Teacher Referrals
Referral from School for Vision Concerns
A referral from school can help parents understand whether vision-related learning concerns may need further evaluation. Teachers often notice reading, copying, attention, or near-work struggles during daily classroom activities.
Teacher Referrals
Dr. Neufeld welcomes referrals from teachers and schools. Calgary Vision Therapy provides a Teacher Referral Form to make the process easier.
Teachers often notice reading or learning concerns before anyone else. Because they see children in the classroom each day, they may notice when a child avoids close work, loses place while reading, or struggles to copy from the board.
As a result, a teacher referral can help parents decide whether a full vision evaluation may be useful.
Common Observations Teachers May Notice
Teachers may notice that a child loses place while reading, gets headaches during near work, avoids visual tasks, or has a short visual attention span.
For example, the student may also struggle to copy from the board or finish classroom work on time. When these signs appear with reading or learning concerns, teachers can encourage parents to consider a vision evaluation.
For a broader teacher-focused overview, review the American Optometric Association resources for teachers.
How can I spot a child with vision problems?
Download the Teacher’s Checklist of Vision Problems and have your student take the Vision Symptom Checklist.
What about the student on an IPP program and already diagnosed with a Learning Difficulty?
Vision problems were found in 67% of Canadian children (ages 6 – 12 years old) who were in an IPP program. There are different components of eye exam testing that can be performed but are not routinely included in many examinations. There is a high likelihood that a child who has already been diagnosed with a learning difficulty may actually have a visual perceptual or eye tracking dysfunction creating a roadblock in learning. Many developmental vision dysfunctions can be remediated through proper vision therapy, allowing educators to better implement their teaching strategies.