Across British Columbia, many children are falling behind in reading, writing, and attention, not because of a lack of intelligence or effort, but because of undiagnosed visual skill issues. While most school screenings and routine eye exams check for 20/20 eyesight, they often miss the deeper problems affecting how a child’s eyes and brain work together.
At Opto-Mization, we help families in Victoria, Nanaimo, and beyond uncover the real reason behind these struggles. Through comprehensive testing and individualized vision therapy, we help children build the skills needed for confident, comfortable learning.
Why Eye Tracking and Other Visual Skills Need to Be Tested
It’s common for children to pass a regular eye exam and still avoid reading, lose their place in text, or complain about headaches. That’s because standard exams don’t test visual skills like eye teaming, tracking, and focusing—the very functions required for reading and classroom success.
Functional vision issues can disrupt a child’s ability to:
- Move their eyes smoothly across a line of text
- Use both eyes together without strain
- Maintain focus on near tasks for extended periods
- Process visual information quickly and accurately
These challenges often go undetected and are mistaken for learning disabilities or behavioral issues. In reality, the child may simply be working much harder than their peers to keep up.
Real Problems, Right Here in BC
Across the province, many children are misdiagnosed or unsupported because the underlying vision problem has not been identified. Families spend months or years trying tutoring, speech therapy, or occupational therapy—without results. In many cases, visual skill development is the missing piece.
One of the key insights from our article on how vision therapy improves reading is this: the struggle isn’t about comprehension, it’s about the physical and cognitive effort required just to get through a sentence. When reading feels exhausting or uncomfortable, it’s natural for a child to avoid it.
Signs Your Child May Have a Visual Skill Problem
Functional vision problems can show up in subtle ways. Watch for:
- Skipping lines or losing place when reading
- Poor reading comprehension despite best efforts
- Complaints of eye strain or headaches
- Avoiding reading or close-up work
- Trouble copying from the board
- Short attention span for visual tasks
- Poor coordination or balance
These signs often appear as academic, emotional, or behavioural issues, but they may be rooted in how the child sees and processes visual information.
Ready to uncover what’s really holding your child back?
Book a Comprehensive Eye Exam at Opto-Mization in Victoria or Nanaimo and find out if vision therapy could help your child learn and thrive.
What Is Vision Therapy?
Vision therapy is a doctor-supervised program designed to improve the way the eyes and brain work together. It is not about getting a stronger glasses prescription. It’s about training the visual system to function more efficiently through targeted, personalized exercises.
At Opto-Mization, vision therapy programs are customized based on detailed testing and delivered through one-on-one sessions with trained vision therapists. Therapy is active, engaging, and tailored to each child’s unique challenges and goals.
Vision therapy can improve:
- Eye tracking for smooth reading
- Binocular vision for stable focus
- Depth perception and coordination
- Visual processing and reaction speed
- Attention and endurance for near tasks
These are the 17 visual skills assessed during our Comprehensive Eye Exams—and they’re foundational for success in school and beyond.
Supporting Progress at Home
While therapy sessions are the core of treatment, there are many ways parents can help strengthen their child’s visual system between appointments. In our article about home-based activities, we highlight simple games like flashlight tag, maze puzzles, and finger-tracking while reading. These fun, low-pressure activities support the same skills being developed in therapy.
They also help build confidence and keep progress going outside the clinic.
A Life-Changing Difference
Every week, we work with children who have been struggling for years, sometimes since early elementary school. Despite their best efforts, they’ve felt frustrated, behind, or misunderstood. For many, vision therapy has been the first intervention to make a real difference.
In one example featured on our blog, a young boy who avoided reading and had difficulty writing underwent vision therapy at Opto-Mization. Over time, his performance improved significantly, and so did his comfort and self-esteem. This kind of progress is not unusual. It’s the result of finally treating the root cause.
How Opto-Mization Helps
Our team specializes in functional vision care, and every Comprehensive Eye Exam includes both standard eye health testing and assessment of visual skills like tracking, focusing, and eye teaming. This means we evaluate not just how clearly your child sees, but how their visual system is functioning for tasks like reading and learning.
Note: Dr. McCrodan focuses on the functional vision portion of the exam. If your child is seeing him, the eye health component will be completed separately with another optometrist on our team.
If therapy is recommended, we create a personalized plan and guide your family through each step with expert support, clear communication, and measurable progress.
With clinics in both Victoria and Nanaimo, we’re accessible to families across Vancouver Island and throughout British Columbia.
When to Book an Assessment
If your child:
- Struggles with reading despite effort
- Avoids books or homework
- Complains of tired eyes or headaches
- Has been told “everything looks normal” but still underperforms
…a functional vision evaluation could uncover the reason why.
Our testing goes far beyond the standard eye chart. We look at how your child’s eyes and brain are working together, and whether vision therapy may be the right solution.
Take the First Step
Children should not have to work twice as hard just to keep up. When vision is functioning properly, learning becomes more natural, less frustrating, and far more rewarding. If you suspect your child may be struggling with hidden vision issues, we’re here to help.
Book a Comprehensive Eye Exam at Opto-Mization in Victoria or Nanaimo and let’s find out what’s really going on—and how we can help your child succeed.
