Keep up-to-date on the latest vision-related news and eye care events in our Practice.
With 2026 underway, now is the time to use your renewed vision insurance benefits. At Child and Family Vision Center in Ankeny, our team helps you make sense of your plan and access the care you’re entitled to. From eye exams to glasses and vision therapy, your benefits could cover more than you think.
If your child’s vision keeps getting worse, stronger glasses aren’t the only solution. Myopia is a progressive condition that can raise the risk of serious eye disease later in life. This blog explains why early myopia management matters and how today’s treatments can help. Learn about evidence-based options to protect your child’s vision now and into adulthood.
Concussions often cause lingering vision issues like blurry vision, eye strain, or reading problems. This blog explains how vision therapy rebuilds brain-eye communication to support faster recovery.
Diabetes can quietly affect the eyes in surprising ways, including color vision and depth perception. These changes happen when high blood sugar damages the retina and the tiny blood vessels that help the eyes process visual information. At Child and Family Vision Center in Ankeny, comprehensive and dilated eye exams help detect early signs before vision loss occurs.
This blog explores the root causes of myopia in children, including genetics, screen use, and lack of outdoor time. It shares practical tips parents can implement at home and outlines myopia management options available at Child and Family Vision Center.
Contact lenses enable students to see clearly without the inconvenience of glasses, particularly during sports and busy school days. They enhance confidence, minimize distractions, and promote healthy vision habits. This blog explains when contacts are a good fit for students and outlines the steps to initiate the process.
Children’s eyes are more vulnerable to UV damage, making sunglasses a crucial accessory, not just a fashion statement. This blog explains why kids need sun protection, how to choose sunglasses that fit well and protect effectively, and the benefits of prescription sunglasses for children who already wear glasses.
UV exposure increases your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and other severe eye conditions. This guide breaks down the best summer strategies for protecting your eyes, including the benefits of wraparound sunglasses, photochromic lenses, and wide-brimmed hats. You’ll also find specific tips for children who are more vulnerable to UV damage and learn how to choose the proper sun-protective eyewear for every activity.
Vision therapy offers a personalized, non-invasive way to treat a wide range of vision challenges. At Child and Family Vision Center, we tailor our programs to help patients of all ages see—and thrive—more clearly. From science back studies to real life testimonials, the proof is in the pudding with this blog.
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a leading cause of dry eye, often resulting in irritation, blurry vision, and discomfort. Advanced treatments like Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy help restore proper gland function and provide long-lasting relief. Read our blog to learn how our practice can help you treat dry eye at its source.
Reading difficulties can often be linked to vision problems rather than learning disabilities. At Child and Family Vision Center in Ankeny, vision therapy helps improve eye coordination and tracking skills, making reading easier and more efficient.
Frequent headaches may be linked to visual issues like eye strain or poor eye coordination. Vision therapy at Child and Family Vision Center offers a personalized solution to reduce headaches and improve your quality of life.
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming increasingly common in children and young adults. This blog explores innovative strategies such as Ortho-K lenses, atropine eye drops, and lifestyle changes that can effectively slow myopia progression and protect long-term eye health.
Don’t let your vision insurance benefits go to waste! Many plans reset at the end of the year, meaning now is the perfect time to schedule your annual eye exam or update your eyewear.
Vision therapy can help students improve academic performance by addressing vision issues that impact reading, focus, and comprehension. With targeted exercises, children can develop better visual skills, boosting confidence and classroom success.
Myopia management is essential to protecting your child’s vision, but several myths continue to mislead parents. Here we debunk 3 surprising myths about progressive myopia and explain the importance of early intervention.
The last thing you need to worry about when you’re about to make the winning play is damaging or losing your glasses - upgrade to Contact Lenses.
As your family prepares for the exciting back-to-school season, don't forget one crucial checkup that can make all the difference in your child's academic performance and confidence: a comprehensive eye exam.
Vision is made up of 17 different visual skills, each one enabling a unique visual ability— focusing, depth perception, coordination, reaction time, saccades, pursuits, etc.
From specialized lenses to customized vision therapy, we offer a variety of treatments tailored to meet each patient's individual needs.
The beauty of a solar eclipse is unparalleled, but viewing it without proper precautions can lead to irreversible eye damage.
If you need glasses to play sports - upgrade to contact lenses for clearer vision.
Often, children who have problems with visual functioning can have learning and behavioral problems as well.
Following a brain injury, such as a concussion, complications can arise involving the eyes and vision.
Myopia can significantly impact your child’s performance in school and sports, and lead to serious eye diseases later in life.
Myopia impacts your child’s school performance, learning, and athletics and can potentially lead to serious sight-robbing eye diseases later in life. These include macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and retinal detachment.
If you suffer from headaches, you may have an underlying problem with your visual system due to a neurological issue.
High myopia – severe nearsightedness – is associated with an increased risk of serious eye diseases such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Vision therapy can address underlying visual problems that can mimic or exacerbate a learning disability.
Here's how eye exams helped save Katie's vision and quality of life. Call Child and Family Vision Center to schedule your appointment.
Car accidents can often result in a concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury that can cause vision problems.
Did you know that poor visual skills can contribute to behavioral problems in children? Read on to learn how vision therapy can help address these behavioral issues and how Child and Family Vision Center can help.
Want to be a better skier? By enhancing your visual skills, you can radically improve your performance on the mountain slopes. Contact Child and Family Vision Center in Ankeny to discover how sports vision training can help you be the skier you wish to be!
Discover why experts say there’s a myopia epidemic, and learn what you can do to keep your kids’ eyes healthy. Child and Family Vision Center proudly offers myopia management treatments to nearsighted children for healthy and clear life-long vision.
Your eye experts at Child and Family Vision Center have compiled our top 7 tips for keeping your eyes healthy and safe this holiday season. Let us know how else we can help!
Optimizing your soccer performance should go beyond building muscle and endurance. Boosting your game should also include honing the visual skills you need to be the best soccer player you can be. That’s where sports vision training at Child and Family Vision Center can help.
Post trauma vision syndrome (PTVS) can persist long after a concussion, making everyday tasks difficult. Luckily, neuro-optometry can treat many visual post-concussion symptoms. Learn about neuro-optometry and how it can help you.
Did you know that a risk factor for developing myopia (nearsightedness) is living in an urban area? But don’t worry – the myopia management program at Child and Family Vision Center can help.
If you suffer from headaches accompanied by blurred vision, you may have an underlying problem with your visual system. Read on to discover how blurred vision and headaches are linked, and how Child and Family Vision Center can help.
When a child is considered a ‘slow learner,’ parents and teachers often assume the problem is ADHD or a learning disability. Many don’t realize that a visual deficit is at the root of the problem. Find out how vision therapy can help your child succeed in school and in sports.
Hockey is one of the fastest and most exciting sports out there. But to be great at hockey, your brain needs to be able to instantly process visual information. Read on to learn how sports vision training at Child and Family Vision Center can help you be the athlete you want to be.
Have you ever seen a child who struggles in school despite trying hard to succeed? They could have an undetected vision problem that makes reading and learning a struggle. If a child’s visual skills are the culprit, vision therapy can help.
It's Contact Lens Safety Month, which makes it the perfect time to brush up on ways to keep your eyes and vision healthy when wearing contact lenses. Here are our top contact lens safety tips to keep your peepers happy.
There are 2 main types of brain injuries - traumatic and non-traumatic. Here, we'll explain the difference between these injuries and how Child and Family Vision Center can help.
Traditional myopia correction uses glasses to improve visual acuity, but they are not a solution for controlling myopia’s progression and may even contribute to worsening myopia. Myopia management is an effective treatment program to slow or halt myopia progression.
Eye tracking is a visual skill necessary for academic success. Poor eye tracking skills can compromise your child’s ability to read and learn. Fortunately, vision therapy can help strengthen a child’s eye tracking skills and make reading and learning easier.
Seeing floaters is common and usually nothing to worry about. Yet there are times when floaters are a sign of a serious eye condition. Here’s what you need to know about eye floaters, and how Child and Family Vision Center can help!
There are many reasons why developing visual skills should play an important role in your sports training program. Schedule an appointment with a sports vision optometrist and see how sports vision training can give you that competitive edge you seek!
Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common eye conditions in the world, yet many people put up with the discomfort, even though it's very treatable. Here are tips to help you deal with your dry eye symptoms, along with treatment from your eye doctor.
An ocular migraine can cause the sudden appearance of visual distortions, and even temporary blindness in one eye. Either way, an ocular migraine can be quite scary.
If you’ve ever wondered why some medical professionals don’t mention vision therapy as a treatment for visual problems caused by a concussion and other medical conditions, you’ll want to read this. Here’s why we think vision therapy is often overlooked.
Here are 5 eye symptoms that you should never ignore. Call Child and Family Vision Center without delay if you or a loved one experiences any of these eye or vision problems.
Sports injuries often affect the eyes and can lead to blurry vision — even vision loss. Consider sports vision training and wear protective eyewear to keep your vision safe.
Every child should have a comprehensive eye exam before the start of the new school year. Just as you wouldn’t consider sending them to school without a backpack or a lunch box, make sure their eyes and vision are ready for the challenges ahead.
If you want to improve your sports performance, then you've come to the right place! Our sports vision optometrist can help you hone important visual skills to help you succeed at your sport.
Children with ADHD commonly have visual problems, such as convergence insufficiency, tracking difficulties, and others. Fortunately, vision therapy is an effective treatment for these and other lagging visual skills. Read on to learn more!
Did you know that Nerf® guns, a supposedly safe children’s toy, have been shown to cause eye injury in certain cases? What makes them so dangerous?
Hyperopia affects near vision in children and young adults. Want to know more about hyperopia? Here we explain ways to recognize the condition and help your child if they have it.
In this article, we explore the various ways a stroke can negatively affect a person’s vision and explain how a neuro-optometrist can help rehabilitate vision.
Step up to the plate with sharp visual skills like contrast sensitivity and watch your game improve. Sports vision training will help improve your sports performance.
Children with IEPs — individualizedsupport in school — are more likely to experience problems with their eyes’ ability to track, team and focus, but these problems are rarely detected in a standard school screening. A comprehensive developmental vision exam can detect these and other problems with your child’s visual system.
Cataract surgery not only improves vision. Research suggests that cataract surgery may also prevent cognitive decline.
Here’s how you can celebrate National Sunglasses Day on June 27.
With an increase in online learning comes an increase in digital eye strain and convergence insufficiency, two conditions that can be effectively treated with vision therapy.
Children whose visual skills aren’t fully developed find it difficult and frustrating to read. Learn why your child may not want to read, and how vision therapy can help.
Since blue eyes contain very little melanin — a pigment that helps block out light, including the sun’s harmful UV rays and blue light — they often feel more sensitive to bright light. Find out more.
It’s important to get the facts straight. Here are 5 myths — and truths — about vision therapy.