Are learning-related vision issues holding your child back?

Vision and learning are intimately related. In fact, experts say that roughly 80 percent of what a child learns in school is information that is presented visually. So good vision is essential for students of all ages to reach their full academic potential.

When children have difficulty in school — from learning to read to understanding fractions to seeing the blackboard — many parents and teachers believe these kids have vision problems.

And sometimes, they're right. Eyeglasses or contact lenses often help children better see the board in the front of the classroom and the books on their desks.

Ruling out simple refractive errors is the first step in making sure your child is visually ready for school. But nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are not the only visual disorders that can make learning more difficult.

Less obvious vision problems related to the way the eyes function and how the brain processes visual information also can limit your child's ability to learn.

Any vision problems that have the potential to affect academic and reading performance are considered learning-related vision problems.