More than just an eye check: Yorkshire Optometrist explains how well developed senses can help a child learn

This Yorkshire Optometrist goes beyond a regular eye check and explains why some students need more than just an eye test. Submitted picture

We all know that our children’s learning can suffer if their vision is impaired, and a regular eye check can identify problems early and not leave them struggling in the classroom.

But this Yorkshire Optometrist explains how it’s not just how the eyes work – but how developing vision and other senses are fundamental to efficient academic learning.

VisionCare Development is a Neuro-developmental Optometry practice, with premises in York, which deals with vision, rather than eyesight – that is how the brain uses all the senses combine to make sense of what, where and when.

From infancy to adolescence, our senses shape how we perceive and interact with the world, playing a crucial role in cognitive growth and educational attainment.

Vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell are the gateways through which we gather information from the environment. As infants and young children explore the world using their senses, they lay the foundation for future learning. For example, visual perception helps recognise shapes and letters, while auditory processing is essential for language development and understanding spoken instructions in the classroom.

Leading in visual learning

VisionCare Development are at the forefront of visual learning, working as a multi-disciplinary team, they are experts in vision, movement and auditory procession, helping young people to find learning a happier process by identifying and working with any issues.

They also specialise in treating amblyopia (lazy eye reading difficulties, learning difficulties, balance and posture, retained reflexes, hemianopia, visual rehabilitation, visual perception, auditory processing and more.

Understanding vision

To learn efficiently our minds and bodies must work together – making sense of various sensory channels simultaneously. It helps students grasp complex concepts, retain attention and engagement, connect emotionally to certain stimuli and learning processes, develop good motor skills for academic and physical tasks, improve language and communication, and social interaction.

Without these skills students may struggle with academic tasks and learning, they may have reduced attention spans and be easily distracted; without developing that emotional connection to learning, they can develop a negative attitude or just be disinterested, may struggle to complete assignments, to engage, communicate and fully take part in classroom discussions or struggle in social settings, missing social cues.

Ruth Perrott MBE, managing behavioural optometrist, said “Early sensory development is vital in laying the groundwork for academic success, and if it does not take place adequately, it can lead to learning difficulties, social challenges, and long-term implications for a child's educational journey and future opportunities.

“Parents, educators, and caregivers should prioritise sensory development in early childhood to ensure the best outcomes for academic learning and overall well-being.”

Find out more

To find out more about VisionCare Development visit https://www.visioncaredevelopment.co.uk