Children who develop headaches while reading or who struggle to complete their homework may be sufferring from an under-diagnosed vision problem. As many as one of every 20 students have some degree of “CI” or “convergence insufficiency,” the AP reports. Standard vision screenings administered by schools won’t catch it, since such exams stress distance vision.
To bring print or other close-in work into focus, both eyes must turn slightly inward, or converge. Convergence insufficiency means the eyes aren’t doing that properly. Words may appear blurry or double, or disappear as readers lose their place. “Complaints are rare in very young children because pictures and large type don’t require as much convergence,” the AP notes. “Parents tend to start noticing a problem once homework and deeper reading begins.”
