Disconnected Kids (The Disconnected Kids Series) by Robert Melillo

Author:Robert Melillo
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-03-03T05:00:00+00:00

On page 47, I described that there are two different visual systems—the where and the what. The where system is not sensitive to color, sees things faster, and is more interested in the big picture. It’s the right brain system. The what system is very sensitive to color, sees things more slowly, and focuses on details. It is the left brain system.

The muscles of the eye are also proprioceptive, meaning they help us feel ourselves in space. Studies show that if we place very small vibrators around the eyes, we can alter individuals’ perceptions of their bodies in space or make them feel as if they are moving in a particular direction. This tricks the brain into thinking the body is moving. This illustrates that the eye muscles are powerful messengers and can even override what the person is actually seeing.

All of these factors are separate from 20/20 vision. People think that 20/20 vision is all that matters, but in fact, it is probably the least important function of the eye and the visual system. Some children are born with a weak eye muscle. Their eye may be turned in or out on one side. This is called strabismus. We have all had the experience of talking to someone whose one eye is focused on you but the other eye is somewhat “off.” Though this has traditionally been looked at as an eye problem, we can now see that the issue may have more to do with the brain.

For proper vision, both eyes must work in perfect concert. When one eye is weak or “lazy,” it means a child can only see with one eye at a time. Obviously, this interferes with good vision. Only the child does not recognize this. Each eye can see when the other is shut, but when both eyes are open, the brain ignores the images in the one eye and only sees out of the good eye. At one time, doctors believed this was caused by a weak eye, but we now know that it is caused by the brain being out of rhythm.

Vision comes from the occipital lobe. The right lobe gets vision from the left half of both eyes and the left lobe gets vision from the right half of both eyes. If one eye is blind, the occipital lobe will take over both sides. If the two hemispheres of the brain are not in sync, however, the occipital lobes are desynchronized. The brain gets two completely different visions of the world. The brain can’t fuse the images together, but instead of seeing double, it ignores the bad eye and focuses only on what it sees out of the good eye.

When the problem is slight, vision can adjust and compensate. However, the worse the problem, the worse the symptoms will be.

> Light Sensitivity Test

Using a penlight or small flashlight on the lowest setting, focus the beam in the outside corner of one eye. Count how long it takes for the pupil to constrict and enlarge completely back to its original size.

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