Vision Therapy

 

Is your child struggling to keep up in school? Are they having trouble reading at grade level? Do they struggle with attention and focus? If so, your child may have a vision disorder that is affecting their learning and school performance.

Our vision therapy programs are designed to empower people of all ages by addressing a wide range of visual challenges. From childhood to adulthood, clear vision is a vital part of daily life. However, it goes beyond just seeing well; it's about how your eyes work together, focus, and process information. Our team is dedicated to helping you or your loved ones overcome vision obstacles, whether it's in learning, work, or play. Explore how our specialized vision therapy services can unlock a world of visual possibilities for you.

 

What is Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is a specialized treatment program that improves visual performance by retraining neural pathways in the brain. Using a series of exercises, we can enhance how well your eyes move, work together, and understand what you are seeing. People of all ages can benefit from vision therapy to improve their quality of life and ability to function in their day-to-day life.

Vision therapy is used to treat certain conditions that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses alone. It is also beneficial for individuals seeking to enhance their visual skills for activities like sports, driving, reading, and everyday tasks that require optimal visual performance.

The Vision & Learning Connection

Most people are aware that blurred vision can affect a child's academic performance, but there are other visual conditions that can also have an impact. Reading and other close-up tasks require the eyes to focus, coordinate, and track accurately. Learning also relies on the brain's ability to process information quickly and efficiently, and store it for memory and recall.

These difficulties can show up as problems in reading, writing, math, spelling, sports, playground activities, and social relationships with siblings and peers. They may even resemble symptoms of ADHD, such as difficulty with focus, attention, and memory. Research suggests that children with convergence insufficiency (a condition causing poor eye coordination) are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.

Research shows that treating these underlying visual disorders can improve academic performance and help children reach their full potential in school and beyond.

WHY CHOOSE OUR BINOCULAR VISION CLINIC?

Our team of eye doctors is highly qualified to diagnose and treat binocular vision conditions. While all of our doctors have received residency training in various areas—which is a voluntary, additional year specialized training for an optometrist—Dr. Maggie Francisco is residency-trained in vision therapy & rehabilitation, specifically for binocular vision conditions. She was granted Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) for her additional research and extensive study in the areas of binocular vision and vision rehabilitation. This level of training and accreditation goes beyond the standard optometric education and serves as a testament to her exceptional expertise and in-depth knowledge in these specialized fields.

Skills that can be improved with vision therapy

Vision therapy can have a positive impact on key skills that are crucial for daily life, especially for reading and learning. These skills include:

  • The ability for both eyes to work together seamlessly to prevent double vision or eyestrain.

    Symptoms include headaches, words appear to move/float when reading, double vision, head tilt or turn, and motion sickness.

  • The ability to smoothly follow a moving object, like a ball or moving traffic, or to move the eyes accurately from one point to another, such as reading a line of text.

    Symptoms include re-reading or skipping lines or words, omitting small words (i.e. the, a, in), losing your place or requiring your finger to keep your place, and poor sports performance.

  • The ability to quickly and effortlessly shift focus between objects at different distances while maintaining clear vision.

    Symptoms include blurred vision, headaches and/or tired eyes after close work/reading, and difficulty copying from the board.

  • The ability to judge relative distances of objects in a three-dimensional space, such as navigating stairs or catching a ball.

  • Visualization is the ability to create and retain mental images, which is valuable for various cognitive tasks including memory, reading comprehension, and problem solving.

  • The ability to assess and comprehend what's happening in your visual periphery while focusing on something in front of you. This is especially important for sports performance.

Who can Benefit from vision therapy?

If you or your child experience any of the following signs or symptoms, vision therapy could help:

  • Headaches or tired eyes, especially after reading or screen time

  • Blurred or double vision

  • Lazy eye, or eyes that don’t work together

  • Difficulty concentrating when reading

  • Skipping words or lines while reading

  • Losing your place while reading

  • Poor depth perception or clumsiness

  • Tiredness or fatigue, especially after reading or doing close work for extended periods of time

 

Specifically in children, watch out for these signs:

  • Reading below grade level

  • Poor handwriting or letter spacing issues

  • Avoiding tasks that require close work, such as reading or writing

  • Difficulty catching or throwing a ball, or other hand-eye coordination difficulties

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be worth seeking an evaluation to determine whether vision therapy could be helpful.

Does vision therapy work for adults?

Absolutely! Vision therapy can help people of all ages. If these visual disorders are not addressed in childhood, they don't simply go away on their own. Many adults have learned to adapt to their visual challenges and find ways to work around them. While vision therapy is most impactful during childhood due to the brain's higher adaptability, it can still be highly effective for people of all ages. If you've experienced a brain or head injury, such as a stroke or concussion, vision therapy can offer valuable support and improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is vision therapy supported by research?

Yes, many research studies support the effectiveness of vision therapy in treating various visual disorders.The American Academy of Optometry (AAO), American Optometric Association (AOA), and College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) recognize the effectiveness of vision therapy in treating various visual disorders.

Studies have shown that vision therapy improves visual skills and performance in academics, work, and sports. It is a non-invasive alternative to surgery, and in some cases, it can enhance the outcomes of surgical interventions. The COVD website offers research summaries and articles for further reading.

Additional Resources from COVD

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international association of eye care professionals dedicated to developmental vision care, optometric vision therapy, and rehabilitation. Their website provides valuable resources for those seeking more information about vision therapy and related topics. In the "Your Vision" section, you can find further details.

Informational White Papers available from COVD cover various aspects of vision therapy, including:

These resources offer in-depth information and insights into the benefits and applications of vision therapy.