Protecting Your Child's or Teen's Vision (and Mental Health) in Online School: Tips from a Vision Therapist

Your child is looking at a screen all day. You knew this wasn’t a good thing before. But now it seems like there’s no choice!

School time is screen time. Social time is screen time. Visiting extended family is screen time!

We now need a deeper understanding of screen time. To make good parenting decisions. And help our kids and teens survive this pandemic.

This is where Dr. Bryce Appelbaum comes in. (Dr. Bryce, as he’s called at his practice in Bethesda, MD.) He is a neuro-optometrist.

A what? A doctor that specializes in the ways our eyes and brains function together. In his practice he offers vision therapy and rehabilitation.

And he makes it fun. He uses games and virtual reality. That’s our kind of doctor!

Last week I reached out to Dr. Bryce. My 9 year old was complaining of headaches after online school. I wanted to know how I could help her.

We decided to interview each other. About mental health. About vision. And the role that screen time plays in all of it!

We covered a lot of important information. Here’s where to find it.

Mental Health Tips for Montgomery County families, from a Family Therapist

Dr. Bryce’s interview with me about family mental health in COVID times appears on our blog. Click here to watch. Or to read the transcript.

Protecting Your Child’s or Teen’s Visual Health (and Mental Health)

How do they connect? That’s one of the key points in the information Dr. Bryce gave me. We’ve summarized it for you right here. If you’d rather watch our 20 minute conversation yourself, just click below.

Dr. Bryce explains that “vision is how our brain takes in the world. It’s how we derive meaning. And direct action.

It’s… the dominant learning sense. And it’s something that’s often overlooked.

This makes a lot more sense if we think of eyesight and vision as 2 different things. Eyesight is a student’s ability to make things clear… to see what the teacher writes on the board. It’s what most people wear glasses for.

Vision is entirely brain. And how the brain uses the eyes… How the brain tells the eyes how to track, how to focus, and how to process information. Everything that’s important for reading, learning, and sports.”

Protect Your Child’s or Teen’s Visual Health and Mental Health too!

Dr. Bryce also says “a good majority of vision problems are preventable. If we know how to control what’s controllable.” That’s great news for parents!

“We’re not meant to be staring at screens all day. We need to make sure we have the right foundation in place. To support what we’re asking of our minds and of our eyes.” Ok, Dr. Bryce. But how?

Tips for healthy vision in the learning environment

• Set up the learning space where there aren’t many distractions off to the sides.

• Reduce glare as much as possible with anti-glare glasses or monitors.

• Use the largest, highest resolution screen you can.

• Place the screen at the “Harmon distance” (the distance from our middle knuckle to our elbow) or farther.

• Avoid harsh lighting. Use natural light where possible.

• Exercise the eyes, and take as many breaks as possible to do so.

  • Use the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

• Use stress reducing and blue light blocking glasses (from an eye doctor)

So it turns out that too much blue light entering our visual processing system is a problem. You probably knew that. You might have even ordered blue blocking glasses.

Dr. Bryce says “blue blocking glasses can be very very helpful. They can do no harm. And in many cases are very helpful.

There are lots of studies. That show that being exposed to too much blue light interferes with circadian rhythms” (our sleep).

But did you know that too much blue light can also mimic mental health problems? I learned from Dr. Bryce that blue light can intensify fight or flight response. And make us distractible. And sleepy at the wrong times.

That might sound a lot like your teenager. Or like you during COVID! So how do you sort out vision problems from mental health symptoms?

Does my teen need counseling for anxiety or depression?

Maybe. If your teen can’t sleep at night because of racing thoughts. Or fears of COVID. Or if your younger child is crying more easily than usual.

But if these things have suddenly changed since switching to online school. You might try Dr. Bryce’s tips first. And watch for improvement.

He notes that “the blue light glasses can be very helpful in terms of calming our mind.” If you don’t see the change you hoped for, we’re happy to do a free consult. We’ll discuss what you might try next.

This is an especially good idea if you had concerns before COVID. If your teen or child seems way too sensitive. Or if they threaten to hurt themselves.

We are all going through a tough time. Which also makes it an important time to boost your family’s mental health.

What if my child or teen is just not living up to their potential? Or is failing in school?

Dr. Bryce says “trust your parenting intuition. You know your child better than anybody else. If your child is smart in everything but school…

Or if they’re showing certain behaviors. In situations that require sustained visual concentration. There is a reason for it. It’s just a matter of figuring out what that reason is.

I’m biased, of course. Vision is not everything. But it’s a big piece of the puzzle.

There are estimates that at least 80% of what you take in in the classroom setting is through the visual system.” So consider whether vision could be a factor.

Here’s what to watch for. “If your child is starting off ready to go at the start of a zoom class. And then very quickly leaning, resting the head down, covering an eye, rubbing an eye.” This could be a problem with how the eyes work together as a team.

Vision problems often go undiagnosed in the classroom. Learning problems can too. If you notice something about your child’s or teen’s learning while they’re learning from home, trust your intuition. Get it checked out.

If you’re worried about how your child, teen, or family is functioning during COVID. Or if you want to feel better yourself. We can help. Contact us with your questions today.

Follow up resources

For blue blocking glasses: Truedark.com, your board certified eye doctor

To reach Dr. Appelbaum: AppelbaumVision.com

To learn more about vision and learning: COVD.org, VisionHelp.com