Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes our eyes, but also the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye and foot-eye coordination skills.
Does Vision Therapy Help?
Vision therapy is a sequence of neurosensory and neuromuscular activities individually prescribed and monitored by the doctor to develop, rehabilitate and enhance visual skills and processing. The vision therapy program is based on the results of a comprehensive eye examination or consultation, and takes into consideration the results of standardized tests, the needs of the patient, and the patient’s signs and symptoms. The use of lenses, prisms, filters, occluders, specialized instruments, and computer programs is an integral part of vision therapy. The length of the therapy program varies depending on the severity of the diagnosed conditions, typically ranging from several months to longer periods of time. Activities paralleling in-office techniques are typically taught to the patient to be practiced at home, thereby reinforcing the developing visual skills.
Research has demonstrated vision therapy can be an effective treatment option for:
* Ocular motility dysfunctions (eye movement disorders)
* Non-strabismic binocular disorders (inefficient eye teaming)
* Strabismus (misalignment of the eyes)
* Amblyopia (poorly developed vision)
* Accommodative disorders (focusing problems)
* Visual information processing disorders, including visual-motor integration and integration with other sensory modalities
Vision Therapy Convergence
Convergence Insufficiency is a condition in which a patient finds it difficult to maintain alignment of the eyes on a near object. Inability to sustain convergence may cause a person to look with just one eye at a time, or to see double. Therapy for this condition uses a series of exercises to strengthen the eye muscles to eventually restore normal binocular vision in patients.
Vision Therapy for Dyslexia
People at risk for learning-related vision problems should receive a comprehensive optometric evaluation. This evaluation should be conducted as part of a multidisciplinary approach in which all appropriate areas of function are evaluated and managed.
The role of the optometrist when evaluating people for learning-related vision problems is to conduct a thorough assessment of eye health and visual functions and communicate the results and recommendations. The management plan may include treatment, guidance and appropriate referral.
The expected outcome of optometric intervention is an improvement in visual function with the alleviation of associated signs and symptoms. Optometric intervention for people with learning related vision problems consists of lenses, prisms, and vision therapy. Vision therapy does not directly treat learning disabilities or dyslexia. Vision therapy is a treatment to improve visual efficiency and visual processing, thereby allowing the person to be more responsive to educational instruction. It does not preclude any other form of treatment and should be part of a multidisciplinary approach to learning disabilities.
i Sources American Optometric Association
