Many students with reading difficulties don't actually have a vision impairment – they pass school vision tests without a problem. Yet they struggle to focus their eyes, skip words or lose concentration. Why?
Research shows that up to 80% of children with reading difficulties have subtle deficits in how the eyes work together – so-called preclinical convergence problems. They are not noticeable in standard vision tests, but affect how easily we maintain focus and interpret text visually.
But it's not just about vision – it's also about the brain.
👁️ In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Gävle University and Karolinska Institutet used a method that measures oxygenation in the brain (fNIRS). They showed that when the eyes are forced to cooperate under difficult conditions – such as when convergence and focusing are in conflict – the frontal lobe is strongly activated. This part of the brain controls both attention and working memory.
🧠 And not only that: when the task was also combined with a cognitive challenge (think: reading comprehension in school), the load increased even more. The brain therefore has to work twice as hard – both to guide the eyes correctly and at the same time to process the content.
This provides an important clue to why some students become exhausted from reading – even though they can read.
📈 Imvis VR training is based on proven congruence training, but has been modernized to suit students in a school environment. Studies from Karolinska Institutet show that it improves both eye-hand coordination and reading fluency – which in turn can reduce unnecessary strain on the brain.
Read the full study below or by clicking here
