When it comes to problems with your child’s wellbeing—such as vision problems—it’s always encouraged to learn to spot them early on. The eyes aid in the perception of the world and play a crucial role in the development of children. 

Regular eye exams can help maintain their eyes healthy and detect any vision issues. Many eye issues and diseases can be treated, especially if caught early on.

The quality of a child’s vision is becoming increasingly critical in order to assure their academic, athletic, and social success.

Children who have trouble reading because of a vision condition may be hesitant to read aloud in class for fear of being evaluated by their classmates. Parents and teachers must be aware of the most frequent vision difficulties that children may encounter.

In the sections below, you will learn more about the common visual issues among children and how vision therapy can help with a variety of these issues.

Most Prevalent Visual Issues in Children

These are some of the most frequent visual issues in children. Be sure to contact an eye doctor in your area if your child has any of these eyesight concerns:

  • Myopia or short-sightedness
  • Hyperopia or long-sightedness
  • Amblyopia or lazy eye
  • Convergence insufficiency
  • Difficulties with depth perception and 3D vision
  • Double vision
  • Tired eyes
  • Problems with eye teaming
  • Troubles with concentration
  • Problems with hand-eye coordination
  • Strabismus or crossed-eyes
  • Dysfunction of visual processing

How to Spot If Your Child Has a Visual Problem

Comprehensive eye exams performed by your child’s eye doctor are the gold standard for detecting visual impairments. The likelihood of a successful treatment increases with early identification.

If you notice any of the following signs or symptoms, contact your child’s doctor immediately:

  • Their vision is blurry.
  • They sit close to the television.
  • They have issues with reading, learning, or attention.
  • They have itching, discomfort, or pain in the eyes.
  • Their eyes are sensitive to light.
  • They squint or rub their eyes regularly.
  • When they read, one eye is closed or the head is tilted.
  • Their eyes are red, watery, or irritating.

To treat any of these common vision disorders in children, they should first consult with a pediatric eye doctor. Eye specialists can prescribe a variety of optical choices, such as eyeglasses, contact lenses, and a tailored vision rehabilitation program.

Focusing, eye-tracking, convergence, visual processing, eye-hand coordination, and other visual skills are all improved with vision therapy. 

It is a specialized treatment program that tries to improve and strengthen visual skills while also retraining the child’s visual system to process visual information more precisely and efficiently. Vision therapy also improves eye-brain communication and the visual system’s efficacy.

When to Consult an Eye Specialist

Many visual issues can be repaired if caught early enough. If you detect any of the following in your child’s eyes, contact your pediatrician or family doctor: 

The eyes are frequently red, appear different from usual, produce more tears than usual, and do not line up or move together. They may also appear crossed, have pupils of various sizes, an unusual tint, or have changed color.

Other signs of a problem in school-aged children include difficulty reading the chalkboard, inability to perceive objects at a distance, squinting, problems with reading, headaches, and sitting too close to the television.

Conclusion

In recent years, modern technologies and creative computer-based therapies have changed traditional vision therapy exercises into fun, engaging, and interactive activities. Prisms, filters, lenses, occluders, and other vision treatment devices are utilized in customized exercises.

Make a consultation with a vision therapy specialist in your area to find the right vision therapy and tool for your child.

If you need an optometrist in Calgary, Optiko is ready to assist. We provide extensive eye exams and offer an array of designer-made frames for your eye care requirements. Schedule an appointment with us today!