It’s always worrying for a parent when they realize their child is having difficulties in school. All too often, a diagnosis of dyslexia or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is given when a child has learning difficulties, but a surprising number of cases are in fact caused by visual problems. Vision therapy for kids can make a huge difference to learning, and should always be considered if a child is having academic performance issues.

Signs That a Child Has Visual Difficulties

It can be harder than you’d think to identify visual issues in children. A young child may not have the vocabulary needed to describe what they are seeing, and often they aren’t even aware that their vision is different from anyone else’s. Symptoms can equate to a reluctance to read or write that is often put down to a phase or character trait.

Some signs of visual issues include:

• frequently looking away from the book or screen
• difficulty keeping their place when reading
• having to re-read text, sometimes more than once, to gain understanding
• rubbing one or both eyes when reading
• eye pain or headache after reading
• difficulty following a line of text, sometimes using a finger to trace the line.

These can all be signs that both eyes are not working well together, something that is essential when reading.

One eye may be dominant, which is fine, as long as the other eye accepts this and works with it. As we read, both eyes need to focus on the text and move along it. Visual problems occur if both eyes are fighting for dominance, or one is trying to move at a different pace.

What Is Vision Therapy?

We offer a vision therapy service, which is an individualized service tailored to each child. We use a range of tests to discover exactly how a child’s vision is compromised, and then work with you to decide on the best way to treat it.

Vision therapy can include exercises to improve eye alignment, focusing, eye teaming and tracking, eye movement, and visual processing. We usually prescribe therapeutic lenses, lenses with prisms, or filters to help develop these visual motor skills too.

Visual difficulties can’t be resolved with just one session, but our in-house visual therapist, Linda, has years of experience and will do all she can to help. We also use the program, which allows children to continue practicing their motor and cognitive skills at home too, so they can continue to build on their newly acquired visual skills.

Benefits of Vision Therapy

There are many benefits of vision therapy – your child will be able to read and write more confidently, meaning they will perform better academically, and most importantly, they will also experience a boost in their confidence and self esteem. Feeling better about themselves is a crucial part of their development, helping them focus their attention and improve their attitude towards learning and at home too.

To find out more about vision therapy, or home therapy options, or to book an initial consultation, why not contact us today?.