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Visual Therapy

Vision therapy is like ‘physiotherapy for the visual system.’ 

Vision therapy refers to the course of exercises designed and prescribed by a Behavioural Optometrist

Visual therapy can enhance the performance of the visual system and improve its speed, flexibility and accuracy.

Vision therapy exercises, as part of a vision therapy program, are designed to train the brain to use vision more effectively. 

Patients will receive a unique course of eye exercises specially designed for them to enhance visual skills such as focusing, visual processing speed, eye tracking and hand-eye coordination.

Vision therapy eye exercises commonly address issues that are prevalent during the development stage of childhood, so they are typically prescribed for paediatric patients. 

That said, they can also be used to treat some vision disorders in adults as well.

 

What is Vision Therapy used for?

Behavioural Optometrists suggest that ‘20/20 vision does not mean perfect vision.’ In other words, vision problems can exist even if you have healthy eyes and can see clearly.  Although ’20-20 vision’ indicates how clearly you can see, it does not explain how you see. 

Even with 20-20 vision, vision problems can still occur with the system that processes and coordinates visual information. These vision problems – often undiagnosed – can lead to issues with reading, coordination and learning.

 

Who is Vision Therapy for?

Throughout our lifetime, our eyes grow and change – especially during the first two years of our life and during puberty when we are teenagers. With so many things in motion, vision problems can occur when there are delays in development that can affect learning, comprehension or coordination.

Vision therapy aims to relieve vision problem symptoms and improve conditions such as:

Lazy eye (amblyopia)

Lazy eye is a vision-development problem that starts with a miscommunication between the eyes and the brain, this can lead to one eye getting stronger than the other.

Crossed eyes (‘strabismus’)

A condition of misaligned eyes.

Eye tracking (‘oculomotor dysfunction’)

When both eyes are unable to work together efficiently while following a moving object, or while moving the eyes between two objects, the person has an oculomotor dysfunction. Often, it affects children with normal or above-average intelligence who still struggle with reading.

Eye teaming (‘convergence insufficiency’)

Eye teaming is when you have trouble keeping both eyes turned in to point in the same position. This condition makes it hard for a struggling reader to see the words clearly on a page.

Hand-eye coordination (‘visual-motor integration dysfunction’)

Visual motor integration is the ability to take visual information that we perceive and correctly execute movement of our arms, legs and hands. Symptoms of visual motor integration difficulties include: poor handwriting, difficulty catching a ball or the inability to colour within the lines on a colouring book.

Visual memory problems (visual perception dysfunctions)

These are issues with the way the brain processes visual information. A child may have trouble seeing the difference between similar letters, shapes, or objects or they may struggle to remember shapes, symbols, or objects they have seen once they have seen them.

What is done in vision therapy?

Behavioural Optometrists design each vision therapy program to suit the needs of each individual to help improve a person’s unique visual problems. It is not unusual for patients at the same eye doctor to have different programs. Nevertheless, the goal of vision therapy is the same: to improve the coordination and control of eye movements and enhance comprehension.

Although programs differ, vision therapy consists of three main elements….

  • diagnostic tests
  • training procedures
  • exercises

The frequency of optometrist visits, amount of visual training and duration of the therapy will depend on the nature and severity of your eye problem. Over time, the more one trains their brain, the easier and more automated the exercises will become. Ultimately, results depend on the patient’s active participation and compliance with the program.

Eyecare Plus Behavioural Optometrists

If you or your child has issues with learning or struggles with reading or has trouble comprehending their reading material, discuss these issues with an Eyecare Plus Behavioural Optometrist. They will be able to perform a full assessment of functional vision as well as an evaluation of the visual system. They may be able to suggest a program of vision therapy exercises that can address the problems.

Eyecare Plus Behavioural Optometrists can help their patients achieve more effective vision performance in the classroom, in sports and in the workplace. They can develop strategies to and vision skills to ensure the performance of your child’s vision system gets back on track.

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