Signs of a Hidden Vision Issue in Your Child

Published on

June 29, 2021

When most of us think of vision issues, we think of the obvious: clear difficulty seeing either near or far objects. However, there is no shortage of vision issues that are much less obvious, and which can be present even if your child passes their in-school vision test and has 20/20 vision.
For this reason, it is important for your child to have regular comprehensive eye exams. It is also important to know the signs of potential issues. While they might be more difficult to spot, if you know what to look for, you are likely to pick up on them

Frequent Headaches

If your child experiences regular headaches, there is a chance it is due to eye strain as they struggle to focus on either near or far objects. This is often accompanied by squinting, which can provide a little help focusing.

Head Tilting

If your child frequently tilts their head to the side, it can signify an eye alignment issue. The tilting of the head can somewhat correct this issue, and allow them to see better. This symptom can be a sign of strabismus (lazy eye). In addition to this vision issue making it more difficult to see, it can harm their self-esteem in the classroom, if other students find their head tilting strange.

Poor Attention Span

If you notice your child quickly loses interest in activities, schoolwork, or sports (all things which require heavy eye usage for extended periods of time), it can be a sign of an underlying vision issue. This symptom can be a tricky one, as poor attention span is also a symptom of developmental disorders like ADHD. A comprehensive eye exam can conclusively tell you whether your child’s attention span issue is vision-related.

If undetected, vision issues can become more of a hindrance to your child over time, and it can also lead to them being mistakenly thought to have a condition such as ADHD. Being aware of these signs of potential vision problems, and catching them early, can be a huge help to a child presumably already having a more difficult time than most in school, sports, and other activities.
Vision therapy is extremely effective at treating these vision issues and enabling your child to both perform well in, and enjoy, their time in school. If you suspect your child may have a vision issue, be sure to schedule a comprehensive vision exam.

Testimonials

I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.

Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

Jim K.

My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.

The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

Joe M.

I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

Kayla W.

This is not for the eye exam but for the frames selection portion. I brought my prescription from Kaiser here with my VSP insurance. The reception staff was very polite and professional. Manny helped me to pick out frames and explain my coverage. Very helpful and patient not like the individual at the other place I rated here on Yelp. I was running late and he still helped me and was not bothered at all. I am so glad I came here ..........very pleased.

Very professional staff and pleasant.