Vision is one of the most important senses that your child possesses. It’s what allows him to see and experience the world, and it’s also essential for his ability to learn. But if his eyes are not functioning properly, this can cause problems with both of those things.
Vision therapy is a form of vision treatment that uses a variety of techniques to improve eye movement, visual perception, and eye teaming. Read on as a Saginaw, TX optometrist discusses vision therapy and how to know if your child can benefit from this form of treatment.
What Is Vision Therapy?
Vision therapy is a form of treatment that is used by eye doctors to help people with a variety of visual impairments. It can also be used to treat many other conditions, including:
- Blurry vision
- Double vision (diplopia)
- Eye strain or fatigue from focusing too much on something close up (near point stress)
- Headaches due to staring at screens all day (computer vision syndrome)
- Poor depth perception and coordination
- Strabismus (misaligned eyes)
- Visual processing disorders like dyslexia, ADHD, and ADD
- Motion sickness
How Does Vision Therapy Work?
The goal of vision therapy is to improve the eye’s ability to focus, track and process visual information. Many different types of vision therapy use different approaches to achieve this goal. In general, they all involve:
- Repetitive exercises that help strengthen the eyes’ focusing system (accommodation)
- Exercises designed to improve eye coordination
- Exercises designed to improve eye tracking and visual processing
Signs Your Child Can Benefit From Vision Therapy
When it comes to your child’s vision, there are a lot of things to consider. Is your child having trouble with sports? Do they need glasses? Are they struggling in school? The answers to these questions can help determine whether your child needs vision therapy.
School
If your child is having trouble focusing in school, ask yourself if they’re having trouble with reading comprehension, or if they have trouble doing math problems, or even just following along in class. If so, then it’s time for them to see an eye doctor! Vision therapy can help improve these skills by strengthening certain areas of the brain that control visual processing.
Sports and Activities
If you’ve noticed that your child is struggling with sports or other physical activities, it may be time for them to see an eye doctor. Vision therapy can help with this by improving visual skills like depth perception and tracking moving objects.
If you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, please feel free to call our Saginaw, TX optometrist office anytime!
