What is Vision Therapy?
Vision Therapy is a type of non-surgical and non-invasive treatment that aims to improve and enhance the visual abilities and efficiency of an individual. It involves a series of customized exercises and activities that are designed to improve the way the eyes work together, track and follow objects, focus on objects at varying distances, and process visual information.
Optometric Visual Therapy
Sometimes called Vision Training or VT, is that part of optometric care devoted to developing, improving and enhancing visual performance when lenses alone are inefficient.
Over several decades, behavioral optometrists have developed and used visual training-in combination with syntonics, lenses, tints and prisms to:
- Develop visual skills that are critical for performance at school, work or sports.
- Rehabilitate post traumatic brain injuries (concussion, stroke, motor vehicle accident)
- Enhance eye hand coordination, reaction time, and peripheral awareness that can elevate an athlete’s performance
- Remediate or compensate for vision and eye problems which have already developed.
Through visual training, people are able to develop more efficient visual performance!
Vision Therapy Program
Vision therapy is a personalized program of vision procedures or exercises that are designed to develop fundamental visual skills.
Vision therapy sessions are NOW offered Virtually!
By participating in a vision therapy program, the patient is exposed to a variety of visual experiences that stimulate or develop neural connections within the patient’s brain. It is very common, that the patient reports of increased attention, efficiency, and performance in school, work or sports after the completion of a vision therapy program.
Most vision therapy programs last from 6 to 9 months, depending on the extent of diagnosis from your behavioral optometrist.
Vision therapy patients, are typically seen once a week for a vision therapy session that lasts for 30 minutes to an hour. The therapy sessions are individualized and will include at-home practice procedures.
Making a commitment to practice vision therapy at home or “completing homework” is essential for the success of a therapy program. After all, practice is the main way to become proficient in a new skill or behaviour.
Homework usually only takes about 15 minutes per day. Each activity assigned by your therapist will be challenging enough to keep you (or your child) engaged and interested and not too difficult, that it becomes frustrating.
Research has given sufficient scientific support for the effectiveness of vision therapy and its ability to improve eye movements, focusing and eye teaming skills.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists considers vision therapy to be an effective way to develop, correct, improve or rehabilitate specific dysfunctions of the vision system.
Vision therapy gives individuals of all ages the opportunity to develop visual abilities and visual efficiency most suited to their needs. Successful vision therapy can enable individuals to achieve or return to their desired level of performance, enhancing their quality of life.
Right Eye Screenings
We are proud to offer free comprehensive vision screenings using advanced, state-of-the-art eye-tracking technology.
The RightEye system enables us to pinpoint functional vision and brain health issues, identify the root cause of reading problems, and improve athletic performance. In just 20 minutes, this proven, patented technology measures visual skills — enabling us to screen for underlying vision issues that affect our patients’ quality of life.
Signs you may have a functional vision problem:
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Rereading or skipping lines of print
- Short attention span
- Poor reading comprehension
- Poor coordination or balance
- Slow completion of work
- Previous brain trauma (concussions, strokes)
- Loss of interest in reading
- Headaches
A life-changing test is just minutes away
In just 5 minutes, RightEyes EyeQ test will provide meaningful information about your functional vision that could transform your life. If you have questions or would like more information, contact us today.
Good Visual Skills = Good Vision
Good visual skills are necessary for efficient information processing. When processing visual information that is difficult, one may “try harder”, straining without even knowing it because the effort is subconscious. If the visual system is inefficient, every task can seem difficult, using more energy than required.
Good vision requires:
The ability of the eyes to move smoothly across a printed page or while following a moving object.
Quickly and accurately locating and inspecting a series of stationary objects, such as words while reading.
Looking quickly from far to near and back without blur.
Judging relative distances of objects-how far or near they are.
Monitoring and interpreting what is happening in the surrounding field of vision.
Using both eyes together as a team-smoothly, equally and accurately.
Keeping focused on a particular activity while interference, such as noise, is present.
Accurately picturing images in the "mind's eye," retaining and storing them for future recall.
Clearly seeing, inspecting, identifying and understanding objects viewed within arm's length.
Clearly seeing, inspecting, identifying and understanding objects viewed at a distance.
Understanding what is seen.