Why is My Child a Slow Reader and Struggling in School?: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Nearly 25% of school-aged children have difficult reading.

Ten million students have vision problems, and 85% of juveniles in the court system are functionally illiterate.

The answer may be as simple as an eye exam.

Why is My Child a Slow Reader and Struggling in School? summarizes the importance of eye exams in children and explores the correlation between vertical phoria and the diagnosis of attention and reading disorders that can lead to poor performance in school and students eventually dropping out. Research by Barry Fretwell, O.D. and Michael Conte, O.D. suggests that some behavioral disorders in children are not psychological; they have to do with the child’s eye alignment. Stressing the need for parents to seek additional eye exams even if their children are labeled with 20/20 vision, the authors explain vertical phoria and how to identify the symptoms.

Relief is possible for children who are victims of vertical phoria. All childcare providers, including parents, grandparents, teachers, and school nurses, need to learn about this conditiion and how correcting it can help students increase their reading abillity. A student who can read has endless possibilities to succeed!

About the Authors

Michael Conte, O.D. and Barry Fretwell, O.D., therapeutic optometrists, have been in family practice in Texas for over twenty years. They have a special interest in children in school with learning disabilities or who are underperformers with normal intelligence.