For children with ADD/ADHD, focusing in school, completing tasks, and processing information efficiently can be an ongoing challenge. What many parents don’t realize is that vision problems can significantly increase their difficulties in the classroom and beyond. Vision therapy is a specialized, non-invasive treatment designed to improve visual skills, which in turn can enhance attention, learning, and overall performance.
Below, our Arlington Heights eye care team at Visual Symptoms Treatment Center discusses five ways vision therapy can benefit a child with ADD/ADHD.
How Vision Therapy Can Help Your Child in School and Beyond
1. Improve Visual Tracking Skills
Many children with ADD/ADHD struggle with eye movement control, causing their vision to “jump” from letter to letter or word to word rather than smoothly moving across the page. This can make reading and following text on a page frustrating, as they may struggle with constantly losing their place while reading.
Vision therapy helps strengthen tracking skills, enabling smoother, more accurate eye movements that support better reading comprehension and efficiency.
2. Enhance Visual Processing Abilities
Visual information processing is essential for interpreting and responding to what a child sees. If your child has difficulty in this area, even if they can technically see what they’re reading perfectly, they may not be able to fully process it and understand it without re-reading it multiple times. Delays or inefficiencies of this kind can cause difficulties in school and daily activities.
Vision therapy targets these skills, helping children process visual information more effectively and with less effort.
3. Strengthen Eye Coordination and Focus
A child with ADD/ADHD may experience difficulty maintaining clear and stable vision, especially when shifting focus between near and far objects. Vision therapy can train the eyes to work together more efficiently, reducing eye strain and improving the ability to stay engaged in tasks.
4. Reduce Visual Discomfort and Fatigue
Children with attention challenges may also experience headaches, eye strain, and fatigue due to undiagnosed vision problems. This can discourage a child from participating in extracurricular activities and make it more difficult for them to finish schoolwork and homework.
Vision therapy provides exercises that strengthen the eyes and reduce discomfort, making it easier for children to concentrate for longer periods.
5. Support Better Hand-Eye Coordination and Motor Skills
Many children with ADD/ADHD struggle with activities requiring precise visual-motor coordination, such as writing, catching a ball, or using scissors. Vision therapy enhances these skills, improving overall coordination and fine motor abilities that are crucial for success in both academics and play.
Is Vision Therapy in Arlington Heights Right for Your Child?
If your child struggles with attention, focus, or reading difficulties, an underlying vision problem may be contributing to their challenges. A comprehensive developmental vision evaluation can determine if vision therapy is the right solution. By addressing these hidden vision issues, children can experience significant improvements in their ability to learn, focus, and succeed in everyday activities.