Vision Therapy

In today’s world, the ability to process and understand visual information is more important than ever. Both adults and children are constantly required to absorb large amounts of printed and digital content, making efficient vision essential. Educational systems and professional environments demand the ability to handle visual information quickly and accurately, while sports, hobbies, and daily activities also depend on sharp visual skills.

An efficient visual system enhances how we process information, while inefficiency can lead to errors, slower performance, and fatigue. Those with visual impairments may struggle to complete tasks effectively, experiencing decreased accuracy and concentration. This is where vision therapy can provide significant benefits.

Vision: More Than Just Seeing Clearly

Vision goes beyond having 20/20 eyesight. It encompasses several components, all working together to create an effective visual experience:

1. Visual Pathway Integrity

This includes the overall health of the eyes, visual clarity, and how well they can focus or adapt to different situations.

2. Visual Skills

Key visual functions, such as:

Accommodation: The ability of the eyes to focus on nearby and distant objects.
Binocular Vision: Coordinating both eyes to work together for a single, clear image.
Eye Movements: Tracking objects and reading efficiently by following lines of text.

3. Visual Information Processing

This refers to how we interpret and make sense of what we see, integrating it with other sensory inputs to understand the world around us.

Vision and Learning: Why It Matters

Strong visual skills are crucial for academic success, especially when it comes to reading. Children need to be able to focus their eyes, track words across the page, and comprehend the material they read. Inefficient visual skills can lead to frustration, headaches, and eye strain, as well as difficulty maintaining attention. Some children may avoid reading or other visually demanding tasks altogether due to these challenges.

Understanding Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is designed to address visual dysfunctions that may hinder a child’s reading and learning abilities. These inefficiencies are often related to eye coordination, focusing ability, or how the brain processes visual information. Through structured exercises, vision therapy helps strengthen these skills, allowing them to function automatically and seamlessly.

Key Areas Addressed by Vision Therapy:

Binocular Vision Issues: Children may experience symptoms like double vision, word or letter movement, or reduced reading comprehension.
Eye Tracking Problems: Difficulty following text without losing place or rereading frequently, often seen in children with dyslexia.
Visual Perception Challenges: Issues with interpreting what is seen, affecting tasks like reading, writing, and organizing information.

Symptoms Indicating Need For Vision Therapy

1. Exhibits slow and unsure reading skills
2. Makes errors in copying from the board
3. Uses a finger or marker to keep place while reading
4. Loses place often during reading
5. Skips lines or repeats lines when reading
6. Skips words or adds words when reading
7. Complains of words running together
8. Write up or down hill and spaces words irregularly
9. Reverses letters (b and d) or words (saw or was)
10. Fails to recognize the same word in successive sentences
11. Mistakes words with the same or similar beginnings
12. Whispers to self for reinforcement while reading silently
13. Misaligns digits in columns of numbers
14. Develops headaches after reading or close-up work
15. Exhibits a decline in comprehension while reading
16. Has poor gross motor skills or is considered clumsy
17. Holds reading material very close to eyes
18. Closes or covers an eye when reading
19. Eye turns in or out especially when reading
20. Complains that one eye sees better than the other

How Vision Therapy Works

Vision therapy involves personalized exercises designed to target and strengthen specific visual skills. These exercises are supervised by trained professionals and can be done both in-office and at home.

Vision Therapy Includes:

A personalized program of visual exercises tailored to the patient’s needs.
Regular in-office sessions (typically once or twice a week) to monitor progress and provide guidance.
At-home exercises to reinforce improvements and ensure continued growth.
Periodic evaluations to track progress and make adjustments as needed.

How We Can Help at The Brecheen Learning and Vision Center

At The Brecheen Learning and Vision Center, we offer specialized vision therapy programs designed to help children develop their visual skills to meet their age-level expectations. Typically, the program spans 6-9 months, with individualized attention from trained therapists. We combine in-clinic therapy sessions with at-home activities to ensure that children achieve the best possible results.

Program Highlights:

Semi-private therapy sessions led by a trained vision therapist and certified classroom teacher.
Regular evaluations after every 21 sessions to assess progress.
A comprehensive approach tailored to your child's unique visual needs.
Baseline Assessment with Eye Trac

With our support, your child can build the visual skills necessary for academic and personal success.

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