| Cognitive processing training and therapy are | | | | dyslexia training. One aspect of vision that is often |
| necessary for effective dyslexia therapy and | | | | overlooked is eye-teaming. Unlike refractive errors |
| training. Most experts agree that dyslexia is a | | | | that must be corrected with lens, eye-teaming |
| minimal or limited brain dysfunction, resulting in | | | | problems can improve with therapy. Eye-teaming |
| reading and writing difficulties. Cognitive skills are | | | | occurs when both eyes converge or come |
| the backbone of the learning process and can be | | | | together exactly on the same object of regard. |
| developed. These skills include: | | | | In the case of reading, this would be a letter or |
| Attentionconcentrationmemoryprocessing | | | | word. Vergence insufficiency occurs when |
| speedvisual processing speedvisualizationvisual | | | | binocular fusion (in both eyes) is broken and one |
| memorylogic and reasoning | | | | eye is not pointed at the letter or word. |
| The brain as well as the body must be exercised | | | | Over-converging means one eye moves too far |
| and developed to learn fast and effectively. | | | | inward, missing the target letter or word. |
| Cognitive processing training is exercise for the | | | | Under-converging means that one eye does not |
| brain as physical exercise is for the body. Just as | | | | reach the target letter or word. Physical |
| a person who has lost muscle strength in a leg | | | | manifestations of eye-teaming difficulties can |
| must exercise and walk a little more each day to | | | | include blurring, itching, aching, and excessive |
| gain strength; a child with dyslexia must build and | | | | blinking and squinting of the eyes. In addition, |
| develop cognitive skills to overcome a disability like | | | | skipping small words and lines of print and a short |
| dyslexia. Cognitive training makes the learning | | | | attention span with avoidance of reading, may be |
| process faster and easier because more of the | | | | the result of an eye-teaming problem. There are |
| learning process becomes automatic. | | | | more sophisticated tests available but the one |
| For example, Daniel age 8 has dyseidesia. Typical | | | | below can detect an eye-teaming difficulty. |
| for this type of dyslexia, he often reverses | | | | Stand in front of your child and hold a pencil |
| letters and phonetically sounds out even simple | | | | upright with the tip of the eraser about 6 inches |
| words. As a result, Daniel's reading skills are slow | | | | from your child's nose. Instruct your child to focus |
| and methodical as he sounds out each word as he | | | | on the tip of the eraser...now slowly move the |
| reads. His strength is in phonetics; therefore, the | | | | eraser toward the tip of the nose almost touching |
| phonetic approach will be used to help Daniel now. | | | | it. Look at his/her eyes as you are doing this... if |
| Later in therapy sessions sight words will be | | | | one eye turns outward or inward this is an |
| incorporated. Daniel is now preoccupied with the | | | | indication of an eye-teaming problem. Remember |
| mechanics of reading and writing and is still reading | | | | that both eyes must focus on a word to see it |
| too slowly and not comprehending what he reads. | | | | correctly and accurately when reading. |
| Cognitive processing training would improve his | | | | Optometric vision therapy can be performed by a |
| reading speed, efficiency and comprehension. | | | | parent or teacher to alleviate an eye-teaming |
| For Daniel to learn faster, cognitive training | | | | problem. These procedures can be incorporated |
| exercises should be introduced early in the | | | | into dyslexia therapy and training and only take a |
| dyslexia training sessions. The exercises should | | | | few minutes a day. An optometrist or visual |
| start with patterns and objects and progress to | | | | therapist can help you determine the correct |
| letters and numbers as processing improves. As | | | | exercises for your child. |
| the intensity of the exercises increase, Daniel's | | | | Cognitive processing training and eye-teaming |
| processing speed, visual motor speed, and | | | | therapy are two of the ways a parent or teacher |
| visualization skills will improve. | | | | can help a child with dyslexia learn faster and |
| Eye-teaming is also important to include in dyslexia | | | | easier. Dyslexia is a complex disorder but |
| training. Although vision is not a component of the | | | | cognitive and visual training can clear the pathway |
| cause of dyslexia, vision problems can hinder the | | | | to make learning easier. |