Vision misalignments can cause a variety of problems that can range from distracting to distressing. Unfortunately, such conditions often go undetected in children for the simple reason that to them, their sight is normal because they’ve never known any different. Therefore, they don’t think to say anything to their parents or teachers.

Below we’ve compiled a brief list of the signs of a vision misalignment in children that you should keep an eye out for.

Head tilt – Tilting the head is the body’s way of compensating for misaligned vision and is one of the most obvious indicators of a vision misalignment in children and adults. If you notice your child cocking their head, especially when you’re talking to them, this is a clear indicator of a vision misalignment.
Closing one eye – If your child is apt to shut one eye when reading, this is usually a sign of shadowed or double vision, blurry vision or words that seem to be moving around on the page.
Hugging the wall – If your child tends to walk close to walls or graze them with their hand or body, this is their way of grounding themselves. When the eyes are misaligned, they aren’t able to work together as a team. This means that the brain receives two different images, which affects balance and steadiness because the eyes aren’t working in unison. If your child can’t walk in a straight line – in other words, they veer to one side as they walk – this is another telltale sign of a vision misalignment.
Head turning – Does your child turn their head and look at you with one eye when speaking to you? Has their teacher mentioned this unusual way of making eye contact? By turning the head, they create one dominant eye, which relieves the eye strain that occurs as a result of attempting to use both eyes together.
Propping the head – When children prop their head on one hand, this moves their cheek up so that one eye shuts. This is another compensatory method used by those who suffer from a vision misalignment. By shutting one eye, the other is better able to focus on what’s happening because there’s no conflict with two different images being sent to the brain.
Motion sickness – When the eyes don’t work together as a team, the result can be stomach-turning. Children who suffer from motion sickness or who get nauseated and vomit from being in the car (or on a boat, plane, train, etc.) may suffer from a vision misalignment. Add in a moving vehicle, and the overload of images being sent to the brain can lead to nausea and vision issues.
ADD, ADHD & dyslexia – A vision misalignment often masquerades as an attention or learning problem. It’s a little-known fact that children diagnosed with learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD and dyslexia often have vision issues. If a teacher or family friend has mentioned that your child seems to exhibit signs of a learning disability, they may actually have misaligned vision. It’s imperative that children be tested for a vision misalignment when it comes to reading and learning issues.

A learning disability can be even more challenging when a vision misalignment is present as well. If your child is struggling in school, they should be checked for a vision alignment to make sure they receive the correct diagnosis and effective treatment.

Find Help for Your Child at Vision Specialists of Michigan

Vision misalignments make themselves known in a variety of ways, from symptoms that are seemingly innocuous to those which are physically debilitating. Often these symptoms aren’t even ascribed to vision. Every day, we witness the moment patients try out aligning micro-prism lenses for the first time. Almost immediately, the response is one of immense relief, as they finally experience how vision is supposed to be. To screen your child for a vision misalignment, complete our online BVD questionnaire or call Vision Specialists of Michigan at (248) 258-9000.