Monthly Archives: June

reading vision therapy

Vision Therapy Can Have Life-Changing Effects on a Child’s Reading Skills

Encouraging your child to read is an important way to improve their overall language skills.  Likewise, strong reading skills can help a child succeed in school, as well as build an overall sense of self-esteem.  When a child gradually, or suddenly, seems to lose interest in reading, it is wise to look for a vision disorder as a possible cause.

The following vision issues can affect a child’s reading ability.  Fortunately, our vision therapy programs can greatly improve, or even eliminate, the symptoms of these conditions.

 

How Amblyopia Affects Reading

Amblyopia is a common vision condition in children.  This disorder occurs when the eyes and brain do not work together properly. As a result, the brain will choose to use only one eye as its primary source of visual information.  The other eye will “shut off” and will not be used very often, or at all.  Sometimes this will cause the eye to drift in or out, but many times it remains perfectly straight.  Other symptoms may include double vision, nearsightedness or farsightedness in one eye, or poor depth perception.  All of these, of course, can cause a child’s reading skills to suffer.

 

Effects of Convergence Insufficiency

Reading can be extremely difficult for a child with convergence insufficiency.  This condition is characterized by the inability to move and focus both eyes inward on close objects.  Obviously, this would affect an activity like reading.  In addition, a child with this disorder can experience eye strain, headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating.  Vision therapy can help treat convergence insufficiency, thereby allowing a child’s reading skills to flourish.

 

Visual Processing Disorders Also Affect Reading Skills

When a child suffers from a visual processing disorder, their brain has trouble processing the information it receives.  This condition does not affect actual clarity of vision, but rather the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eyes are seeing.  For example, letters like b and d might get mixed up.  Or when reading, they may read the same line several times, or skip lines completely.

Vision disorders, like those described above, can often go undetected in a standard vision screening.  Unfortunately, school-provided screenings are the only vision tests many kids receive at a young age.  As such, reading skills can continue to suffer throughout a child’s school years.  Our comprehensive vision exam is the best way to detect a wide range of vision disorders.  It is also important to note that the earlier an issue is diagnosed the better the chance of a successful treatment.  Our vision therapy programs are highly effective at any age.  But it is always better to start as soon as possible.  Contact our office at 630-862-2020 for more information or to schedule your appointment.

Additional information can be referenced here and here.

Share:
polarized sunglasses

Polarized Sunglasses: a Smart Solution to Protect Your Eyes and Vision

The sunny days of summer are finally here to stay, at least for a while.  And that means more time outdoors and more opportunity for your eyes to get damaged by the sun’s harmful rays.  You apply sunscreen to protect your skin, but don’t forget to put on a good pair of sunglasses to ensure your eyes are also protected.  Polarized sunglasses are a good choice for many.  Read on to see if they might be right for you.

What are polarized sunglasses

The main purpose of polarized sunglasses is to get rid of glare.  Polarized lenses contain a special filter that blocks certain types of light, thereby reducing or eliminating that blinding glare often seen when bright sunlight reflects off a surface.

Why polarized sunglasses can be a good choice

There are a number of situations in which reducing glare is important, and polarized sunglasses might come in handy.  For instance, drivers can often operate their vehicle more effectively when glare is reduced from the road or even other cars.  Likewise, boaters and skiers often wear this type of eyewear to better navigate the water or snow-covered hills.

In addition to glare reduction, polarized sunglasses can allow for a truer perception of colors, improve contrast and clarity, and reduce overall eye strain.

There are some drawbacks

While polarized lenses help eliminate glare, they also reduce your ability to see LCD displays.  This means that it can be very difficult to properly view screens at an ATM or gas pump, or your car’s instrument panel on the dashboard.  Likewise, some people have trouble viewing their phone’s screen when wearing polarized sunglasses.  Additionally, pilots should definitely not wear them, as they can interfere with proper viewing of their instrument panel.

Polarized sunglasses can range in style, price and actual UV protection.  A high price tag does not always mean you will be getting the best quality.  In fact, there are some very affordable options that do a really great job.  Visit Family Vision Development Center in Aurora to view our full selection, including great brands like Maui Jim and Nike.  Of course, give us a call first at 630-862-2020 to confirm our hours and availability to help you select the perfect pair!

 

Additional information can be referenced here

Share: