If your child is struggling with focus, reading, or coordination, you’ve probably heard about both vision therapy and occupational therapy. But how do you know which one is right for your family? At Navigation Eye Care in Chesapeake, we’re often asked to help parents untangle the difference between these two powerful tools.
Let’s walk through what each therapy does, how they differ, and how they often work together to support your child’s development.
Scope of Practice: Different Strengths for Different Needs
Both therapies support development but they don’t do the same job.
- Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on helping children improve everyday skills like handwriting, dressing, feeding, and attention through sensory integration and motor skill development.
- Vision therapy, on the other hand, is designed to correct functional vision problems like eye tracking, teaming, focusing, and visual processing that may affect schoolwork, reading, or behavior.
Here’s a quick way to think about it:
OT helps kids do everyday tasks more easily. Vision therapy helps them see those tasks more clearly.
If a child has difficulty copying from the board, loses their place when reading, or avoids visual tasks, a comprehensive eye exam with an Eye Doctor trained in vision therapy is a great first step.
Treatment Goals: Addressing the Root of the Struggle
When it comes to treatment goals, vision therapy vs occupational therapy have different starting points but often overlap in support.
At Navigation Eye Care, our vision therapy sessions are tailored to strengthen:
- Eye tracking and coordination
- Depth perception and visual memory
- Reading speed and fluency
- Visual attention and processing
These are key skills needed for reading comprehension, handwriting, and classroom confidence.
Occupational therapists, meanwhile, may work on:
- Fine motor control
- Balance and body awareness
- Sensory integration
- Self-care routines and attention skills
The truth is, some children benefit from both therapies because their challenges touch both motor and visual systems. And that’s not uncommon!
Collaborative Care: When Two Experts Are Better Than One
One of the most powerful strategies we’ve seen? Collaboration.
At Navigation Eye Care, we love working alongside occupational therapists to create unified plans that support the whole child. We communicate with your therapy team, share findings, and help set goals that align across all areas of development.
In fact, many local OTs refer families to us when they suspect underlying visual concerns and we happily return the favor when we notice a child could benefit from OT support. Because it’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about choosing what’s best for your child.
Let’s Find the Right Fit for Your Child
When your child is struggling, it’s overwhelming to sort through all the options. You’re doing your best and we see that.
At Navigation Eye Care, our compassionate team will help you get to the root of the issue and build a path forward. Whether vision therapy is the right fit or part of a bigger team approach, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Start with a Vision Therapy Evaluation Today
If you’re unsure whether your child’s challenges stem from their eyes or something else, let’s take the guesswork out of it.
Book a comprehensive vision therapy evaluation at Navigation Eye Care today. Our experienced Eye Doctor will help you get the answers you need so you can stop worrying and start seeing progress.
Because every child deserves clear vision and a confident future.