Vision Therapy for Children

Vision therapy is a non-invasive, non-surgical method that can improve many eye conditions common in children. If you have kids, you know that their brains are like sponges. They can learn huge amounts of new things every day. A human brain can physically change based on the information it learns. This ability is called neuroplasticity and is what guides successful vision therapy treatment.

Neuroplasticity means the brain can even change its structure to allow for new skills and information to be maintained. Especially in children, learning new skills is a fairly quick and painless process and that is exactly what vision therapy does.

Eye conditions in children can affect much more than just their vision. Eye problems, such as lazy eye, cross eyes, or other issues have the potential to cause social problems, learning problems, behavioral issues and academic problems. There is no need for your child to experience these difficult consequences. Bring them to Associates in Eyecare and have an evaluation done by one of our licensed optometrists.

At Associates in Eyecare, we provide customized vision training programs for children in Saginaw and Hemlock, MI. With two eye care centers, our vision therapy program is easily accessible for anyone living in these, or the surrounding areas.

There are some eye conditions that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. While our optometrists can fit you with glasses and contacts to correct astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness and other eye problems, there are other issues that cannot be fixed this way.

For example, strabismus is an eye condition that in the past was treated with eye surgery. When we are treating a child, surgery is the last resort we want to use. If we can use alternative methods, like vision therapy, that is always preferable.

Vision therapy, or VT, is for the eyes what physical therapy is for the body. It is a program based on eye exercises which are done to correct a specific problem or disorder. Through repetition and varied exercises, the eyes can often be taught the necessary skills to function properly.

Strabismus is one of the most common eye conditions that we treat with vision therapy. Strabismus is generally diagnosed during early childhood. It is associated with misalignment of the eyes, caused by muscle weakness in one eye. The primary symptom of strabismus can be seen when one eye looks straight, while the other looks inward, outward, up or down.

If you notice misaligned eyes, your child needs a complete eye exam from our pediatric optometrists. Binocular vision and depth perception are achieved when the two eyes work together. Sometimes, weak eye muscles and poor eye control can lead to a loss of depth perception if strabismus is not treated promptly.

Vision therapy has proven to be an effective method of strengthening the weakened eye muscles, straightening out the eyes and, in many cases, avoiding surgery altogether. At Associates in Eyecare, we provide vision therapy for strabismus, as well as other, more minor, eye disorders.

Convergence Insufficiency, amblyopia (“lazy eye”), focusing problems and eye teaming disorders also respond well to vision therapy. With convergence insufficiency, for example, the eyes are unable to converge to focus on images up close. This can cause double vision and a sense that the words on a page are moving around. In children, this can affect their ability to read and write. With a tailored exercise program, the eyes can be trained to focus more comfortably. Children who have trouble reading often turn out to have Convergence Insufficiency, which can be effectively treated with vision therapy.

Professional studies indicate that vision therapy can reduce symptoms of computer vision syndrome, which affects children and adults who spend large amounts of time on computers or other electronic devices, including ipads and cell phones. Additionally, computer glasses with special tinted lenses can be ordered to reduce stress and UV light coming from the device.

Is your child a good candidate for vision therapy? For more information contact our eye care professionals at the office closest to you and let Associates in Eyecare find the correct vision therapy program for your family.