Binocularity in 10- to 12-year-old children with poor writing and reading ability
Kraus-Mackiw, E.; Müller-Küppers, M.; Rabetge, G.
Metabolic and Pediatric Ophthalmology 4(2): 93-96
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0191-2771 PMID: 7442352 Document Number: 155379
A group of 10-12 yr old boys (n = 12) with reading and writing disability, but without mental or psychological disorders were tested for their sensory binocularity and compared with a group of normal-reading school children of the same age (n = 20). When reading, dyslexic children omit word endings, get tongue-tied with long words, fail to see short words or replace them with similar-sounding or similar-looking words. By the same token they make errors in writing which continue to bother them in adulthood. Instead of regular rhythmical reading movements irregular jerky eye-movements are observed. In contrast to the control group, characteristic errors, in spite of full vision for single optotypes and stereopsis for far and near distance, were detected in all those binocular tests which require sensomotor activity of both foveae. From the ophthalmological point of view intermittent alternating central scotoma associated with the loss of the common principal visual direction is probably the cause of reading and writing disability and should be the starting point of therapy.