Common Childhood Vision Disorders
Your child's struggles with school or sports could be related to a vision disorder. Several disorders commonly appear in childhood and may affect reading, writing, coordination, depth perception, and other skills. Vision disorders are often overlooked and may be confused with learning disorders or behavioral problems in some cases. Fortunately, vision therapists offer treatments that will help your child improve key visual skills.
Could Your Child Have a Vision Disorder?
Vision disorders can affect any child, even those who have 20/20 vision or wear glasses to correct refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism. Common vision disorders include:
- Strabismus. Strabismus is better known as "crossed eyes." The condition encompasses any misalignment of the eyes, even minor ones that aren't very noticeable. Although strabismus may seem like a problem with the eye muscles, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus notes that an issue with the brain's control of eye movements is most often the cause. Due to the misalignment, the eyes send different signals to the brain, causing it to struggle when it tries to create a single sharp image.
- Amblyopia. Amblyopia ("lazy eye") happens when the brain stops paying attention to the signals it receives from one eye. Strabismus is a common cause of amblyopia. The brain becomes confused by the conflicting information from the eyes and finds it easier to ignore one eye.
- Convergence Insufficiency. Your eyes converge (turn inward) when you read or focus on near objects. If a child has convergence insufficiency, one eye turns in more than the other, making it difficult to focus effectively.
- Eye Tracking Issues. Good tracking skills are essential for following the words on a page when reading or determining where a ball will land.
- Accommodative Disorders. Children with accommodative disorder may have trouble shifting their focus from near to far objects or find it difficult to remain focused on an object.
- Visual Processing Disorders. The brain processes, interprets and stores the information it receives from the eyes. Although there may be no physical problem with your child's eyes, vision can still suffer if the brain struggles to process visual information.
What Are the Symptoms of Childhood Vision Disorders?
Symptoms vary depending on the vision disorder, but may include:
- Blurry Vision
- Double Vision
- Trouble Accurately Copying Letters or Numbers
- Reading or Math Struggles
- Slow Reading Speed
- Difficulty Recalling Information After Reading
- Tracking Issues (Children may lose their place easily, miss entire words or sentences, or complain that words appear to move.)
- Reversing Letters or Numbers
- Difficulty Recognizing Letters, Numbers, Shapes, or Patterns
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Fatigue (Particularly after reading for a short period)
- Clumsiness
- Poor Eye-Hand Coordination
- Depth Perception Issues
- Eyestrain
- Poor Sports Performance (Catching a ball, following the path of the ball, or tracking the movements of another player may be difficult.)
- Behavioral Problems Due to Vision Frustrations
Improving Vision Disorder Symptoms with Vision Therapy
Vision therapy is conducted by a vision therapist, a specially trained optometrist. Vision therapists perform comprehensive vision examinations that help them diagnose childhood vision disorders and create vision therapy plans.
The therapy helps the brain and eyes communicate better and includes a variety of child-friendly activities. Your child might play a computer game that involves catching falling objects, strike a swinging ball with a small bat, or follow a paper maze with a pencil during therapy. Each game or activity is designed to strengthen specific visual skills.
Multiple research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vision therapy. In a retrospective chart review study published in the Journal of Optometry in 2021, researchers evaluated the effects of vision therapy in patients with intermittent exotropia. Intermittent exotropia is a type of strabismus in which one eye sometimes turns outward. According to researchers, office-based therapy combined with exercises performed at home significantly improved the condition.
The results are just as promising for other vision disorders, including convergence insufficiency. A systematic review and meta-analysis of convergence insufficiency research studies published in the Open Ophthalmology Journal in 2023 noted that office-based vision therapy was the most effective treatment for the disorder in 80% of the studies.
Is your child struggling with school work, coordination or sports? Vision therapy could help improve crucial visual skills. Contact our office to schedule an exam with the vision therapist.
Sources:
National Eye Institute: Amblyopia, 11/6/2024
https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/amblyopia-lazy-eye
American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus: Strabismus, 10/7/2020
https://aapos.org/glossary/strabismus
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Convergence Insufficiency, 5/18/2021
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-convergence-insufficiency
All About Vision: Visual Processing Disorders: Symptoms, Types and Treatment, 4/17/2026
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/visual-processing-disorder/
Journal of Optometry: Vision Therapy for Intermittent Exotropia: A Case Series, 7 – 9/2021
The Open Ophthalmology Journal: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Convergence Insufficiency Prevalence and Management Options, 8/3/23
https://openophthalmologyjournal.com/VOLUME/17/ELOCATOR/e187436412306231/