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Show VISION (These articles are submitted weekly by your Optometrists of Southern Utah, in cooperation with your local newspaper, in order to better acquaint you with the function and problems of vision). Last week we were discussing the concessions a school child may make when he is unable to adapt visually, to school work. Some further concessions are: 1. Roading Problem: Still other children adjust to the distance point or intermediate distance and refuse to read. They may be far-sighted, they may lack binocular vision, or they may not be able to perfect any adjustmant and instead in-stead they retreat from the visual task. If they experience experi-ence discomfort, they may get help. Most of these children, however, do not have discomfort and do pass the visual screening tests given in our schools. Not being able to take advantage of the reading instruction, in-struction, the child becomes more and more retarded in reading, until finally he is classed as a retarded reader. This child usually will be found in the failing or borderline failure group and may achieve only with a great deal of outside help, even though his I. Q. and capacity rating may be high. His comprehension of reading material will be low, because his conscious effort must be directed to ward maintaining clear and single vision, which is nature's na-ture's prime demand. He may achieve this but at the expense ex-pense of not remembering what he has read. If he is highly motivated, he can achieve by spending more time on his studies than the average child. If he is observant, he will tell you that if he reads fast he cannot remember what he has read, and if he reads slowly, he cannot can-not complete tyis assignment. 2. Nonachievement: If he is not highly motivated, he will soon become discouraged. He cannot say, "I cannot keep this clear and single, so I will look out the window." Instead, he looks out the window or engages in activity more acceptable to him but less acceptable to the teacher. He will announce that he does not like reading, but secretly secret-ly he will conclude that he is "just dumb." All children want to be able to read. He may become resentful of his associates who achieve where he fails, and he resents the demands of the teachers who seem to ask the impossible of him. This can lead to a resentment of all law and order and a loss of self-confidence, with its resultant feeling of inferiority, a well-known factor in contributing to juvenile delinquency. The effect of this child's visual condition on I his personality needs no further comment. |