What is vision therapy?
Vision therapy is a progressive program of vision exercises that help train, or retrain, the brain to effectively use the eyes to gather and respond to visual information. Under doctor supervision, it often uses lenses, prisms and eye exercises to help patients develop or improve fundamental visual skills and abilities. By retraining the eyes and brain, this in turn helps improve visual comfort, ease and efficiency.
Who benefits from vision therapy?
Everyone! Vision therapy is safe, drug-free and effective in both children and adults. It is estimated that 1 in 10 children have a vision problem severe enough to affect their learning in school. Most school screenings, however, can miss up to half of these problems. School screenings are often limited to measuring a child’s distance vision in a “pass-fail” fashion. They often do not test for fundamental vision skills that, when deficient, can lead to vision and learning problems. Vision problems are the fourth most prevalent class of disability in the United States and one of the most prevalent conditions in childhood.
How important is a comprehensive eye exam for my child?
Extremely important! Children do not always know that they have a vision problem. This can often manifest as poor reading or learning ability, or even inattention. 80% of what a child learns comes through their eyes, so it makes sense that a vision problem can have a profound effect on a child’s learning. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention however, nearly two in three children enter school without ever having had a vision screening.
Office Hours & Info
Wednesday: 12:30pm - 5:30pm
Or by appointment
715-748-2020
715-748-4565
[email protected]
- 309 E Broadway Ave
- Medford, WI 54451
The five most common signs that a vision problem may be interfering with your student’s ability to
read and learn are:
- Skips lines, rereads lines
- Poor reading comprehension
- Homework takes much longer than it should (the “homework war”)
- Reverses letters like “b” and “d” when reading
- Short attention span when reading and schoolwork
Common symptoms treated by vision therapy:
- Blurry vision at near
- Words move on a page when reading (double vision)
- Tilting head or covering one eye
- Reversal of letters or transposition of numbers
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Headaches
Common diagnoses that may be treated by vision therapy:
- Convergence insufficiency – inability to bring the eyes together when looking at a near target
- Accommodative disorders – inability to hold focus or switch focus from near to far
- Eye tracking disorders – inability to make smooth, rapid movements of the eyes
- Amblyopia/lazy eye
- Double vision (diplopia)
- Strabismus (esotropia, exotropia) – the misalignment of one or both eyes
- Visual Information Processing Disorders
Vision Therapy is NOT…
Unlike other forms of exercise, the goal of optometric vision therapy is not to “strengthen” eye muscles. Your eye muscles are already incredibly strong. Optometric vision therapy should not be confused with any self-directed program of eye exercises which is or has been marketed to the public. Vision therapy does not eliminate the need for distance glasses and is not suitable for every patient. Vision Therapy is not a “cure” for dyslexia or ADHD, but it can alleviate symptoms that may be similar to symptoms of dyslexia or ADHD. If a child has occasional double vision while reading, their eyes jump around the page, or they have trouble keeping their eyes “in-focus” up close, that child will exhibit symptoms such as slow reading, low attention while reading, poor reading comprehension, or even letter reversals. When the act of reading is so difficult visually, most children will get frustrated easily and avoid reading or homework at all costs. When we help them improve their visual skills – tracking, coordinating the eyes, shifting focus quickly, etc. – then we often see improvement in behavioral symptoms.
Dr. Betsy uses scientific evidence to guide her diagnosis and treatment plans. Optometric vision therapy is supported by ongoing evidence-based scientific research. Read the latest research published on optometric vision therapy. I can also share this research with any interested professionals.
