Here is an article published yesterday in our local paper the Sun Gazatte about Marcus and his patients.
Vision problem cleared, child ready for school
POSTED: August 3, 2010
Email: "Vision problem cleared, child ready for school"
MUNCY - Tura Snook got headaches at school. She held her books unusually close to her face. Schoolwork was a chore.
Fortunately, her local optometrist identified the problem: the text was doubling, breaking into two. Then, she completed vision therapy.
When Tura saw the family optometrist, Dr. Thomas Gmitter at Price Optical in Williamsport, Snook's mother recalls the doctor telling her that she had "good eyesight but poor vision." Although Snook had 20-20 eyesight and did not need glasses, Gmitter uncovered a vision problem that caused her headaches when reading. He then recommended an evaluation with Dr. Marcus Myers at the Vision and Learning Center.
Skipping words, reversing letters
When reading, Snook would skip words and reverse certain letters. She occasionally would misalign columns of numbers in math. She hunched over her books, getting unusually close, and used her finger to avoid losing place in text. She got tired with reading.
And then there were the headaches.
"She is a very bright child who seems to listen and learn quickly," said her mother, Jennifer Loner of Williamsport.
Her mother worried, however, that the problems would hinder school performance and even affect her daughter's self-esteem.
"I don't get headaches now," Snook said.
"Tura no longer complains of headaches from reading. Her handwriting has improved tremendously. She can read the clock and math has become easier. All of the other things - I was not aware that they were being affected by her vision, but I have definitely noticed improvement," her mother said.
Snook, 7, will enter second grade at Stevens Elementary School in the fall. She is the daughter of Loner and Jeremy Snook of Williamsport.
Like many people, they had limited knowledge of learning-related vision problems like the disorder affecting their daughter.
Some children will be categorized as having a reading problem, but for many, the underlying problem will be a visual restriction, not a learning disorder.
Processing data
"Eighty percent of classwork requires that students gather and process information visually," according to Myers, an optometrist with residency certification in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation.
He recently returned to the region after treating patients with learning-related vision problems in Manhattan. The Vision and Learning Center opened in January.
"A common sign is that it takes hours to do 20 minutes of homework," Myers said. "This child often cannot recall what they just read, and they skip or re-read lines."
The text may seem to move or float on the page. Children rarely report this as a vision problem, however, because a child has no way to compare his vision to someone else's.
Other common signs include headaches in the afternoon, child rubs their eyes frequently, falls asleep when reading, overlooks small words or reverses letters or words or avoids reading altogether.
Symptoms overlap
"There is a significant overlap in symptoms between ADHD and convergence insufficiency. Learning-related vision problems complicate, or mimic, attention problems," Myers said.
Snook's specific vision problem is called convergence insufficiency, a problem where the eyes have trouble working together at close range. This condition is among the most common vision problems that affect reading and learning, Myers said.
"This eye muscle coordination problem, which affects approximately 5 percent of the school-age population, is a leading cause of headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, double vision and loss of place in text."
In a remedial reading class, the rate of untreated learning-related vision problems can be much higher.
Frustrations
"This type of vision problem is too frequently overlooked, and children and parents become frustrated with schoolwork as a result," Myers said.
Near the conclusion of Snook's therapy, her mother reported fewer problems with homework, improved self-confidence, less loss of place while reading, smoother oral reading, improved reading comprehension, relief of headaches and fatigue, improvement in balance and sports, and greater enjoyment of school.
"I could see the chalkboard better at school," Snook said. "It helped me see better. I think it would help people a lot."
For more information about the Vision and Learning Center, call 546-4885.
Vision workshops offered for parents, caregivers
MUNCY - Dr. Marcus Myers at the Vision and Learning Center here is offering free workshops for parents and professionals who suspect their child may have a learning-related vision problem. Upcoming workshops are planned for:
7:15 p.m. today at the Vision and Learning Center
7 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Muncy Public Library
To register, call Karen at the Vision and Learning Center at 546-4885.
