A US vision specialist is back in the Island for the first time in about four years to help Bermuda's visually impaired school children learn easier.

Connecticut-based Dr. William Padula told The Royal Gazette yesterday that he would be working with 31 children who had problems with their "visual system'' over the course of the week.

Twenty of his patients are students he first worked with when he came to Bermuda in September, 1992.

Dr. Padula said the visual system was essential in the areas of balance, movement and posture and could in turn effect concentration and therefore learning capability.

If the visual system was effected by visual mid-line shift syndrome -- which was caused by neurological problems -- then a person felt their centre point had shifted left to right or front to back and in an attempt to compensate changed their posture.

Quite often this could be seen in someone who had suffered a stroke, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy, he added, but could be corrected with prism lenses which reorientate the mid-line.

Another problem he has helped solve is low vision which effects children as they cannot see the black board in a classroom or even read.

This could be caused by cataracts, glaucoma or optic nerve degeneration and can be corrected with hand-held telescopes or special lenses.

Dr. Padula said: "These lenses can make all the difference in helping a child learn -- some would not be able to learn at all with out these devices.''