Did you know that some common signs of Dyslexia could be simple vision problems?

Here at Total Optical we are often approached by parents or people concerned that their child. Or they may be dyslexic because they are experiencing common symptoms of the condition.

What many people do not know however, is that common and correctable learning related vision problems can cause the same or very similar problems as dyslexia. That simple diagnosis and treatment or corrective lenses can often make a big difference to vision quality.

Whilst we cannot diagnose Dyslexia, we can test for the common vision problems that can cause similar issues. That is why patients at our practice fill out a simple questionnaire about their or their child’s vision which includes a list of common Dyslexia/Vision Problem symptoms. You can see the list at the bottom of this information.

“My child reverses words and letters…”

This concern is probably one of the most frequent because it is the most commonly recognised as a sign of dyslexia in children or adults. Just because you or your child reverses words or letters when reading, this does not guarantee that they are dyslexic. Many common vision problems that we look for during our comprehensive eye examinations can cause the same problems.

In many cases where this mixing up words and letters is caused by a vision problem and not by dyslexia, our Vision Therapy treatment options and/or corrective lenses can eliminate this and improve vision and reading.

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What to do next?

Whilst many of these symptoms are similar or the same as one another, it is still very important that you or your child are assessed by a healthcare professional. Someone who is qualified in the diagnosis of Dyslexia in addition to a comprehensive vision test.

At Total Optical we strive for the best possible outcome for all of our patients. We are certainly not advocating that all Dyslexics have a Vision Problem or that Dyslexia is simply incorrectly diagnosed vision issues.

In most cases, there are two likely outcomes:

• Your child or you are not Dyslexic but may require some form of vision correction or therapy to address the symptoms which are similar to
• Your or your child’s symptoms are not only caused by an untreated vision problem and may be caused by Dyslexia which is neurological. You should always seek a diagnosis from a medical professional such as an Educational Psychologist and if Dyslexia is the cause, corrective lenses and/or Vision Therapy can still be beneficial.

Dyslexia is very real. However in some cases we have become aware that some children have been diagnosed with Dyslexia and have never had their eyes examined by a Behavioural Optometrist.

Regardless of the cause, comprehensive Behavioural/Developmental examination means that our Optometrist can assess the causes of this vision problem and offer treatment. Options include Vision Therapy, Glasses that may be tinted for the classroom, homework, computer/device work and more.