We all know that good eyesight is essential to learning. But did you know there’s more to good vision than 20/20? In addition to refractive errors and general eye health, some optometrists diagnose and treat conditions called visual processing disorders.
Visual processing disorders are problems with how a child’s brain processes visual information from their surroundings. Although many children with visual processing disorders have good acuity (20/20), their mind may have difficulty organizing and making sense of what they see.
A child with visual processing problems may:
- Dislike school and resist reading.
- May seem uncoordinated or clumsy.
- Have trouble seeing the difference between similar letters, words, or shapes. and may confuse letters such as “u” and “n” or “p,” “q.”
- Skip words or lines when reading.
- Handwriting is difficult and often sloppy.
- Have poor memory.
- A child may have difficulty remembering sight words, math facts, or something they just read on the previous page of a book.
- Have trouble understanding maps and comprehending space and distance.
At Summerville Pediatric Eyecare, our doctors and vision therapists can diagnose and treat a variety of visual processing disorders, using both at home and in-office vision therapy. To make an appointment, call us at (843) 419-8600 or schedule online now.