If all is going well, and it probably is, baby’s natural ability to see has greatly improved since she was virtually blind at birth. She began seeing shadow-like figures in Level 2, then she saw details in faces and other objects in Level 3, and now, at Level 4, she has developed the ability to focus her eyes on near points. She will continue to fine tune her ability to focus, particularly on near points, so that instead of sometimes seeing an unfocused double image she will see a clear, sharply detailed image of whatever she is watching. When she has perfected her ability to focus and consistently sees clear, sharply focused images she will be able to identify people she knows in paintings and photographs (which are smaller than real-life). At this Level baby also develops what is technically known as ‘depth perception’. She will now be able to know, for example, that a chair or other object that is at the far end of a room is further from her than a chair that is in the middle of the room.  Similarly, if she is about to go down a set of steps she will now be able to know, by looking, that the step two ahead of her is lower than the step one ahead of her. Depth perception comes with the ability to focus both eyes on one point. When we focus both eyes on one point we learn that the other objects that we can see at the same time but which are out of focus are different distances away from us. Knowing that those different distances exist is what is called depth perception. Focus and depth perception also give baby the ability to run fast across rugged country without falling when she is an older child, teenager or adult, give her the ability to estimate heights and lengths, and may save her life when crossing a busy road requires that she estimate the distance between herself and an approaching car. 

During Level 4 baby’s brain continues to develop and perfect her ability to turn each eye slightly inwards so she can see clearly by focussing. If baby perfects her ability to focus at this Level then she, like most other people, should be able to read well. If she does not perfect her ability to focus at this level then she, like many other people, might require spectacles to read well. 

If her eyes do not each turn slightly inward to focus on the point, place or thing that baby wants to see, then she sees two of the same point overlapping each other. Adults sometimes experience this overlapping of images when they are tired and reading. As they become sleepy the brain relaxes its control over the eyes, and they stop turning inward and focusing on the correct point. The reader then sees the words she has been reading overlap. She might then tell her brain to reassert its control over the eyes and continue reading or lay her book down and fall asleep.  

Baby’s brain is now continuing to develop and perfect the ability to focus; to control her eyes so she can see one image instead of two. If she does not develop the ability to always turn her eyes slightly inwards to focus she is likely to have difficulty learning to read; because she will see overlapping images of the words she is trying to read. She will have other problems too. For example, when trying to catch a ball she will have to learn which of the two images she sees is the one to reach for.  And, when picking up a spoon, she will need to learn which of the two spoons she sees is the correct one to pick-up. Some children who are developmentally delayed do not develop at EYES THAT SEE WELL…Level 4 and continue seeing two images as they grow older. They sometimes learn which one of the two images, or a mix of the two, they see to catch, pick-up or even read, and which image to ignore. But they are likely to have difficulty when very fine or particularly accurate focus or depth perception is needed.  Even if they wear spectacles they may have difficulties as golfers, tennis players, basketball players, surfboard riders, professional drivers, architects or aircraft pilots. There is an even greater likelihood that they will not be excellent at those activities if their eyes have a tendency to move even slightly to the left or right out of focus as is sometimes the case when near point focus has not been properly developed. Sometimes children who do not develop well at EYES THAT SEE WELL…Level 3 or Level 4 do not learn to read well. Sometimes they are labelled clumsy or poor sportspeople, and sometimes they have corrective surgery, (the success of which is questionable). It is practical and most convenient of course, not to be reliant upon spectacles or contact lenses. Therefore, it is particularly important for parents to help baby with her OMSDEP at EYES THAT SEE WELL…Levels 3 and 4 by ensuring she has an ideal environment for focus development. By providing the ideal environment at Levels 3 and 4 baby may be saved from a lifetime of visual problems such as the need to wear spectacles and an inability to read well. The technical term for the slight turning in of each eye to focus on a point is ‘convergence of vision’.  

It appears that the best way to encourage baby to develop convergence of vision is to give her opportunities to naturally converge her vision. Of course, as is always the case, baby has her own method as part of her OMSDEP. One of baby’s methods, and probably the most successful method of all, is to creep at Levels 3 and 4. Other methods she uses include attempting to focus on objects while reaching out to touch them. 

When she is on her hands and knees creeping baby develops the ability to converge her vision as she watches where she is placing her hands. She also looks and focuses ahead to see where she is going, and then she looks back and refocuses on where she places her hands. This looking ahead and then looking at her hands, this need to focus and then refocus, occurs continually while she creeps. An adult who is walking along a street while reading a book or a newspaper does this also. The adult alternately focuses on the words she is reading and on the street ahead; often doing both in less than one second. Similarly, if baby does not watch where she places her hands when she is creeping she might fall down if she puts her hands in a hole or depression, or she might trip or hurt herself on a dangerous object. And if she does not frequently lift her eyes to look ahead to see where she is going she might collide with a wall or furniture. Although baby is now likely to be a cruiser at BABY’S GREAT ADVENTURE…  Level 4 she is still likely to do quite a bit of creeping and this will help to ‘polish off’ her focus development if it is not yet excellent. 

Children with poorly developed convergence of vision and depth perception can and often do devise methods to help them overcome some difficulties. But it is far better to give each child the opportunity to have excellent convergence of vision and depth perception by providing them with a suitable developmental environment while they are at this Level. 

Inability to focus is one reason why some children have difficulty learning to read, and it is learning near-point focus by creeping as described in BABY’S GREAT ADVENTURE…  Level 3 that can give some children the necessary sight development to become excellent readers.