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The Conditions We Treat

One Diagnosis Doesn’t Fit All

Being diagnosed with a visual processing disorder or pediatric concussion doesn’t mean the same thing for every child. In fact, there is a wide range of conditions – each with their own sets of symptoms. Even with 20/20 vision, your child may have trouble reading, learning or focusing in class due to issues with visual processing. 

Here are examples of what we treat – and what your child might be seeing right now.

A boy is sitting at a desk with a book in front of him.
Visual Processing Dysfunction

Sometimes, children may experience higher-level difficulties that result in letters and words not being in easily recognizable patterns. 

For example, letters might appear as strange symbols. As well, your child’s brain may struggle to understand how letters form words, and how those words connect to one another. This makes reading and understanding information an extremely difficult task requiring intense concentration.

A child who sees this $ 20 vision.

Sometimes, children may experience higher-level difficulties that result in letters and words not being in easily recognizable patterns. 

For example, letters might appear as strange symbols. As well, your child’s brain may struggle to understand how letters form words, and how those words connect to one another. This makes reading and understanding information an extremely difficult task requiring intense concentration.

A child who sees this $ 20 vision.
Laterality and Form Perception Problems

If your child has been dealing with long-term eye coordination issues or eye-related trauma, it can affect the way that their brain interprets what they’re seeing. 

When your child reads, letters might look jumbled or like they’re facing the wrong way. Words can also appear to have letters in the wrong spot or out of order. When this happens, entire sentences stop making sense or get skipped entirely.

A child who sees this has 20 vision.

If your child has been dealing with long-term eye coordination issues or eye-related trauma, it can affect the way that their brain interprets what they’re seeing. 

When your child reads, letters might look jumbled or like they’re facing the wrong way. Words can also appear to have letters in the wrong spot or out of order. When this happens, entire sentences stop making sense or get skipped entirely.

A child who sees this has 20 vision.
Vergence Problems

To understand the visual signals they’re receiving, our eyes need to work in close coordination with each other. When your child looks at something up close, their eyes should move closer to each other. And when they look at a far away object, your child’s eyes should move apart. But when this eye coordination doesn’t develop properly, words can become jumbled, slide into each other or even split into two. 

Research shows that up to 15% of all school-aged children are affected by vergence problems.

A white background with a black and white text.

To understand the visual signals they’re receiving, our eyes need to work in close coordination with each other. When your child looks at something up close, their eyes should move closer to each other. And when they look at a far away object, your child’s eyes should move apart. But when this eye coordination doesn’t develop properly, words can become jumbled, slide into each other or even split into two. 

Research shows that up to 15% of all school-aged children are affected by vergence problems.

A white background with a black and white text.
Accommodative Problems

Our eyes work like camera lenses, and adjust to see objects at different distances. The muscles inside our eyes tighten when we look at objects that are up close and relax when they’re farther away. But sometimes the wires get crossed, and the muscles don’t work as they should. 

When this happens, your child might complain that words in books or on screens look blurry most of the time, or that they keep going in and out of focus. Sometimes, everything might look blurry for a few seconds, and then suddenly become clear when your child changes what they’re looking at.

A blurry image of a child who sees this vision.

Our eyes work like camera lenses, and adjust to see objects at different distances. The muscles inside our eyes tighten when we look at objects that are up close and relax when they’re farther away. But sometimes the wires get crossed, and the muscles don’t work as they should. 

When this happens, your child might complain that words in books or on screens look blurry most of the time, or that they keep going in and out of focus. Sometimes, everything might look blurry for a few seconds, and then suddenly become clear when your child changes what they’re looking at.

A blurry image of a child who sees this vision.

How can you spot your child’s visual dysfunction?

Detecting visual problems in young children can be challenging, especially when they may lack the verbal skills to communicate what they’re experiencing. That said, here are a few signs to keep in mind if you suspect that your child may have visual dysfunction:

Identifying a vision disorder in childhood is important. Why? Because your child’s rapidly developing brain can be effectively retrained with vision therapy – leading to a permanent, positive change.

Personalized Vision Therapy for Your Child’s Success

Our dedicated team of developmental optometrists and vision therapists creates custom vision therapy plans tailored to your child’s needs, regardless of the specific visual processing challenge. We work closely with you to monitor progress and adapt the program as necessary. Your child’s active participation and commitment are key to success, whether they’re working with us in our office or at home. The more they train their brain, the smoother and more automatic the exercises become. Improvement can begin in as little as a few weeks.  Don’t hesitate to reach out to VUE3 Vision Therapy at the first sign of visual processing difficulties in your child. We’re here to support their journey to improved reading, learning, and overall school performance.  Our practice proudly serves families in North York, Toronto, Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Kitchener, and neighbouring communities.
A young girl is being examined by a doctor.

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