Vision Therapy For Kids in Houston, TX

About a quarter of children have a vision problem that affects their ability to see clearly and learn. This is according to the American Optometric Association. Poor sight or vision problems can affect a child’s ability to learn in school, which could be detrimental to the child's future.

A child’s vision is very important, and it requires comprehensive eye exams and treatment. There are various treatments that can help improve a child's vision. An effective treatment option that can help address vision problems of a child is vision therapy. With the help of vision therapy, a child’s vision problems can be successfully corrected. Vision therapy is a more successful treatment option for vision problems in children than the use of contact lenses or glasses.

Continue reading to learn more about vision therapy.

Why Explore Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is the training of a child in order to develop important visual skills that will help improve the learning, reading, concentration, and attention of the child.

Vision therapy is customized to the individual child’s needs. It is designed to improve the exact vision problems and visual skills of the child.

The primary aim of vision therapy is to improve the communication pathway between the brain and eyes of the child to enhance the child’s overall visual operating system.

If your child can’t read, write, learn, or concentrate in class due to a visual problem, you should consider exploring vision therapy. It can help improve the specific vision problem of your child so as to improve the reading, writing, and learning of your child.

It is important to first speak with your optometrist to learn how exactly vision therapy can benefit your child and what to expect from the treatment.

School-Aged Vision: 6 to 18 Years of Age

Children of school age between 6 and 18 usually have vision problems that affect their ability to read, write, and learn. In fact, 1 in 4 children could have vision problems, which could affect their heir academic performance.

It is important to check your child for eye problems that could affect their academic performance. Visit an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam to check your child’s eyesight and health.

How Do You Know If Your Child Needs Vision Therapy?

Most children don’t realize that they have eye problems. It is the duty of the parents to check their child’s eyesight for any issues by visiting an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam.

There are common behaviors that could indicate that your child needs vision therapy. These include:

• Problems with reading and avoiding reading whenever possible.
• Problems with learning and concentration in class.
• Problems with writing and other schoolwork.
• Being able to give answers verbally but unable to write them down on paper.
• Struggling to read and remember what has been read.
• Inability to read books that are far away from the eyes and holding books very close to the eyes when reading.
• Moving the head along with the letters when reading.
• Skipping words or lines when reading.

Signs and symptoms that could indicate that your child needs vision therapy include:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Crossed or lazy eye
• Poor hand-eye coordination
• Tired eyes
• Repeatedly squinting, blinking, or closing one eye
• Tilting the head to one side
• Nausea
• Motion sickness
• Frequent headaches
• Confuses their left and right
• Appears clumsy and uncoordinated
• Short attention span
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Behavior problems

What Conditions Can Vision Therapy Treat?

Conditions that vision therapy can help improve include:

• Lazy eye
• Crossed eyes
• Double vision
• Eye movement dysfunction
• Myopia
• Eyestrain
• Focusing on insufficiency and excess
• Ocular muscle dysfunction
• Visual perception dysfunction
• Convergence insufficiency
• Motion sickness
• Learning-related vision disorders
• Headache

20 Signs Your Child Needs Vision Therapy

There are many various signs that may show that your child needs vision therapy. If your child possesses any of these signs, you should take your child to an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam. The results of the test will help the optometrist to know the exact areas to focus on and improve on using vision therapy.

These signs include:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Eye strain or fatigue
• Difficulty writing
• Sensitivity to bright light
• Losing place while reading or difficulty reading
• Closing one eye while reading
• Skipping words or lines of text while reading
• Reading texts too close to or far away from the eyes to improve clarity
• Poor eye-hand coordination
• Drifting or turning off one eye
• Difficulty maintaining attention
• Headaches
• Excessive blinking or squinting
• Seeing words floating on a page
• Reduced speed when reading
• Turning or tilting head while reading
• Difficulty with reading
• Frequently falling or bumping into objects
• Misjudging distances while moving

How can vision therapy help?

Vision therapy helps to improve and strengthen the visual skills of a child needed for academic and learning success. It helps to improve the communication pathway between the brain and eyes of the child to enhance the child’s overall visual operating system.

When should I be concerned about my child's vision?

You should be concerned about your child’s vision when you notice that your child is experiencing any signs of vision problems.

You should be concerned when you notice any behaviors that could indicate that your child needs vision therapy, such as difficulty writing,

losing place while reading or difficulty reading, closing one eye while reading, skipping words or lines of text while reading, reading texts too close to or far away from the eyes, etc.

Immediately you notice any of these behaviors or signs; you should contact an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam and treatment.

What is the normal vision of kids?

The normal vision of kids up to the age of 4 is 20/40 vision. The normal vision of kids who are aged 5 is 20/30 vision. After age 5, their normal vision should be 20/25 or better. School-aged children should have a normal vision of 20/20.

How can I test my 4-year-old's eyesight?

It is recommended to take your child to an optometrist for an eye exam. However, if you want to test your 4-year-old child's eyesight, you can conduct an at-home eye test.

Below are the steps to conduct an at-home eye test for your child.

1. Print or purchase a vision chart.
2. Place the vision chart on a wall.
3. Place a small chair ten feet away from the chart.
4. Ask your child to sit on the chair and cover one of his or her eyes.
5. Light the vision chart.
6. Ask your child to read each line of the chart.
7. Repeat the process with your child covering the other eye.

How quickly can a child's vision change?

A child’s vision changes rapidly as the child is growing.

Your child's vision can change rapidly over the course of a year. The visual system in a child continues to develop throughout the first seven to eight years of life.

Which food is good for eye vision?

Foods that are good for eye vision include:

• Raw red peppers
• Seeds
• Dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and kale.
• Fruits such as carrots, mango, and pawpaw
• Lean meat and poultry
• Beans and legumes
• Eggs
• Broccoli and Brussels sprouts

What is the youngest age to get glasses?

There is no minimum age for a child to get glasses. Children who are under the age of 4 with vision problems can get glasses that are slightly under-corrected. 

Is vision therapy successful?

Vision therapy is successful and can help improve children's visual skills. It helps to enhance a child’s overall visual operating system by improving the communication pathway between the brain and eyes of the child. There have been many records of success using vision therapy in children and also in adults. Studies have shown that vision therapy was successful in 75% of patients and has helped improve symptoms of vision problems.

Does vision therapy work for lazy eye?

Vision therapy has been shown to be the most effective treatment for lazy eye (amblyopia). It addresses the root cause of lazy eye by helping to develop a person's binocular vision.

Can vision therapy help myopia?

Vision therapy can help improve symptoms of myopia (nearsightedness). It helps to improve your vision and make you see far objects more clearly.

Eye Therapy Vision Rehabilitation Center Vision Therapy in Houston, TX

If your child is experiencing any symptoms of vision problems, you should visit a reputable eye clinic like Eye Therapy Vision Rehabilitation Center.

Eye Therapy Vision Rehabilitation Center is a leading eye clinic in Houston, TX. We can help improve your child's vision by developing a personalized vision therapy session to address the specific issues of your child’s eyesight.

If your child is finding it difficult to read or learn due to poor eyesight, you should get in touch with us immediately. You can learn more about vision therapy and ask us any questions that you want answers to.

We encourage you to Contact Us or Book a Consultation Session to meet with our eye specialist.