if these could be contributing to the diagnosing | | | | advise you to check out the complete Learning @ |
| of learning disabilities. | | | | Lightspeed system. |
| 3. Testing the way the eyes focus together. Even if | | | | |