Vision Beyond 20/20
During a routine eye exam we check to make sure that you can see 20/20. We check basic eye functions. We check that your eyes are healthy. All very important things!
During a visual-perceptual exam, we go beyond 20/20. We check that your eyes are working as a team as efficiently as they can. We check to make sure that you are perceiving the space around you as accurately as possible. We check to make sure you are creating the visual memories necessary to be able to remember and learn from what you see. We are checking to make sure that you are taking in the visual information, processing it and comfortably able to move and respond in reaction to it. Heavy stuff!
Vision provides 80% of the input that we use to move and learn. It integrates with the other senses to complete the picture. If this process is interrupted it can lead to difficulties not often associated with vision. If your child is constantly touching things they may have a vision problem because they are using touch to explore and understand their environment instead of trusting their eyes. If you see someone that has trouble maintaining eye contact during a conversation, they may have trouble processing visual and auditory input at the same time. If your child avoids reading, they may have visual tracking or eye teaming issues and are constantly losing their place or seeing double. If you get motion sickness, you may be getting mismatching information from your eyes and your vestibular (balancing) system. If driving makes you very nervous, you may have poor peripheral awareness. All of these symptoms (and many more!) can be helped with vision therapy.
What Is Vision Therapy?
Vision therapy is like physical therapy for your eyes. But it doesn’t stop at muscle control! It can help with balance, coordination, peripheral awareness, reading and learning difficulties, memory, dizziness, clumsiness and so much more!
Once the main difficulties are uncovered, we devise a therapy program specific to the individual needs and goals. We pride ourselves on treating the individual not the diagnosis. We have a weekly session in the office and give homework to be done daily throughout the week. As we see progress we adjust the program. Follow up exams are usually done every 12-16 sessions.
Signs of potential vision related problems:
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Double vision
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Clumsiness
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Trouble climbing
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Trouble walking down stairs
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Grazing walls when walking
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Avoiding reading
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Losing place when reading
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Vision gets blurry when reading
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Difficulties with math concepts
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Difficulty with visual manipulation
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Handwriting difficulties
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Trouble learning right and left
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Hyperactivity
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Excessive blinking
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Poor eye contact
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Toe Walking
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Stimming
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Anxiety in crowds
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Motion sickness
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Previous concussion/TBI
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Vertigo
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Fear of driving