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Evidence Does Not Support Vision Therapy to Correct Dyslexia in Children

NEW YORK -- August 5, 2009 -- Children with suspected dyslexia and learning disabilities should receive only individualised, evidenced-based diagnostic and educational interventions combined with psychological, medical and vision-oriented treatments as needed.

In a joint policy statement, "Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision," the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and the American Association of Certified Orthoptists set out recommendations for identifying and treating dyslexia, a language-based disorder.

While vision problems can interfere with the process of learning, vision problems are not the cause of dyslexia or learning disabilities.

There is no scientific evidence to support the use of eye exercises, vision therapy, tinted lenses or filters to directly or indirectly treat learning disabilities, and such therapies are not recommended or endorsed. There is no valid evidence that children participating in vision therapy are more responsive to educational instruction than children who do not participate.

Recommendations in the policy for healthcare providers include:
· Children who exhibit signs of learning disabilities should be referred as early in the process as possible for educational, psychological, neuropsychological, and/or medical diagnostic assessments.
· Children with learning disabilities should receive appropriate support and individualised evidence-based educational interventions combined with psychological and medical treatments as needed.
· Paediatricians and family physicians should perform periodic eye and vision screening for all children according to national standards and refer those who do not pass screening to ophthalmologists who are experienced in the care of children.
· Children with a suspected or diagnosed learning disability in which vision is felt to play a role by parents, the child, educators, or physicians should be referred to an ophthalmologist with experience in the care of children, because routine pediatric vision screening is not designed to detect nearvision problems.
· Ophthalmologists should identify and treat any significant ocular or visual disorder found to be present.

SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics

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