How “Brain Dimes” and Visual Skills Affect Learning

Published on

September 24, 2024

Does your child seem to struggle with learning, focusing, or keeping up in school? You might assume it’s an attention issue, but the problem could be visual skills. Dr. Rick Graebe FCOVD explains how our brains have limited resources—or “brain dimes”—to spend on tasks. When visual skills like eye tracking or teaming aren’t well developed, the brain spends too much energy on these basic tasks, leaving fewer resources for learning.

What Are “Brain Dimes”?

“Brain dimes” refer to the mental resources our brain uses to complete tasks. Everyone has a limited amount of these resources, and when we learn new skills, it takes more “brain dimes” to complete them. As we get better at those skills, we use fewer “brain dimes” and the task becomes automatic—like learning to walk or ride a bike. For kids with underdeveloped visual skills, tasks like reading, writing, or focusing on schoolwork take up more brain dimes than necessary. This leaves less brainpower for understanding new material, leading to frustration and falling behind in class.

How Visual Skills Affect Learning

Visual skills include eye tracking (following words on a page), eye teaming (working together to focus on an object), and focusing (moving between near and far objects). When these skills aren’t well developed, it takes more mental energy to complete tasks that should be automatic. This is why some children struggle to focus on their schoolwork, get tired easily, or avoid reading altogether.

How Vision Therapy Can Help

The good news is that visual skills can be improved through vision therapy. Vision therapy is a personalized program that uses exercises to strengthen the eyes’ ability to work together, track smoothly, and focus properly. Once these skills become automatic, children free up their “brain dimes” to focus on learning and excelling in school. For example, we recently worked with an 8-year-old from Versailles who struggled with reading and focusing in class. After a few months of vision therapy, her visual skills improved, and she was able to read faster, retain more information, and enjoy schoolwork again.

Help Your Child Reach Their Full Potential

If your child is struggling with learning or seems easily fatigued, a developmental vision exam may provide the answers you’ve been looking for. By identifying and improving visual skill deficits, you can help your child focus better and perform well in school.

Schedule a Vision Evaluation Today

At Neuro-Visual Performance Institute, Dr. Rick Graebe FCOVD provides comprehensive developmental vision exams and therapy programs to help children improve their visual skills and excel academically. With offices in Versailles and Somerset, we serve families across Central and Southern Kentucky. To schedule an appointment, call us at 859-879-0089 or visit https://nvpinstitute.com/.

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