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In this episode, I’m sharing a very real, very personal story about my daughter and what led me to take her to a developmental optometrist. As both a COTA and a mom, I always tell families “when in doubt, rule it out,” and this was one of those moments where I had to take my own advice.
I walk through what I started noticing at home, from how she was positioning her head while writing, to her difficulty with attention during fine motor tasks, to hesitations with sports and play. At first, it was easy to brush some of it off as personality or age, but the patterns kept showing up.
I share what our appointment actually looked like, what they were assessing, and the moment that really clicked for me when the doctor showed me what she might be seeing on a daily basis. It was one of those experiences where everything suddenly made more sense.
I also talk about the difference between visual acuity and how the eyes actually function together. Just because a child can “see” doesn’t mean their visual system is working efficiently. That was a big takeaway for me, and I think more families need to understand it.
This episode is really about awareness. Ocular motor skills, accommodation, and visual processing play a huge role in attention, behavior, reading, and overall development, yet they’re often overlooked or mistaken for something else.
I also share how to know who to go to if you’re noticing similar concerns, what a developmental optometrist actually does, and why this can be such an important piece of the puzzle.
This is just the beginning of our journey, and I’ll continue to share updates as we learn more, especially if we move into vision therapy.
Thanks for listening 🩷
If this made you think about your own child’s vision in a new way, share it with someone who might need to hear this, too.
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All Things Sensory Episode #75 The Power of Vision Therapy with Dr. Ryan Johnson
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BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science & art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views & opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties & what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
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