A TRIP to the optician transformed the life of a little girl struggling to read at school.

Ilyana Ross was finding it hard to keep up with her reading lessons despite having no problems with spelling.

The problem became more obvious when she joined Dharma School in Brighton two years ago.

Her mother Nina, from Brighton, said: “She seemed to have a problem with concentration and her literacy and handwriting were not improving as I’d expected.

“We had been reading together for a while but her slow progress made me think that perhaps I should keep her back a year at school or even that she might have learning difficulties.

“However, she could spell words even though she had trouble reading them so her lack of progress was puzzling.”

It was not until this summer that Ilyana, now seven, pictured above, began squinting and turning her head and her family realised her eyes might have been the problem.

A test at Eyesite Opticians in Brighton revealed she was extremely long-sighted with an astigmatism in both eyes, as well as a lazy left eye.

Optometrist Francesca Andersson said the youngster needed to wear glasses full-time to correct her vision.

Since then, her progress at school has been transformed.

Ms Ross said: “Because her eyesight had been poor from such a young age this was normal to her and she didn’t have the words to describe what she could and couldn’t see.

“She was using memory as a coping strategy, which explains why she could spell but couldn’t read to the same standard.

“It was incredible when she got her glasses. She picked up her book and said ‘I’m going to read to you!’ – it was amazing. She now has a hunger for reading and is also streaking ahead with her handwriting and loves colouring – all her abilities have rocketed.”

Ms Andersson said: “Children will rarely complain about visual problems because, as with Ilyana, they simply don’t realise they have a problem and naturally develop coping strategies.

“Some children may show signs that they are struggling with their vision so parents should look out for them, perhaps holding books too close, sitting closer to the television or rubbing their eyes.

“However, some eye conditions will not present with any symptoms.”