EXCERPT
In the past, most ophthalmologists read or were told that treatment of the disorders affecting children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities fell outside the field of ophthalmology because the brain, and not the eyes, is the main organ active in the process of thinking and learning.1-3 Because dyslexia, for example, implied an inability to understand the written word, the definitive diagnosis and therapy were in the hands of the educators and clinical psychologists, not the ophthalmologist. Thus, the role of the ophthalmologist was to rule out disease as the first step in determining the reason for a learning disorder before referring the child back to the pediatrician or family doctor for further evaluation and referral.
AUTHOR
Excerpts from Clinical Practice Guidelines: Redefining the Standards of Care for Infants, Children, and Families With Special Needs.5 Printed with permission.
From the Department of Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Koller is also the President and CEO of Halo Centers, Inc., Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania.
Originally submitted December 12, 2001.
Accepted for publication March 29, 2002.
Reprint requests: Harold P. Koller, MD, Wills Eye Hospital, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
