Symptoms
There are many symptoms that people with CI may experience. Many are observable by a teacher, parent, or friend, but some can only be observed by the person with CI. For information on what someone with CI may experience when reading, click here.
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Eyestrain
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Headaches
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Tired, sore eyes
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Difficulty concentrating on reading and close tasks (i.e. reading, computer work, desk work, playing video games, doing crafts, etc.)
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Sleepiness
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Poor sports performance
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Difficulty in catching a ball
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Frequent loss of place or mistakenly re-reading the same line of text
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Avoidance of near work or reading
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Difficulty tracking moving objects
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Dizziness or motion sickness
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Loss of comprehension after short periods of reading or performing close activities
Signs of CI at school:
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Performs below potential
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Trouble staying focused on homework
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Moves head back and forth while reading (instead of moving eyes)
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Poor concentration
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Misaligns letters or numbers
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Avoidance of near work such as reading
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Unusual posture
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Whispers to self when reading
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Difficulty copying from the board
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Poor eye hand coordination
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Loses place when reading or uses finger to keep place
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Squinting, eye rubbing, or excessive blinking while reading and writing
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Homework takes hours when it shouldn’t
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Short attention span, quickly bored, day dreams, doesn’t pay attention
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Becomes easily distracted
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Low comprehension of written material
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Can read but chooses not to
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Light sensitivity after reading
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Child is often labeled as “unmotivated”, “distractible” or “lazy”
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Turning or tilting of head when reading
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Fatigues easily after reading
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Poor attention skills/ ADD or ADHD