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  • The Relationship Between ADD/ADHD and Vision Concerns: A Deep Dive in Our Latest Podcast Episode

    Are you experiencing vision-related symptoms like blurred vision, poor eye teaming, or learning difficulties? Have you ever wondered about the connection between ADD/ADHD and vision concerns? In this blog post, we'll dive into these topics and discuss a recent podcast episode that explores them in detail. The podcast, featuring Mr Zoran Pejic of Orthovision, the only licensed INPP (Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology) center in Southeast Asia, features a discussion about key vision-related symptoms in both adults and children. The conversation also touches on how Vision Therapy works and how it can potentially help individuals with these concerns. To listen to the full podcast episode, you can check out the link here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Dbo3qzu1KVnUFQD46Sdy1?si=ZLAl9GTUTZ-LkBf_1FIp4Q&nd=1&dlsi=775db38d7c5b45b4) During the podcast, the hosts delve into the various symptoms that individuals may experience, such as: * Blurred vision * Poor eye teaming * Learning difficulties * ADD/ADHD They also explore the connection between vision and other sensory systems, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to addressing these concerns. One of the key topics discussed is Vision Therapy, which is a process designed to help individuals improve their visual skills and abilities. The podcast highlights how Vision Therapy can benefit those with vision-related symptoms and learning difficulties, as well as those with ADD/ADHD. The podcast also provides insights into the process of Vision Therapy and how it can help improve various visual skills, such as eye tracking, focusing, and eye teaming. If you're interested in learning more about vision-related symptoms, the connection between ADD/ADHD and vision concerns, and how Vision Therapy can help, be sure to check out the full podcast episode. Feel free to browse through the Orthovision website for additional details. If you have any questions or want more information about our services and how they can enhance vision and well-being, feel free to get in touch with us directly.

  • Empowering Excellence: Orthovision Shines at MAAFIM International Conference!

    At Orthovision, our team is dedicated to delivering excellence through continuous education, knowledge sharing, and active participation in conferences. Recently, we had the privilege of attending the MAAFIM International Conference in Kuala Lumpur, which proved to be a resounding success. This conference not only provided a valuable platform for the exchange of knowledge in the field of functional integrative and complimentary medicine but also showcased our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements. We extend our sincere thanks to the organizers, speakers, and delegates who played a pivotal role in making this conference a meaningful and enriching experience.

  • K.K.'s Letter: A Teenager's Perspective on Device Addiction

    K.K.'s Letter: A Teenager's Perspective on Device Addiction In K.K.'s own words: "In this world, where all types of electronic devices are being used massively like never before, they are controlling teenagers' daily lives from the moment they wake up to the second they close their eyes to go to sleep. I have seen many of my friends, just like me, get dragged into the world of social media. As a teenager, I've frequently found myself scrolling through my phone for hours. We use electronic devices to get a sense of empowerment, connection, and escape from the problems in the real world. It's no surprise that electronic devices are essential in today's world, but overuse/addiction comes with salient consequences, such as anxiety, memory loss, reduced ability to think clearly, and reduced cognitive and learning skills. Acknowledging the problem is the first step. I've realized the importance of setting boundaries when it comes to the use of electronic devices. Using your phone less can not only improve your mood but also help you find some hobbies that don't require electronic devices, such as sports, painting, or reading. Navigating your life in this digital world can be tough, especially when you're a teenager. That's why it's up to us to navigate it wisely. I hope to inform people about this issue and encourage them to try finding manifold ways to fill in their free time, device-free. -K.K." In a word K.K was a client at Orthovision, and our commitment to maintaining a connection with our existing and past clients ensures ongoing support and understanding of their evolving needs. K.K.'s heartfelt letter provides a poignant insight into the world of addiction to electronic devices, particularly from a teenager's perspective. It serves as a wake-up call for all of us, regardless of age, to reevaluate our relationship with technology. Addiction to electronic devices is a real issue with serious consequences, but by recognizing the problem, setting boundaries, and navigating the digital world wisely, we can regain control and ensure that technology enhances our lives rather than dominating them. Let's take K.K.'s advice to heart and strive for a healthier and more balanced digital future.

  • Headaches and Screen time

    Managing screen time has always been a challenge. And then COVID 19 pandemic happened. With everyone at home people are globally spending more time performing visually demanding near tasks using digital screens, for home-based learning, work from home or during spare time. Instead of classroom interaction in person or work from the office, we got involved in remote learning or working, meaning hours a day of screen time. As we want to interact with friends and family daily or enjoy entertainment, that brings about even more screen time. Together, it means that we are spending even more time than ever before looking at an electronic screen. So, what is a link between extended screen time and headaches in children and adults? Near tasks require precise and accurate coordination between visual system and the head stabilizing muscles, which necessitates a robust visual system to maintain clear and comfortable vision over time. Vision problems such as refractive errors, accommodative anomalies, or convergence deficits, can induce unhealthy postures leading to non-ergonomic viewing position, such as protruding head or asymmetrical neck postures and headaches. [1] Further, digital screen-use has been found to cause headaches, eyestrain, and upper body musculoskeletal pain. Too much screen time may result in what is known as digital eye strain , causing symptoms like tired, itching, or burning eyes. Eyestrain has the potential to result in headaches centered around the eyes and temples. Without good lighting, one may look at screens while squinting, and prolonged squinting may tire the muscles and lead to a tension headache. The severity of symptoms increases with vision problems, prolonged viewing time and static non-ergonomic postures. [2] Tips for Preventing Headaches Caused by Electronic Screen Exposure If your child is currently going to school remotely or you are working from home, it is going to be tough to reduce screen time. However, there are few tips that everyone can follow to prevent headaches caused by electronic screen exposure. Tip #1 – Get Some Distance – According to experts it’s important to keep screens at least an elbow-length away from the eyes. Keeping screens too close keeps the eyes focused on the screen instead of allowing them to relax, which can lead to eye fatigue, resulting in headaches or additional vision problems. Tip #2 – Don’t Use Electronics in Bed – Failing to get enough sleep can enhance a problem with tired eyes. It is advisable that you keep screens out of the bedroom, particularly at night, to prevent sleep disruption. It is also a good idea to turn off the screens an hour before bedtime. Tip #3 – Encourage Breaks – It is easy to get absorbed in school, work or in fun and fail to take a break from looking at the screens. Kids and parents need to make sure they look away from their screen every 20 minutes, looking at something that is 20 feet away for a minimum of 20 seconds. It is also recommended to walk away from a screen for a few minutes each hour, if possible. Tip #4 – Blink Often – Staring at screens can cut your blinking rate in half, resulting in dry eyes. Remind yourself to blink more often when using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Tip #5 – Pay Attention to Screen Position – The wrong screen position can result in poor posture, neck strain, and increase eye strain. Position screens at eye level so you do not have to bend the neck up or down for optimal viewing. Tip #6 – Optimize Lighting – While the screens should not be used in dark rooms, too much light can result in glare and increase eye fatigue. Research from the Journal of Ophthalmology & Research recommends that the lighting in a room where screens are being used should be about half of what you’d use for reading a book or writing. Screens should be positioned so light does not shine directly on the screen. Tip #7 – Do not Forget Vision Screenings – Regular vision screenings are critical because many kids may not speak up if they are experiencing the symptoms of eye problems. And as adults, well we like to postpone doctors’ appointments or health screenings to the last minute. Make sure your child’s vision is getting checked at every well-child visit. If any problems are detected, your child may be referred to an eye specialist. [1] Blehm et al., 2005: de Vries et al., 2016; Dotan et al., 2014; Johnston et al., 2017; Rosenfield, 2011; Sanchez-Gonzalez et al., 2019. [2] Blehm et al., 2005; Costigan et al., 2013; de Vries et al., 2016; Eitivipart et al., 2018; Hakala et al., 2012; Johnston et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2016; Rosenfield, 2011; Sanchez-Gonzalez et al., 2019; Wirth et al., 2018; Xie et al., 2017y

  • Vision in time of COVID-19

    A new meta-analysis in the journal JAMA Pediatrics finds that more overall time on screens each day, regardless of its quality, is linked to lower language development and we may add vision underdevelopment as well. "What we do see is, as the number of hours increases, so too does the risk for problematic outcomes," said lead researcher Sheri Madigan of the University of Calgary in Canada. "What this work suggests is that the quality of screen-viewing matters, but I think it all needs to be used in moderation." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended back in 2016 that screen time of any kind be limited for those ages 2 to 5 to co-viewing with parents who can explain what is going on and for no more than 1 hour per day of high-quality educational programming. It had not put hard limits on screen time for school-age children ages 6 and up, but the academy said limits should be made and screen time should not interfere with children's sleep or exercise habits. Yet in the years since, research has suggested older children may also be affected by long periods online or in front of the television. A long-term, ongoing study of pre-adolescents shows those who spend hours of screen time a day across phones, tablets, and video games had lower cognitive skills, particularly in translating two-dimensional to three-dimensional objects. And studies of older adolescents and adults suggest reading in digital formats over long periods of time may reduce reading flow and comprehension, particularly for longer texts. You may wonder how this prolonged exposure to electronics affects children and adults too?! Here are some of the ways, some to be expected others more surprising screen time can affect kids or/and adults eyes: Too much screen time or time spent indoors can lead to near-sightedness (myopia) “Use it or lose it” is the way body and brain work. With too much time spent indoors and in front of the screens kids have lost their ability to see far and wide, because they have not looked, being too engrossed at near point or too lost in thought which keeps the eyes focused at near, really. Full-time near work will dim down the peripheral awareness. So, we need balance. Children cannot spend hours staring at a screen or a book and have reciprocal visual processing automatically developed. This loss of swift change of focus, tracking and ambiental awareness can lead to myopia, underdeveloped oculomotor skills and problems with eye teaming or/and eye-hand coordination. Moreover, the researchers believe that UV light (providing the eyes are protected from intense sunlight) plays an important role in healthy eye development. Loss of focus flexibility-dysfunctional accommodation When their eyes stay focused close-up for long periods, children can also find it difficult to adjust to distance vision. The ciliary muscle loses its flexibility and ability to shift focus from one viewing distance to another while maintaining clear image. Focusing and convergence need to be coordinated at the same place in space, such a page of book, to create clear, single, binocular vision. Therefore, a number of children who have been put on computers at early age or for prolonged hours are developing negative functional adaptations to the pressure of immature focusing system. The problem is not just focusing too close too young. It is that the vision is learned in real space where light bounces off objects. The computer or screen is backlit and that is not natural for developing eye. Please take note that not only the computers are part of the problem. It is all unnecessary near work without proper brakes, font size, lighting, ergonomics, and opportunity to learn through movement. Signs of poor focusing are many but most prominent are: Headaches with near work Itchy watery eyes that are not caused by allergies Covering one eye while reading Poor head/body posture. How does this loss of ability to shift focus from one viewing point to another affects learning? You should look for: Difficulty copying from the board Skipping/repeating of lines when reading Up/downhill writing Taking more time to finish the assignments. Sometimes addiction to screens causes focusing problem learning how to write. The eyes fixed to the TV or computer screen are not used in the activities involving the body, eyes, and hands. Frequently, the child will have poor handwriting, even though he/she may have a proper pencil grip, a good teacher, and parents ready to help. Or child might dislike reading because it makes him feel tired. Or the effort of keeping his eyes on the page is so great that he/she won’t remember what is read. A child with such a background needs to have vision therapy to regain his binocularity, eye teaming and eye hand coordination as well as to integrate visual and vestibular which will lead to the sensory integration. We could say that vision therapy - Integrated Cognitive Orthoptic Remediation helps to recover from this one-eyed computer myopia or beginning of a wandering eye. Computer vision syndrome The coronavirus pandemic is remaking the way children learn, and it could have an impact on their eyes. With schools shifting to online lessons at home, children are spending more time in front of computer screens, and many parents are relaxing screen-time rules for TV and video games to keep kids occupied while social distancing. Amid the crisis, many children are spending less time playing outdoors. Which brings us to inevitable computer vision syndrome. Trigger factors for computer vision syndrome together with prolonged stare at the screen are compromised visual acuity, accommodation, convergence, and overall eye teaming. Digital and visual fatigue can cause following symptoms: Dry and red eyes Blurred and/or double vision Headaches Neck or back pain. It is easy to get absorbed by computer work and to lose track of time. Eyes get tired with prolonged close-focus attention, especially when the lighting around the screen causes glare and extra eye strain. Long stretches of screen time also cause the eyes to get dry and irritated. Studies show that people of all ages blink far less often when concentrating on a screen, which in turn causes the eyes to dry out. A clear and stable tear film on the surface of the eye is essential for clear vision. The problem can be worse for children who look up at a screen that is positioned for adult use. Impact on sleep The other problem with screen time for kids is its effect on sleep. Research shows that the blue light from computer and device screens, when used in the evening, alters the brain’s sleep rhythms. The brain reads the screen light as “daytime” and shifts the body’s circadian rhythm. The exciting content of many video games and movies can also wind a child up when they should be winding down for bed or for a nap. How parents can help their children It is important to build eye-healthy lifestyle at home. Parents can help by carefully managing their children’s screen time to support educational use while limiting cartoons and video games. They can also encourage more outdoors activities while maintaining social distancing; which is becoming easier with relaxation of safety measures. Having clear rules, setting limits on screen time and parents’ communication style have been associated with less screen time among children. Parental modelling also influences how much time children spend watching TV. However, some children need more than parental guidance and change of lifestyle. Developmental Visual Cognitive Assessment and in-house vision therapy - Integrated Cognitive Orthoptic Remediation is often needed to identify the problem and to learn how to use eyes in effective way. #computervisionsyndrome#IPads#screens#readingglasses#visionchallenges#computer#addiction#gaming#children#Tablets#COVID19#visionandlearning#visiontherapysingapore#nearsightedness#visiontherapy

  • International Conference for Ophthalmologists and Strabismologist STRABO 2019 Moscow

    It was an honor to be the part of the organizing committee at the STRABO conference in Russia. Organizing an Orthoptic symposium at such a conference was a great pleasure.  The conference was great platform for professional exchange and advancement. Social program was amazing. One can not go without being charmed by the beauty of the country, its architecture, and historical/cultural  milieu. #orthoptics # ophthalmology #conference #Russia #innovations

  • Concussion: Visual Link to Recovery as seen from Parents

    Have you or has your child suffered from a concussion? Did you know that concussions can have a severe impact on vision? We would like to share an excerpt of a blog with you today as we think it is very important to know about these things! Will Smith’s movie Concussion is likely to make parents think twice about having their children involved in contact sports like football and soccer. But what about kids who have already suffered a concussion and are struggling to get back to learning? Parents of these children are stepping forward to share their experiences with the hope of helping others. “Research has shown that approximately 70% of young athletes who suffer a concussion have eye coordination, focusing, and eye movement problems [1]. Yet most parents are left on their own choose a health care professional who can help their child correct these problems,” shares Dr. Kara Heying. Evyn of Tulsa, Oklahoma had struggled for two years after suffering a concussion at the age of 13, sustained while playing soccer. According to her mother, Ronda Fitzgerald, “Before the concussion, school was easy for Evyn and she had excellent grades. After the concussion, Evyn continued to receive good grades in school, but it was very difficult. She spent forever on homework, reading and re-reading. She was now one of the last students to complete tests at school, and she had headaches all the time. It was extremely difficult for Evyn to take notes from the board.” It turns out her concussion had caused an eye coordination disorder known as convergence insufficiency which can cause double vision, among a variety of other visual disturbances that interfere with reading. Her mother further explains, “I did not know the depth of Evyn’s problems. I knew she saw spots in her vision constantly, but I did not know she had double vision and I did not know her eyes did not work well together.” After completing an office-based vision therapy program, Mrs. Fitzgerald shares, “I am happy to say that Evyn no longer has double vision or tracking and focusing problems – her eyes are working together. I wish we would have been told about the testing and treatment right after Evyn was injured. Unfortunately, she had to struggle through more than 2 years with double vision, headaches and more.” In 2009, Zackery Lystedt suffered a much more severe head injury playing junior high school football. He returned to play shortly after the concussion, received a second blow to the head, and ended up with a severe traumatic brain injury [2]. After collapsing on the field, he was airlifted to the hospital where he underwent emergency skull surgery to relieve the building pressure caused by his swelling brain. Multiple strokes, a week on a ventilator and three months in a coma were only the start of the athlete’s recovery. Some of the many persisting difficulties that Zack endured were visual in nature, and initial treatments were only partially successful. It took over a year of recovery before he was directed to a specialist with the expertise to treat the unique forms of vision problems often caused by concussion and traumatic brain injury. Zack’s recovery plan included the use of prism lenses, as well as vision therapy, which played a vital role in helping him walk across the stage to receive his high school diploma. His father Victor shares, “The use of the glasses has given Zack the confidence that he needs to overcome the fear of walking in open spaces. Vision therapy taught Zack to self-correct his double vision without the help of others. It has also helped him find his balance and strengthen his equilibrium.” In 2014, with the help of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Lystedts were able to have the Zackery Lystedt Law put into effect in every state in the U.S. Also known as the “Shake-it-Off Law,” it ensures that child athletes will no longer be pressured to “shake off” the head injuries receive and prematurely return to the game. Now the family wants to help ensure that others who have suffered a concussion and are struggling with vision problems know that there is help available. According to Dr. Heying, “The traditional vision approach still relies on the spontaneous recovery of double vision, patching, and using therapies to learn functional approaches around vision deficits, as opposed to treating the vision deficits. References [1] Master, C.L., Scheiman, M., Gallaway, M., Goodman, A.,Robinson, R.L., Master, S.R., Grady, M.F. Vision diagnoses are common after concussion in adolescents. Clinical Pediatrics, July 2015. [2] http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/matte/pdf/031210-Zack-story.pdf Zackery Lystedt #concussion #convergence insufficiency #learning #vision and sports

  • My impression as a Psychologist Intern

    Like with most therapies, since results are not instantaneous as with physical cures, it is understandable that parents have doubts and uncertainty about vision therapy. Vision therapy is not just about eye-strengthening exercises; it is about changing lifestyle and being committed to adopting new helpful habits to improve and maintain good eye health. In addition, having clearer vision in turn impacts on behaviour and self-esteem issues. When everything around you is clearer, you are no longer confused and trapped, allowing you to be able to connect with yourself better and view the world with confidence. When changes occur However when the parents do see the change, they are so surprised and comforted and incredulous feelings of happiness flow from their faces. I saw two mothers speaking happily – one was referred by the other and the mother who was referred to Orthovision was speaking about how her daughter was able to reduce her glasses prescription but still able to see, more clearly than ever actually. It definitely takes determination, hard work and commitment to see and achieve change. Parents also really need to set boundaries and be the ones to implement with the kids. However at the end of it, the outcome will be a long-lasting and impactful change, similar to that in psychotherapy. No two cases alike How two siblings who suffer from similar diagnosis (one suppresses right eye, while other suppresses the left) could be so worlds apart in their personality. The boy who suppressed his left eye was more solemn and seemed to be withholding lots of emotions internally, while the other brother was more talkative, and had an outgoing personality. They are clear examples of how their perception of the world affects them and the importance of integration, especially of both eyes (both hemispheres of the brain) and how important it is to be able to connect with yourself holistically. Another client’s case – hearing her stories and her constant visits to the hospital, operations, everything she has been through over the course of the past year has been like a roller coaster ride. It is incredible how she is able to keep it together so far. I can only try to imagine how difficult it must be for the children. It is not easy really for the children to be able to see the world around them in such a confusing manner, which affects how they perceive themselves and also their self-esteem and behaviours. Not just for the child The work done at Orthovision is not just working on the child, but also helping parents to understand how their child is perceiving the world – really putting them in their child’s shoes and demonstrate how challenging it must be for their child. Although your visual acuity is good, functional vision may not be. It is important to undergo a functional vision test before labelling the child as being difficult or being rebellious when they exhibit deviant behaviours. Have we asked how the child is viewing the world from his/her perspective? Functional vision was a new concept for me to grasp at first, but thinking of it psychologically – for example, how it is possible for someone to appear to be coping well externally, whereas internally they are not feeling okay – made the idea of visual acuity vs. functional vision understandable to me. Bringing it all together My experience at Orthovision showed me how other modalities, like vision, is equally important and can have as much of a significant and equal impact as well as talking about emotions and thoughts. In psychology, we talk about understanding yourself... but how is it possible to understand yourself when you cannot even understand everything around you because of your visual processing? #feedback #functionalvision #ADHD #sensorysystems

  • Screen Time - Not All The Time!

    How long should I or my child spend in front of the screen? This is a question that parents often ask when they see me at Orthovision. At the same time, I have also noticed that some parents or children who are coming to us are not aware that prolonged usage of screens might have a negative effect on the visual and social development of the child. Recently, I was attending the CLADE Conference (CLADE = Latin American Council of Strabismus) in Buenos Aires. It was a three-day conference with many very interesting talks. I was invited to give two talks there, one of them was in the session 'Mobiles and Tablets, a Threat to Binocularity'. It was so good to hear how the awareness of the dangers of too much screen time was high in South America. One colleague from Colombia presented her papers on clinical evidence of the effects of prolonged exposure to computer screens on accommodation and vergence. That was an amazing study, comparing the status of visual functions between a control group, prolonged users and moderate users of screens. The results were remarkable. It would be difficult to carry out a similar study here in Singapore as we would not be able to get a control group. My talk was about the 'Effect of screens on visual and cognitive functions and overall states of well-being'. It was very interesting to see that many participants, from different parts of the world, did not have any idea about those (negative) effects. However, the conclusion was: “It all makes so much of sense. Why haven't we thought of that earlier?”. Consensus needs to be reached amongst the professionals in the field of eye care about how much screen-time is advisable - this in turn will lead to creating awareness about 'screen-usage' within the society. The majority of our patients do follow the advised time-frame for the usage of screens and I do not see any reason why the majority of the population would not follow the same guidelines if they knew what the adverse effects of too much screen time are. A study done by Tata Communications (published in the Straits Times in 2014) reveals that Singaporeans spend more time on the internet then in any other country, except India. According to the study, 43% of Singaporeans spend more then six hours a day on the web, and could manage only 7.3 hours without their internet fix. Surely these numbers would be even worse now. One needs to be aware of the effects of the screens on overall well-being. Recently we could learn from a Chanel News Asia documentary about the connection between the screens and addictions but the public is still not aware of what screens do to their eyes and vision or rather how it alters our way of seeing. The effect goes on further; affecting cognitive functions, brain chemistry, self-esteem and overall one’s state of well-being. We will talk more about the connection between vision and way of seeing, cognitive functions and self-esteem in the future blogs. We at Orthovision recommend adjustment in the life style, particularly the screen time, which is often a precondition to start with the Integrated Vision therapy. #functionalvision #brain #Tablets #addiction #screens #IPads

  • Studying: are printed books better than digital books?

    I really appreciate my children's school's effort to ease the burden of carrying books to and fro. So now, my kids have most of the schoolbooks in a digital version as well as in a 'real and heavy' version. Again and again I have observed the different ways of studying: one does copy/paste on the computer to make a digital outline to study from whereas the other writes the outlines on a notepad and studies from that. It seemed to me that 'things stuck' more effectively in the head of the child who writes things down by hand... so reading the below text (original can be found here) did not really surprise me. We hope that this proves some interesting reading material for you, too! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Science of Learning, Column by Claudia Wallis, 23 August 2017 A Textbook Dilemma: Digital or Paper? Do we learn better from printed books than digital versions? The answer from researchers is a qualified yes My friend Joanne was packing her youngest child off to college this month and wrestling with a modern dilemma: Is it better to buy textbooks in digital form or old-fashioned print? One of her son’s professors was recommending an online text for a business course: lighter, always accessible and seriously cheaper ($88 vs. $176 for a 164-page book). But Joanne’s instinct was that her son would “learn better” from a printed volume, free of online distractions, and with pages he could dog-ear, peruse in any order, and inscribe with marginal notes. Her son was inclined to agree. Many of us book lovers cherish the tactile qualities of print, but some of this preference is emotional or nostalgic. Do reading and note-taking on paper offer any measurable advantages for learning? Given the high cost of hard-backed textbooks, is it wiser to save the money and the back strain by going digital? You might think that, decades into the digital revolution, we would have a clear answer to this question. Wrong. Earlier this year educational psychologist Patricia Alexander, a literacy scholar at the University of Maryland, published a thorough review of recent research on the topic. She was “shocked,” she says, to find that out of 878 potentially relevant studies published between 1992 and 2017, only 36 directly compared reading in digital and in print and measured learning in a reliable way. (Many of the other studies zoomed in on aspects of e-reading, such as eye movements or the merits of different kinds of screens.) Aside from pointing up a blatant need for more research, Alexander’s review, co-authored with doctoral student Lauren Singer and appearing in Review of Educational Research, affirmed at least one practical finding: if you are reading something lengthy – more than 500 words or more than a page of the book or screen – your comprehension will likely take a hit if you’re using a digital device. The finding was supported by numerous studies and held true for students in college, high school and grade school. Research suggests that the explanation is at least partly the greater physical and mental demands of reading on a screen: the nuisance of scrolling, and the tiresome glare and flicker of some devices. There may be differences in the concentration we bring to a digital environment, too, where we are accustomed to browsing and multitasking. And some researchers have observed that working your way through a print volume leaves spatial impressions that stick in your mind (for instance, the lingering memory of where a certain passage or diagram appeared in a book). Curiously, the students themselves were unaware of this advantage. In fact, after answering comprehension questions, 69% said they believed they had performed better after reading on a computer. Researchers call this failure of insight poor “calibration.” The point of such research, as Alexander herself notes, is not to anoint a winner in a contest between digital and print. We all swim in a sea of electronic information and there’s no turning back the tide. “The core question,” Alexander said in an interview, is “when is a reader best served by a particular medium. And what kind of readers? What age? What kind of text are we talking about? All of those elements matter a great deal.” On top of that, we all could do with a lot more self-awareness about how we learn from reading. For example, a big reason that students in the study thought they learned better from digital text is that they moved more quickly in that medium. Research by Alexander and others has confirmed this faster pace. “They assume that because they were going faster, they understood it better,” Alexander observes. “It’s an illusion.” If students become aware of this illusion, they can make better choices. Just as they might decide to turn off social media alerts while studying an online textbook, they might want to consciously slow themselves down when reading for deep meaning. On the other hand, when reading for pleasure or surface information, they can let ’er rip. Digital text makes it easy for students to copy and paste key passages into a document for further study, but there is little research on how this compares with taking notes by hand. “We study things like highlighting and underlining,” Alexander says, “but those kind of motor responses have never been of highest value in terms of text-processing strategies” – whether done with a cursor or a marker. The studying strategy with “the greatest power,” she adds, involves deeply questioning the text — asking yourself if you agree with the author, and why or why not. Dutch scholar Joost Kircz points out that these are still early days for digital reading, and new and better formats will continue to emerge. In his view, the linear format of a traditional book is well suited for narratives but not necessarily ideal for academic texts or scientific papers. “In narrative prose fiction, the author strictly determines the reading path,” he and co-author August Hans Den Boef write in The Unbound Book, a collection of essays about the future of reading. “But in a digital environment we can easily enable a plurality of reading paths in educational and scholarly texts.” In addition to the hyperlinks, video and audio that currently enhance many digital texts, Kircz would like to see innovations such as multiple types of hyperlinks, perhaps in a rainbow of colors that denote specific purposes (annotation, elaboration, contrary views, media, etc.). He also imagines digital books that could enable a variety of paths through a body of work. Not all information is linear or even layered, he told me: “There’s a lot of information that’s spherical. You cannot stack it up. The question is to what extent can we mimic human understanding?” While we await those future digital products, students deciding what school books to buy this fall would do well to ask themselves just what they hope to get from the text. As Alexander notes, “If I’m only trying to learn something that’s going to be covered on a test and the test is shallow in nature, then [digital] is just fine.” If, on the other hand, you hope to dive in deeply and gather imperishable pearls, spring for the book. This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, the nonprofit, independent news website focused on inequality and innovation in education. #brain #school #reading #learning #computer

  • A testimonial about INPP

    Miguel - Vision and Retained Reflexes 'After the teachers voiced concerns about my son's physical and psychological development, we traveled to Singapore (we live in Vietnam) last October for various assessments. This is where we were recommended to also check his eyes at Orthovision due to his poor reading ability. Indeed, some issues were found and we immediately started the therapy. The results started being noticeable the following week. Today, he is still doing some exercises at home but his reading ability, comprehension and concentration are way better and he enjoys reading now. ​ During our next visit in December, we decided to have his primitive reflexes assessed as well, because his physical struggles were really showing and we were sure he needed help. We had tried other interventions before and felt that they were working as patches but not solving the problem from the root. After the INPP assessment, once we were back home, we started doing the exercises we were given. They are so simple that at first we doubted that they could have much impact on him. Well, it has been amazing! The progress is great and remarkable. I had the most positive meeting ever with his teachers last week. His language, confidence, maturity, socialization, concentration, coordination, handwriting, reading, comprehension, balance had burst. We are still working on it but the struggles have decreased considerably. I really recommend it to kids that struggle in some areas or even to every single kid in order to make sure everything is ok and/or increase their potential if needed. I wish I had known of this approach earlier. Thanks Mr Zoran!' #INPP #reflexes #OrthovisionCentre #feedback

  • TED Talks & ADHD

    We have just finished watching the very inspiring talk on TEDxCMU by Stephen Tonti: ADHD As A Difference In Cognition, Not A Disorder (TEDx=independently organized talk). There are many really interesting points he raises during his talk. How he was lucky to have had a teacher who supported him and not tried to 'shut him down'; How he can 'lock into' something that interests him and stay 'super-focused' for very long times while at the same time not being able to focus on something that does not interest him (eg. him being to read a 500-page novel faster than a 1-page scholarly article); How he has had many 'failures' but also many 'successes' in what he has achieved in his life so far; How trying out different things (and often times not succeeding) enabled him to step into many different shoes; How when looking at ADHD as a condition as opposed to a disorder, the switch is made from trying to 'cure' to making the most out of the potential this condition entails. And as it goes on YouTube, once you click on a TED talk that interests you, so many more come up on the same or similar topics. There are so many up-lifting talks out there... and we would like to encourage all the parents of ADHD children to please take a few minutes and hours and watch some of those talks. We hope that they inspire you, too! #ADHD #school #children #learning

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