READING SYMPTOMS OF POOR SACCADIC FIXATIONS
It may be your child at school. It may be your husband at home.
When reading:
a. Do they frequently lose their place?
b. Do they leave out words?
c. Do they put in words that are not there?
d. Do they move their head when trying to read?
When watching your son or husband, do you see signs of stress such as:
a. Do their eyes water?
b. Do they rub their eyes frequently?
c. Do they get frontal headaches when trying to read?
d. If in school, do they have difficulty copying from the board?
Does your child or husband have to rely on letter sounds to decode words?
Does your child or husband decode phonetically and then fail to read the same word later in the same story?
All or some of these symptoms point to poor saccade function.
Children and adults affected use sounds to read–not their eyes.
Vantage Reading is the only program available that quickly and efficiently addresses this problem.
The Vantage Reading Program has changed over time in very significant ways. Our ongoing research has helped us develop deeper and deeper understandings of the connection between vision and reading success. As this happened we changed our programs to correlate with our findings. This continues to this very day.
One major change is in the name of our programs. In the beginning our programs were under the umbrella called the “Bonding the Senses” programs. This umbrella of programs is now called “Vantage Reading” programs. All were directly developed by Mrs. Alice Ross and this is still the case.
Our early work tied sensory integration with our vision therapy programs. We have found the programs are more successful and take much less time without this connection.
The following independent study with autistic students was done when the program was called the“Bonding the Senses” program. For continuity we have left this title in this copy of the study. A gentle reminder that this program has evolved into the Vantage Reading program and can be now be found through www.vantagereading.com.
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SENSORY INTEGRATION AND AUTISM
A Research project Completed
by
Sharon de la Mare, M.A.
Calgary, Alberta
June 1989
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to study the effect of a specific program, Bonding the Senses ,(Ross, 1986), on motor function skills of autistic children. The program was administered to 6 subjects ranging in age from 6 years 8 months to 8 years 4 months. The mean chronological age was 6 years 3 months. All of the subjects were independently diagnosed as autistic using DSM III criteria (APA, 1980). There were 4 males and 2 females. The subjects were pretested using an adapted form of a sensory integration data collection form developed by Ruth Smith, a physiotherapist with R.E.A.C.H. This test assessed exploratory behaviours, reach on sight and sound, and motility. The targeted intervention took place 5 days per week for 1 hour per day, for a 3 month period of time. Post testing was then done using the same instrument used for the pre-testing. Pre and post test data was then compared. In all cases there was a significant increase in responsiveness.
RESULTS
Pre-test Data Post Treatment Data
Subject #1
Exploratory Behaviour 3 min. 35 sec Ex. Beh. 37 min. 11 sec.
Sight 36/54 Sight 54/54
Sound 1/27 Sound 27/27
Motor 10/135 Motor 125/135
Subject #2
11 min. 40 sec. 43 min. 33 sec.
18/54 54/54
1/27 15/27
10/135 40/135
Subject #3
1 min. 40 sec. 32 min. 41 sec
18/54 54/54
3/27 27/27
120/135 135/135
Subject #4
11 min. 49 sec. 44 min. 3 sec.
24/54 54/54
11/27 25/27
70/135 125/135
Subject #5
2 min. 4 sec. 43 min. 12 sec.
40/54 54/54
0/27 27/27
55/135 125/135
Subject #6
2 min. 5 sec. 10 min. 9 sec.
34/54 50/54
2/27 27/27
65/135 85/135
THE 20/20 MYTH
For years the number 20/20 has been used to express perfect eye sight. If a student has 20/20 eyesight he can see perfect detail both near and far. This is called visual acuity. The measurement for visual acuity is a chart with rows of letters. The top letters are large. Each succeeding row of letters is smaller and smaller. The student reads the letters from top to bottom until he can”t identify them.
The first number of “20/20” represents the distance of the student from the chart, 20 feet. The second number represents the smallest letter row the student can read.
As students need to see perfect detail at near point (desk level) and to see perfect detail at far point
(board level), THEY NEED 20/20 VISION TO DO SCHOOL WORK EFFECTIVELY. We advise parents to have their children’s eyes checked as early as three years of age, and for sure when a child begins school. Vision specialists are able to provide normal vision by prescribing glasses.Following this the student is expected to read.
However 10 to 15% of students still cannot read.
YES THEY CAN SEE !
NO THEY CANNOT READ!
So the 20/20 myth is exposed.
The problem is identified as POOR VISION SKILLS.
These students have a problem that is rarely recognized. Very few ophthalmologists or optometrists screen for vision skills in their regular exams. Teachers cannot screen for vision skills as it is not in their training. Phonetic training makes the problem worse. What, then are poor vision skills?
Eyes are directed by muscles The muscles of the eyes work together to move from left to right, up and down in circles or obliquely. They must triangulate(converge) at near point to read. The united movement of both eyes are required to read adequately. Sluggish muscle tone impairs student’s ability to move their eyes from left to right or to store word meanings. A fast eye movement called a SACCADIC FIXATION allows the visual system to store one or more words and to understand it’s meaning. The non-reading students often have non-functioning saccadic fixations.
Saccadic fixations are the target of the VANTAGE READING PROGRAM. Restoring this function is vital to the student’s academic succes and to their well being.This is a learning disability that is curable. Six weeks of training is all that is required.
CALL US TODAY AT 250-554-1105.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAILURE AND A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS IS A PHONE CALL AWAY. THE AUTHOR HERSELF WILL ANSWER THE PHONE. BELIEVE IT!
www.vantagereading.com
Very few teachers have any coursework in how vision skills impact learning and success. It is just not part of the teacher education training system despite the import link between good vision skills and school success. The following is a summary of various vision skills. We hope you find it useful.
The Importance of Vision and Vision Skills in Reading
We “see” with our eyes, and this “seeing” begins a series of events that culminate in what we call Vision – the interpretation of what we see. Our visual system is our prime information gatherer, the dominant human sense in organizing knowledge, detail, time, and space. The eye has many specific duties it must do well for a person to read easily and fluently. Consequently, if one system is dysfunctional it alters the function of all of the other systems.
Even though students may have 20/20 vision and can see perfectly, it is necessary to also have proper near vision skills to use their eyes efficiently from day to day.
Fixation
To get a clear concise picture, each eye must aim at an object precisely enough that the light falls on the fovea – the receptors at the back of the eye. Even a small degree of deviation in one or both eyes will alter this acuity, the sharpness with which one sees.
Focus
Almost simultaneously with fixation, the eye adjusts its crystalline lens so that an object is clear, both at near point and at far point. Any dysfunction in this system causes blurring.
Convergence
Using your eyes to look at an object up close is very different from looking at an object that is far away. When looking at an object up close, such as letters on a page, eye muscles must be able to work in partnership to pull the eyes in, or triangulate (convergence), so that the light still falls on the fovea in each eye. If the eyes do not work together properly, you will have double vision. In contrast, when looking at an object far away, eyes are parallel, and the eye muscles are relaxed. Success at seeing something up close or far away is also linked to the performance of the eye lens. When looking in the distance, eye muscles are relaxed. When shifting to near point, the two medial rectus muscles make the visual axis converge or the two eyes triangulate. When shifting to far point from near point the lateral muscle make the axes parallel. Convergence and divergence are linked to lens performance. The two systems aid each other in function. Vision specialists refer to it as the AC/A ratio. A normal AC/A ratio is 1/3. If the ratio is off it indicates a malfunction of one system. Convergence must be held in position for all near point tasks or students may see double. If accommodation does not hold at near point students may see a blur.
Fusion
If you close either eye, you can still see what you are looking at. If each eye sees on its own, why don’t we see two objects when we see something? Our eyes are made to focus and aim with extreme accuracy, and with this precision, the brain processes the information into one single object. This is called fusion.
Fusion and Steriopsis
When images fall close enough on the fovea of both eyes they have achieved fusion. The object of the focal point is the same whether viewed by the right eye, the left eye, or both eyes. Subtle differences are ignored or suppressed by the brain. Eyes are placed geometrically in different positions. The brain measures the disparity of difference, and from it constructs a three dimensional image. This process provides us with depth perception. This ability is mature at five months of age. In fusion, subtle differences are ignored; in steriopsis the brain recognizes subtle differences. Students who lack fusion and steriopsis cannot excel in sports that include fast moving flying objects, like balls or pucks. They cannot judge velocity. Instead they must rely on size perception, texture and perspective to judge distance. Night driving is difficult because in the dark their perspective and texture markers are gone.
Saccade Fixations
During reading or scanning, eyes move in quick motions called saccades, but for very brief milli-seconds between these quick successive saccade movements, the eyes do not move. This stop time is called a fixation. When the eyes are fixating the vision system is partly responsible for storing pertinent information. If you have slow saccade function the eye’s ability to store information easily and well is altered. As well, difficulties with reading fluency and comprehension appear.
Another tool in your toolbox!
Thinking outside the box
Teachers, Principals, Counsellors, Special Education staff, and Parent Advisory Groups all have a part to play in the education of our children. Redirection or change in how we do things to help a child succeed in school should be a natural and ongoing part of our school culture.
Here are some examples of redirecting or rethinking how we might approach in a new a fresh way some typical scenarios in our schools.
Clumsy? Poor motor control?
Do you feel completely comfortable when you hear that “boys mature a little later”, or would you prefer to check into the following possibility?
If the visual system is dysfunctional it causes poor spatial awareness. This in turn affects motor control, causing clumsiness with locomotion and manipulation. Students with poor visual systems fail to pay attention visually. Their systems react in a more primitive and inefficient way causing flawed storage of facts in their memory systems.
A.D.D.? Restless? Poor copying?
Should a child be made to sit wiggling and working ineffectively in his seat,
or should we pursue what may be a simple solution.
What about the following possibility?
If the visual system does not function efficiently visual attention is not secure. Working at near point – for example, seatwork at school – is extremely uncomfortable and young children can only stand this kind of stress for a short time. This often leads educators to think the child has an attention deficit.
Unreadable notebook? Poor copying?
Ask an optometrist to assess “near vision skills”, and check into the following possibility.
Copying from a textbook or worksheet to a notebook may be very difficult if a student has poor fixation skills or poor accommodation. Copying from a board is sometimes impossible because of the crystalline lens’ inability to adjust to the different distances.
Awkward lettering? Cannot stay on the line? Slow to finish work?
Should we keep saying, “Stay in and do it again?” and “Try harder”,
or might we consider the following?
Writing or printing properly and neatly may be affected because eyes guide the hand in writing. With poor vision skills, students often print with awkward lettering. They have difficulty keeping their work in between the lines on a page, and they are slow to complete work.
Word skipping? Misread words? Poor understanding?
For this most critical of school skills, can we afford to “give him time”
when there may be the following possibility?
Reading is affected the most by poor vision skills. Students often have no accurate left to right eye movement, a skill necessary for reading books. Words and even lines are skipped, words are misread, and students do not understand what they read. Because all school subjects depend heavily on reading, a student is in jeopardy even though he may have a normal intelligence.
Distractible? Disruptive? Aggressive? Poor social interactions?
Is your child or a student having social problems and you don’t really know why?
Consider this.
Behaviour difficulties arise because of reading and writing problems. Teachers and parents often look for a psychological reason for poor work production and poor behaviour, while the cause may be near vision skills. Typical behaviours of students with poor near vision skills are:
• distractibility,
• avoidance of reading or writing,
• indications of frustration,
• excessive blinking and eye strain when working at close range, or “near point”,
• disruptive behaviours in class, aggressive behaviour in groups,
• good attention to auditory learning,
• distrust of adults who admonish them to work harder for succeed, and
• poor social skills.
Reversals? Poor sight vocabulary? Can’t remember the alphabet sounds?
Why can most children learn to read quickly and easily, but not “Johnny”?
From Kindergarten to Grade Three, students with Vision problems may:
• fail to remember letter forms,
• fail to remember simple three letter words,
• use exaggerated auditory closure to read each word,
• have trouble with spatial concepts on paper,
• have poor visual attention,
• have poor printing form and reversals persisting even up to Grade Three,
• have work production slow down as grades get higher, and
• fail to respond to remediation classes.
From Grades Four and up, students with Vision problems may:
• fall behind their peers in reading by two to three years,
• have their work production decrease markedly as school demands increase, and
• show disruptive behaviour, day dreaming, behaviour excesses, and avoidance techniques. They may proceed from tension relieving activities to intentional disruption. Many students by Grade Six have hard-core behaviour problems.