Great Vision for Successful Development in School and Life
Developmental optometrists work with children and infants to ensure that these young patients develop the visual skills needed for successful development.
Children are particularly vulnerable to injuries that occur in school, during sports, swimming, or other extracurricular activities. Injuries such as concussions, and falling down stairs or on the field, can cause vision and eye-hand coordination problems.
Children with learning difficulties can benefit from working with a developmental optometrist. For example, kids who struggle with reading are often assumed to have learning disabilities, when in reality, their learning issues can be attributed to vision problems. Moreover, incorrectly diagnosing a child with a learning disability can have many negative repercussions, on an emotional and social level, that could last for many years and all the way through adulthood.
Visual Tracking
Visual tracking is the ability to look at something and follow it as it moves or to track a line, such as when reading. When someone struggles with this movement, it can impact various activities, such as reading, driving, or sports.
Examples of visual tracking problems in children could include:
Reversing letters: p and q, b and d, etc.
Using a finger to keep their place in a book
Skipping words or entire lines
Replacing words
Sitting in an odd position; tilting the head or leaning very close to a book or TV
Adults can also experience visual tracking problems, such as:
If left untreated, these symptoms can deteriorate over time. As the child grows and develops, academic studies become more challenging, requiring more focus and concentration. This renders it even more critical to assess and treat any abnormalities or deficiencies as soon as possible.
