How Do I Know if My Child Needs Vision Therapy?

You can't tell from home whether your child needs vision therapy, and neither can a website. What you can do is notice patterns and get the right exam.

Signs worth bringing to an eye doctor

• Headaches, tired eyes, or blur with reading or close work
• Words that seem to move, float, or double
• Losing place, skipping lines, or rereading
• Closing or covering one eye, or tilting the head to read
• Avoiding reading, or homework that takes far longer than it should

The National Eye Institute lists many of these as common symptoms of convergence insufficiency, one condition vision therapy is used to treat. Our free checklist helps you organize what you've noticed.

How the decision is made

Vision therapy is recommended by an eye doctor after testing, usually during a comprehensive or functional vision evaluation. The doctor measures things like eye teaming, focusing, and eye movements (what to expect). Sometimes glasses alone are the answer, and sometimes no treatment is needed at all.

Good questions to ask

• What diagnosis did you find, and which test results show it?
• What are the treatment options, including glasses or prisms?
• How will we measure progress?

Remember: vision therapy treats vision problems. If reading or learning concerns continue, an educational evaluation is a separate and important step.

Source: National Eye Institute: Convergence Insufficiency.