Many of the symptoms of dyslexia may be caused by problems with vision, including the way that your child focuses on print and her ability to shift focus from one word to the next. These problems can cause blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, and double vision when reading. Your child may frequently lose his place, omit words, close one eye, or show difficulty sustaining reading for long. It is very possible for your child to have 20/20 vision but still have undetected vision problems that impact her ability to read.

These problems are correctable, sometimes with specialized lenses or prisms or with specific exercises and practice geared to help your child learn to use his eyes effectively. Some of the visual skills that may affect reading are the ability to quickly locate and inspect a series of stationary objects, such as moving from word to word while reading (fixation); the ability to clearly see and understand objects at near distances, such as print on a page (near vision acuity); the ability to shift focus from near to far quickly, such as looking from a chalkboard to a book (accommodation); and the ability to keep both eyes eyes aligned on a book or other near-point work (binocularity). Different approaches and exercises are tailored to various problems; for example, your child may practice shifting focus from a near to far object and back with one eye covered, and then repeat the exercise with the other eye covered.

A developmental optometrist will develop an individualized program for your child; treatment may be from several weeks to several months depending upon the condition. Some insurance plans may cover vision training.