Having completed 6 sessions of Vision Therapy, I have experienced multiple benefits, the most valuable of which is a collection of exercises, resources, and instruction sheets that will allow me to continue Vision Therapy on my own at home for months and years to come! Amanda was my Vision Therapist, and I can recommend her without reservation. She is so empathic, encouraging, and patient to work with! Kindness goes a long way when you are struggling with vision problems! I have also seen additional applications for several of the exercises and vision sheets. Dr. Jeremy Larson is knowledgeable, and the office staff is always welcoming. I can highly recommend the whole team!
What is Vision Therapy & how can it help?
Your vision is precious, and if you or a loved one struggles with a visual disability, you are even more aware how it can impact your daily activities and independence. Genetic and eye health conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, low vision, and other conditions can cause reduced or limited vision, and there is little that can be done medically or surgically to correct the issues or restore vision in a significant way. However, with vision therapy, patients have a brighter outlook on their visual capacity than ever before. With a combination of state-of-the-art therapies, exercises, and technologically advanced equipment and aids, patients can improve their visual abilities and skills.
What is Orthoptic Vision Therapy: Does Vision Therapy Work?
Orthoptic vision therapy is a series of exercises and therapies that are designed to improve binocular function, or to help the eyes learn to work together to process visual information. Orthoptic vision therapy is most often used by pediatric optometrists and ophthalmologists for children who have amblyopia (Lazy Eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes). Other conditions that orthoptic vision therapy may be able to treat successfully include binocular vision problems, focusing disorders, convergence insufficiency, and eye movement problems. It is a non-surgical, non-invasive, and painless treatment that can help to correct a patient’s visual system over time.
What is Vision Therapy? What You Need to Know About Behavioural Vision Therapy
Behavioral vision therapy involves addressing a variety of visual issues, including but not limited to:
- Visual Processing
- Perception Therapy
- Sensory Learning
- Syntonic Phototherapy.
Visual Processing & Perception Therapy
Therapy that focuses on visual processing and perception can assist patients in enhancing visual discrimination (the ability to visually see differences between objects), visual figure ground (the ability to separate an object from a background), and visual memory (the ability to retain visual information over a period of time.
Sensory Learning
Sensory integration therapy is often combined with visual therapies in order to produce more effective results. Sensory therapies involve using other senses, such as taste, smell, touch, and hearing to corroborate with visual integration.
Syntonic Phototherapy
Syntonic phototherapy, or light therapy, is an advanced type of visual therapy that involves using specific light frequencies through the eyes to treat a variety of visual dysfunctions.
Working With Langley Vision Therapy Patients at Our Vision Therapy Clinic
At InSight Optometry & Vision Therapy in Langley, we are dedicated to assisting patients with numerous visual problems. We offer a variety of advanced and scientifically proven vision therapy techniques to assist patients in achieving the best possible visual results. Contact us today at 604-455-0477 to further discuss how Visual Therapy at Insight can help you or a family member or schedule an appointment for a comprehensive vision and eye health examination. Once your examination is complete, we work with you to develop a custom vision therapy treatment plan that is designed to improve not only your visual acuity, but also how your visual system works as a whole. Vision is a highly developed set of skills which we use to guide our movements and to interact with the world around us. We learn how to use our eyes and to understand what we see, starting from before birth. When vision is working well it guides and leads; when not it interferes. – John Streff O.D.
Vision problems are very common
Children that struggle at school or have attention and behaviour challenges are particularly likely to have underdeveloped vision skills. Vision therapy helps build better vision skills to take to school, sports, work and play. Vision therapy may be used to:
- Improve eye movement control
- Develop better focusing ability
- Treat amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turns)
- Improve visual thinking skills
- Improve sports performance
- Promote visual-motor skills with “clumsy” kids
- Prevent vision problems from worsening
- Rehabilitate vision and balance problems after brain injury
You Should Know:
- Vision training sessions are one on one with a therapist
- Sessions are usually scheduled for 50 minutes, once or twice per week
- Improvements are quicker if a few fun activities are done at home as well
Much like music lessons, you learn more quickly when you practice.
- Changes in performance may be seen after only a few sessions
- Depending on your goals, programs range in length from 10 to 70 sessions
- The results should last a lifetime
Vision therapy, also known as visual therapy or vision training, is a specialized program designed to improve and enhance visual skills and abilities. It is often prescribed by optometrists or ophthalmologists and conducted under the supervision of trained vision therapists or optometric professionals.
Vision therapy aims to address various vision problems and deficiencies that cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. These problems may include:
- Binocular Vision Disorders: Conditions where the two eyes do not work together effectively, such as strabismus (eye turn) or amblyopia (lazy eye).
- Accommodative Disorders: Difficulties with focusing the eyes, such as accommodative insufficiency or accommodative excess.
- Eye Tracking Problems: Deficiencies in eye movement control, including difficulties with pursuits (smooth eye movements) or saccades (rapid eye movements).
- Convergence Insufficiency: Difficulty in maintaining binocular alignment when focusing on near objects, leading to eye strain and fatigue during close work.
- Visual Processing Disorders: Difficulties with interpreting and making sense of visual information, such as visual spatial skills, visual memory, and visual discrimination.
Vision Therapy Services in Langley
Vision therapy involves a series of exercises, activities, and techniques tailored to the individual’s specific visual needs and goals. These may include:
- Eye exercises to improve eye teaming, tracking, and focusing abilities.
- Vision games and activities to enhance visual processing skills and spatial awareness.
- Prism lenses, filters, or other optical devices to modify visual input and stimulate visual development.
- Home-based activities and computer-based programs to supplement in-office therapy sessions.
The duration and intensity of vision therapy vary depending on the individual’s age, diagnosis, and treatment goals. A comprehensive vision assessment is typically conducted before starting vision therapy to identify specific visual deficiencies and develop a personalized treatment plan.
Vision therapy is often recommended for children with developmental vision problems, adults with acquired vision deficiencies, individuals recovering from brain injuries, and athletes seeking to improve visual performance. It is a non-invasive and evidence-based approach to improving visual function and enhancing overall quality of life.
RELATED SERVICES
With a combination of the proper optometry care and self-care, you can minimize computer eye syndrome and other modern-day vision problems. Contact us for an appointment today.
For school-age children, it’s important to rule out any vision problems that may impede performance at school, in sports, or at music lessons.
Our vision therapy optometrists our doctors have been specifically trained to use the following tests, for children and adults.
