Children who perform poorly in school may be doing so for a number of reasons. A possible reason that is often overlooked is vision problems. Children with vision problems often struggle with reading, writing, seeing the board in class, and finishing their academic tasks, which ultimately leads to poor performance in school.
A-Ha Vision in Oakville helps children with vision issues through vision therapy, ensuring that they do their best in the classroom.
Common Vision Problems That Affect Children
There are a variety of vision problems that can affect children and lead to poor academic performance. A few examples include amblyopia, strabismus, and convergence insufficiency.
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is a condition that affects children's vision and can lead to reduced visual acuity in one eye. This makes it challenging for children to see things clearly, which means children with this visual problem often struggle with seeing the board and reading academic tasks.
Strabismus, or crossed eyes, can also impact a child in the classroom. This is because it affects depth perception and vision, and makes it difficult for a child to keep up in class or read from the board and their notes.
Convergence insufficiency is a visual condition where the eyes don’t work well together when they’re focusing on close objects, which results in symptoms like double vision, headaches, and eye strain.
With early diagnosis and treatment, children can get the eye care they need to address their vision problems so that they can succeed both academically and socially. This is why we stress the importance of regular comprehensive eye exams.
Symptoms of Vision Problems in Children
There are many ways to tell if your child has a vision problem. Common symptoms of vision problems include:
- Skipping words when reading
- Using a finger as a guide when reading
- Avoiding activities that require good visual skills, such as arts and craft and sport.
- Squinting or closing one eye to see
- Tilting the head to one side
- Rubbing the eyes frequently
- Difficulty with eye-hand coordination
- Poor academic performance
- Frequent headaches or eye strain
How Vision Therapy Can Help Your Child’s Vision Problems
Vision therapy is a treatment program that combines different visual activities and exercises to improve visual skills and abilities. It helps the eyes and the brain communicate with each other better and improves vision issues like focusing, tracking, strabismus (crossed eyes), and amblyopia (lazy eye).
This will result in your child seeing better over time, which will address any academic or social issues that may have been triggered by problems with their visual system.
A developmental optometrist will conduct the vision therapy after creating a tailored treatment plan for your child based on their vision needs. Eye-tracking exercises, games and puzzles that use special lenses and prisms will be used over several months. Consistency is key to see improvement in your child’s vision.
Children’s Vision Therapy in Oakville
Early detection and treatment of vision problems can prevent poor academic performance and ensure that children have the best chance of success in school. You can book a children’s vision therapy consultation with A-Ha Vision in Oakville.
Our practice serves patients from Oakville, Burlington, Halton, and Mississauga, Ontario and surrounding communities.