Spelling: A Visual Skill

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

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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

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.

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Testimonials

Vision therapy is well worth the response, time and effort. Our Son had a hard time focusing and writing neatly. After vision therapy Seth could complete a task in half the time if previously took. His abilities to focus improved greatly and so did his handwriting.

Also, he was better at listening. As a parent, we wanted learning to be fun for our Son, and vision therapy made this possible.

Amanda T.
Vision Therapy is well worth the expense, time and effort. Our son had a hard time focusing handwriting neatly. After vision therapy Seth could complete a task in half the time it previously took his abilities to focus and improved greatly and so did his handwriting.

Also, he was better at listening. As a parent you wanted learning to be fun for our son and vision therapy made this possible.

Alexa H.
Vision Therapy has given or son the tools he needs to be able to scan and read the written word more effectively and efficiently.

He love working with John and these working sessions give him the motivation to gladly work on his homework assignments.

It amazed us to see the difference in the tracking of his eyes and along a line of it's from the beginning to the end of the treatment.

Dr. McBryar , Kristen and John are all marvelous and we would recommend them to anyone I only wish that we would have found them sooner!

Charlotte M.
Prior to coming to the institute for vision development my son complained of daily headaches. Therapy has eliminated his headaches completely. I love knowing my son is able to learn pain-free for the rest of his life because of the work that has been done over just a few weeks in this office. He he absolutely loved coming that didn't even feel like going to a doctor or therapy. We are grateful for the relief he was able to find by coming here.

Thank you!

Olivia C.
Seems much less frustrated with life

Reads non-stop and fast

Spelling abilities have been hugely improved

Seems much more confident

Thank You!!!

Kelly O.

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