Vision Therapy can help to Improve Reading Comprehension

We first met Asher at Complete Eye Care when his parents brought him in for his first eye exam last fall.  Our office was likely the most convenient office for his family, considering they live in Belmont, NC.  Asher’s parents were particularly concerned with his reading performance and wanted Dr. Hilary Gesford to evaluate him for possible eye tracking issues.  At the time of the evaluation, Asher was just starting second grade, yet his reading comprehension was merely the level of a new first-grader.  His parents described reading as a chore and a large source of frustration for Asher.  When reading, he would often skip words, lose his place, say the incorrect word, or cover one eye.  This caused Asher to have difficulty remembering what he was reading.

Dr. Gesford evaluated Asher’s eye teaming, eye tracking, and eye focusing abilities.  She concluded that in addition to Asher’s eyes not tracking efficiently, they did not work well together as a team.  Poor eye teaming often leads to double vision; however, kids usually do not know how to explain that they are seeing double and/or they believe that this type of vision is normal for everyone.  Asher was likely covering one eye when reading to avoid double vision.

Asher completed a program of in-office vision therapy to improve his convergence (teaming) and tracking abilities.  His parents began to notice improvements almost instantly, including a drastic advancement in his reading, spelling, and comprehension ability.  Asher now reads above his current grade level and no longer loses his place or feels the need to cover one eye when he reads.  His confidence with reading and schoolwork in general has greatly improved since completing vision therapy!

Dr. Gesford is extremely passionate about helping kids like Asher overcome these visual barriers that impact their learning so immensely.  If your child, or anyone you know, is struggling with reading or with schoolwork in general, contact Dr. Gesford at Complete Eye Care and make an appointment today!