When most people think about vision therapy, they may picture glasses or contact lenses to help with blurry vision. However, vision therapy is a much more comprehensive approach to improving visual skills, and it can even help children and adults with certain learning disabilities. If your child struggles with reading, focusing, or other tasks that require good visual skills, vision therapy could be a potential solution. 

At Chagrin Valley Optometrists, we’re dedicated to providing our patients with all the tools they need for better vision and overall eye health. In this blog, we explore how our vision therapy services in Chagrin Falls, Ohio can help kids and adults with learning disabilities by improving visual skills for better learning. 

What is vision therapy? 

Vision therapy is a customized program designed to help enhance visual skills such as eye coordination, focusing, and tracking. While traditional eye exams check if you need glasses or contacts, vision therapy focuses on improving the connections between your eyes and brain. It uses fun and effective exercises to strengthen eye muscles, help with hand-eye coordination, and more. 

Vision therapy and learning disabilities 

Many people are surprised to learn that vision problems can contribute to learning disabilities or make them more challenging to overcome. While vision therapy doesn’t treat the learning disability itself, it can help improve certain visual problems that make it more difficult to learn effectively. For a child with a learning disability, this means improving the skills they need to read, write, and focus on tasks.  

Here are some ways vision therapy can help with learning disabilities: 

1. Improving eye tracking 

For children who struggle to read, eye tracking can be a significant challenge. If a child has difficulty following words on a page or keeping their place while reading, they may have a vision issue that affects their ability to track moving objects. Vision therapy helps them improve eye tracking and smoothness of movement, making reading less frustrating. 

2. Enhancing visual memory 

Some children with learning disabilities may have difficulty remembering what they’ve read or seen. Vision therapy can help enhance visual memory, which is important for recalling details and understanding what they read. 

3. Strengthening eye teaming 

Eye teaming is the ability of both eyes to work together as a team. If one eye is weaker or isn’t properly aligned, it can cause problems like double vision or difficulty focusing on tasks. With vision therapy, children can improve how their eyes work together, which can help with concentration and reduce eye strain. 

4. Increasing focus and attention 

Vision therapy exercises can help kids with learning disabilities maintain focus on tasks like reading, writing, and other classroom activities. This helps improve their overall performance and reduces the frustration that often comes with struggling to focus. 

In conclusion, while vision therapy isn’t a cure for learning disabilities, it can be a highly effective treatment for visual problems that contribute to learning difficulties. If you would like to learn more, contact Chagrin Valley Optometrists today to schedule an appointment!