On today's episode of "I bet you didn't know that!...."
"Studies show that one in four children have undiagnosed eye problems which can interfere with learning and lead to academic and/or behavioral problems"
Gloria is 8 years old, the only child to a single mom. She is a lively and brilliant girl but her school performance is poor.
She hardly pays attention in class and doesn't copy notes from the chalkboard. Her relationship with her classmates is strained at best as she is usually the butt of their jokes.
"Olodo rabata!" they'd hail her, everytime she failed to answer the teacher's question in class.
Her last report card reads; "Gloria is a lovely girl but she is very lazy. She can do better."
I am Gloria.
Right from when I was born my parents noticed there was something wrong with my eyes. I went to the optometrist so many times I lost count, there was no test I didn't do, practically changed lenses every six months because the doctors kept getting it wrong.
My folks, bless their hearts, were determined to get my vision corrected.
"Visual difficulties affect children’s ability to learn (three times more likely to fail at least one grade), resulting in academic under-achievement and risk of reduced adult literacy. This has a significant impact on professional and social fulfillment."
I was one of the lucky few.
I didn't let the fact that I couldn't see the chalkboard properly deter me from copying my notes and making excellent grades. I was a nuisance to my seatmates cos I was always leaning over their shoulders to copy their notes, my nose almost making contact with their books.
I always made sure my seat was as close to the board as possible. In Class 5 I practically begged my teacher with tears to let me put my seat in front of the class.
One time in high school at the beginning of a new term, I cried my eyes out when I discovered my seat had been moved to the back. It was a major melt down, my class mates were positively stunned.
Before you laugh at me, I went to a federal school and seating positions were survival of the fittest. I'd never forget it was Chiamaka Chukwuemeka who calmed me down and somehow I got my front spot back.
"Good eyesight (the ability to read at a certain distance which is tested in some countries) is not the same as good vision."
It was a bit difficult explaining to people my eye problem. It usually involved a lot of words like "myopia", "strabismus", "nystagmus".
When I was younger my parents thought I hated wearing glasses because it didn't look "cool" but in actual fact, all they did was give me a headache.
The question "Why are you not wearing your glasses?" still annoys me to no end.
" Vision problems cause developmental difficulties and have been linked to anti-social /delinquent behavior. In the USA, up to 70% of juvenile offenders have undiagnosed vision problems."
I had a lot of coping mechanisms.
In the university, whenever I was walking with my girlfriends, if someone from afar waved at us, one of them would lean closely and whisper the name of the person who was waving so that way my face would register recognition and I could wave back without looking foolish. I really do have amazing friends.
"$269 billion of productivity is lost worldwide due to uncorrected vision."
I finally learned how to drive this year but I still harbor this fear that my eyesight could get me into a lot of trouble behind the wheel.
"Vision problems can reduce employees’ performance by as much as 20%4 and considerably affect employment opportunities, job satisfaction and job security."
Dear teacher,
I am not lazy. I really just have a hard time reading the blackboard and it gives me a constant headache. I also feel bad why my class mates call me names.
I could use reading glasses and a little positive reinforcement. Thank you.
- Gloria
"Studies show that one in four children have undiagnosed eye problems which can interfere with learning and lead to academic and/or behavioral problems"
Gloria is 8 years old, the only child to a single mom. She is a lively and brilliant girl but her school performance is poor.
She hardly pays attention in class and doesn't copy notes from the chalkboard. Her relationship with her classmates is strained at best as she is usually the butt of their jokes.
"Olodo rabata!" they'd hail her, everytime she failed to answer the teacher's question in class.
Her last report card reads; "Gloria is a lovely girl but she is very lazy. She can do better."
I am Gloria.
Right from when I was born my parents noticed there was something wrong with my eyes. I went to the optometrist so many times I lost count, there was no test I didn't do, practically changed lenses every six months because the doctors kept getting it wrong.
My folks, bless their hearts, were determined to get my vision corrected.
"Visual difficulties affect children’s ability to learn (three times more likely to fail at least one grade), resulting in academic under-achievement and risk of reduced adult literacy. This has a significant impact on professional and social fulfillment."
I was one of the lucky few.
I didn't let the fact that I couldn't see the chalkboard properly deter me from copying my notes and making excellent grades. I was a nuisance to my seatmates cos I was always leaning over their shoulders to copy their notes, my nose almost making contact with their books.
I always made sure my seat was as close to the board as possible. In Class 5 I practically begged my teacher with tears to let me put my seat in front of the class.
One time in high school at the beginning of a new term, I cried my eyes out when I discovered my seat had been moved to the back. It was a major melt down, my class mates were positively stunned.
Before you laugh at me, I went to a federal school and seating positions were survival of the fittest. I'd never forget it was Chiamaka Chukwuemeka who calmed me down and somehow I got my front spot back.
"Good eyesight (the ability to read at a certain distance which is tested in some countries) is not the same as good vision."
It was a bit difficult explaining to people my eye problem. It usually involved a lot of words like "myopia", "strabismus", "nystagmus".
When I was younger my parents thought I hated wearing glasses because it didn't look "cool" but in actual fact, all they did was give me a headache.
The question "Why are you not wearing your glasses?" still annoys me to no end.
" Vision problems cause developmental difficulties and have been linked to anti-social /delinquent behavior. In the USA, up to 70% of juvenile offenders have undiagnosed vision problems."
I had a lot of coping mechanisms.
In the university, whenever I was walking with my girlfriends, if someone from afar waved at us, one of them would lean closely and whisper the name of the person who was waving so that way my face would register recognition and I could wave back without looking foolish. I really do have amazing friends.
"$269 billion of productivity is lost worldwide due to uncorrected vision."
I finally learned how to drive this year but I still harbor this fear that my eyesight could get me into a lot of trouble behind the wheel.
"Vision problems can reduce employees’ performance by as much as 20%4 and considerably affect employment opportunities, job satisfaction and job security."
Dear teacher,
I am not lazy. I really just have a hard time reading the blackboard and it gives me a constant headache. I also feel bad why my class mates call me names.
I could use reading glasses and a little positive reinforcement. Thank you.
- Gloria
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