A new study by the Gemstone Foundation shows young children are getting misdiagnosed for vision problems when it could be a treatable condition called “Binocular Vision Condition.”

The research company spent a year at several Los Angeles grade schools examining students’ reading competency and implementing a computer program that could fix the condition. 

“Binocular Vision Condition,” is “one or more problems that prevent eyes from properly focusing, tracking, or coordinating,” according to Gemstone, a non-profit research organization that focuses on visual efficiency. “Kids [they] lose their place in a book. They get tired and lines wiggle and jump,” said Maureen Powers, a senior scientist for Gemstone.

Gemstone assessed 92 students from third grade to sixth grade at Ann Street Elementary in Lincoln Heights, and discovered more than half of them had some indication of vision problems such as losing track of lines when reading or having blurred vision when looking from different depths.

“My eyes were feeling hurtful. I see two words at the same time. I felt confusing because I would read the same lines over and over again,” said Bryan Martinez, a fifth grader at Ann Street who took part in the program.

Each student who was qualified for the vision skills program then spent the next few months - about 20 to 30 20-minute sessions - using a computer program that would help train their eyes to focus. The 3-D program strengthens five skills that include fast focusing, jump tracking, smooth tracking, cross-eyed fusion, and wall-eyed fusion, according to Gemstone.

“They use 3-D glasses because we use a 3-D technology. We use that technology to force their eyes to converge and diverge. It also involves tracking and refocusing the eyes,” said Powers.

With respect to the 3-D glass, Martinez said, “It’s pretty cool because it helps your eye vision. You can have fun with it.”

From those results, the participants’ reading fluency increased 27 percent.

“At the end of their sessions, they report their eyes feel better and their reading fluency goes up,” said Powers. She added, “We know that there is a correlation between having these binocular vision conditions and reading fluency. At grades three, four, and five, the reading material gets more difficult. They start reading to learn and not learning to read.”

Often times, students would be misdiagnosed for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), dyslexia, given prescription glasses, or be placed in Special Education. Gemstone’s Communication Director, Steve Weingarten, said his daughter was diagnosed with ADD and was told to enter Special Education before the treatment for her condition was solved by taking part in the computer sessions.

Although the researchers do not know how long the students can retain the skills after using the program, both Powers and Weingarten say the program does fix the condition; it just depends on the students’ persistence to practice.

“It’s like any other neuromuscular skill, just like learning how to ride a bike. I don’t think the basic skills will be lost, but how long it stays and how much stamina and skill you have probably depends on practice. The best practice is reading,” said Powers.