Vision Therapy in Melbourne
for Children

If your child's eye test was fine but school is still a struggle, the cause may be visual skills, not sight. Vision therapy trains the skills children use to read, focus and learn.

What Is Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is a structured, personalised program that trains the visual skills the eyes and brain use to read, learn and concentrate. It is not about whether a child can see clearly. It is about whether their eyes can work together accurately, track smoothly across a page, and hold focus without strain.

A program usually combines in-clinic sessions, using specialised equipment and exercises, with simpler exercises the child does at home between visits. Every program is built around each child’s individual test findings, because no two children struggle in exactly the same way.

At Eye Care for Kids, vision therapy is overseen by Marvin Janet, who is highly experienced in behavioural optometry and has spent over 20 years assessing and managing children’s visual skills.

Why a Standard Eye Test Often Misses It

Vision therapy is not a replacement for glasses or contact lenses; a short-sighted child still needs them to see clearly. It works on a different layer, the coordination and control behind reading and focusing, rather than the sharpness of sight an eye chart measures. That is why these difficulties so often slip past a standard eye test.

A comprehensive behavioural eye test goes beyond a routine check or school screening, assessing how the eyes team, track and focus during the visual work of a school day.

Which Children Benefit From Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy may help children experiencing a range of visual skills challenges. Parents often notice the symptoms first: eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, double vision, tiredness after reading, or words that seem to move on the page. These are the conditions Marvin commonly assesses and addresses through a structured program:

Convergence insufficiency, when the eyes struggle to turn inward together for near work like reading
Amblyopia (lazy eye), where one eye has weaker vision and the brain starts to favour the stronger eye
Strabismus (eye turn), where one or both eyes turn in or out, constantly or now and then
Eye tracking difficulties, trouble with the rapid eye movements used to scan across a page
Accommodation insufficiency, when the eyes struggle to switch focus quickly between near and far
Binocular vision dysfunction, a general term for how well both eyes work together
Reading and learning difficulties linked to visual skills, despite normal sight

Vision therapy is not a standalone solution for any of these. It may help, and for some conditions it is used alongside other treatment, which is why a thorough assessment comes first.

Need help with your child’s vision?

What to Expect

What to Expect From a Vision Therapy Program

Parents naturally want to understand the commitment before they start. Here is how a typical program works.

First Assessment

Personalised program

In-clinic sessions

Home exercises between sessions

Monitoring and review

First Assessment

Personalised program

In-clinic sessions

Home exercises between sessions

Monitoring and review

Most vision therapy programs for children run over a number of months, with sessions usually weekly or fortnightly. Many parents notice differences in reading comfort and concentration within the first few months. Vision therapy begins after a comprehensive kids eye test.

Have any questions?

(03) 9972 2722

Why Choose Eye Care for Kids for Vision Therapy

Children's vision therapy at our Narre Warren and Caulfield clinics

Vision therapy sits within our broader behavioural optometry approach to how children’s vision affects learning. We see families at both clinics across Melbourne’s south-east and inner south.

Vision therapy built only for children

We work with children every day. The assessment, the program and the way sessions are run are all designed for children, not adapted from an adult protocol.

Every program is built around your child's assessment

We start with a full visual skills assessment and shape the plan around what it finds, so your child works on the skills they actually need, not an off-the-shelf set of exercises.

Trusted by GPs, paediatricians and teachers

Other professionals refer families to us when they suspect a visual skills problem is holding back a child’s reading or learning.

In-clinic sessions plus guided home practice

Structured appointments using specialised equipment, with short activities at home between visits, and progress reviewed and adjusted as your child improves.

A gentle approach that keeps children engaged

Children who feel relaxed cooperate better, which leads to more accurate findings and steadier progress. Keeping young children engaged is part of the method, not an afterthought.

Senior Optometrist, Dip Optom SA, FOA, MCOPTOM

Marvin Janet

Marvin Janet is an optometrist with extensive training and experience in paediatric and behavioural optometry, helping children overcome the visual skills problems that hold back their reading, learning and concentration at school.

Marvin is often referred to by Maternal and Child Health nurses, school nurses, GPs, paediatricians, teachers and other optometrists.

He puts children of all ages at ease with his gentle, friendly and caring nature, which leads to more accurate assessments and better outcomes for your child.

More about Marvin

With more than two decades’ experience as an optometrist, Marvin developed his interest in childrens’ vision at the School of Optometry at the Technikon Witwatersrand, South Africa. He continued his study of children’s vision at The University of Manchester. After migrating to Australia, Marvin furthered his proficiency at The University of New South Wales.

Marvin presents educational lectures to teachers at schools on childrens’ vision, and holds private practice in Melbourne, where the majority of his patients are children of all ages.

Eye Care for Kids has 2 convenient locations

Narre Warren

Casey Business Centre
Suite 5, 26-28 Verdun Drive
Narre Warren VIC 3805

Caulfield

Access Business Centres
Suite 7, 242 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield VIC 3161

Frequently Asked Questions

Most frequent questions and answers about vision therapy

Does vision therapy actually work?

The evidence for vision therapy varies by condition. The strongest evidence is for convergence insufficiency. The Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT), a randomised controlled trial funded by the US National Eye Institute, found that in-office vision therapy clearly outperformed home exercises and placebo for children with symptomatic convergence insufficiency. For other conditions, evidence levels vary, so a thorough assessment helps determine whether vision therapy is likely to help your child.

Is vision therapy covered by Medicare or private health in Australia?

Medicare rebates may apply to some children’s eye examinations and vision assessments. Vision therapy programs themselves are often privately billed and not covered by Medicare, though private health fund extras cover may contribute depending on your fund and level of cover. We can confirm what applies to your child’s situation when you call.

What age is vision therapy most effective for children?

Vision therapy can be effective at a range of ages. Earlier intervention generally produces better outcomes, because a child’s brain and visual system are more adaptable during childhood, a quality known as neuroplasticity. Most children’s programs focus on school-age children from around 5 to 16, though the right age depends on the condition and the child’s ability to engage with the exercises.

How many sessions does vision therapy take?

The number of sessions varies depending on the condition being treated and how quickly your child responds. Most programs involve regular weekly or fortnightly sessions over a number of months, with progress reviewed throughout. At your child’s initial assessment, Marvin will give you a clearer picture of what to expect.

What is the difference between vision therapy and orthoptics?

Orthoptics is a registered allied health profession in Australia, focused on assessing and managing binocular vision and eye movement disorders, usually in a hospital or medical setting. Vision therapy as practised by behavioural optometrists is a broader approach that also addresses eye tracking, focusing and visual processing. The most important thing is that whoever you see is qualified and experienced in assessing children’s visual skills.

My child was told their eyes are fine at a school screening. Can they still have a vision problem?

Yes. School vision screenings typically check whether a child can see clearly at a distance. They do not test the visual skills used for reading, such as eye tracking, eye teaming or focusing stamina. Many children with visual skills difficulties pass a school screening easily because their basic sight is normal; it is the functional skills that are affected.

Vision Therapy in Melbourne
for Children

What Is Vision Therapy?

Why a Standard Eye Test Often Misses It