Spelling: A Visual Skill

Approximately 1 out of every 4 children have trouble with learning and school performance due to a significant vision issue.

Take our Vision Quiz to learn whether you should explore Vision Therapy

Have you noticed your child or student struggling with spelling in any of the following ways?

Illegible handwriting
Letters get confused such as ‘d’ and ‘b’
Many words are misspelled
Poor Spacing
Struggles to write on ruled lines
Writes slowly
Child gets very tired when spelling
Child tries to avoid writing entirely

If any of the above sound familiar, it’s possible the issue behind the spelling troubles are related to your child’s visual skills. The good news is that there’s an entire field of developmental optometry which can help your child improve his visual skills in order to yield improved spelling results.

How is spelling related to vision?

Vision is so much more than 20/20 eyesight. Our eyes are part of the visual system which means they need to cooperate and work properly with each other and on top of that, they need to communicate with the brain in order to achieve the most effective vision. If anything in the visual system is off balance, it can affect day to day activities such as spelling, reading and many other essential functions.

Up to 75% of School Vision Screenings Miss A Vision Problem

(American Optometric Association)

When a child has trouble with spelling it could be a frustrating experience for the parents, the teacher and of course for the child who is struggling. Taking your child or having a teacher advise a parent to take their child to a developmental optometrist for a specialized visual exam and assessment could be the key to helping this child improve his or her spelling skills and even excel in school performance. The developmental optometrist is able to detect if there are visual skills that require strengthening and can provide professional training to help the child maximize his or her visual system in order to treat the visual challenges that the child is experiencing when trying to spell.

Spelling involves many skills including the integration of language, visual, and motor skills.

Which visual skills are involved with spelling?

Hand-eye coordination
Focusing up close
Eye tracking
Eye movement
Fixation
Visual processing
Visualization

Summary

A developmental optometrist is experienced in working with children to train and strengthen their visual skills, enabling them to excel at spelling and other tasks with greater ease and efficiency, breaking down the barriers that previously caused them so much frustration when trying to spell. To schedule a developmental eye exam, please call (562) 925-6591. Patients looking for a developmental eye exam visit our clinic from all over California, and we are proud to be a leading provider of developmental vision services for patients from Bellflower, Long Beach, Lakewood, and Los Angeles.

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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.