Sometimes, Even Eyes Need Therapy

Not all vision problems can be corrected with glasses or contacts. For those situations, vision therapy can help. Vision therapy is an individualized program designed to correct visual motor and/or processing deficiencies. It strengthens the connection between the eyes and the brain to improve eye alignment, teaming, tracking, and focusing.

Vision is the process of finding meaning in what you see. It involves much more than just distinguishing details. Vision also includes how the eyes aim, how they focus, how they move, and how they guide motor coordination.

Your vision continues to develop over time and is influenced by both your environment and your experiences. Problems can occur even if your eyes are healthy and your vision is clear. If you do develop vision problems, it may present itself through signs of discomfort when performing activities that are visually demanding.

• Learning difficulties especially reading, letter or word reversals, tracking issues, headaches, eye fatigue, or trouble focusing • Binocular vision disorders such as lazy eye, eye turn, or teaming issues • Traumatic brain injuries such as concussions or stroke • Sports vision training to help compete at a higher level

A vision therapy program is designed specifically for the person receiving it. The frequency of therapy visits, the amount of training, and the duration of therapy all depend on the nature and severity of the eye problem being treated.

Regular practice is always important to achieve the best results. Vision therapy will train how to have better eye control to improve understanding of what is being seen. In the end, it will lead to greater confidence and improvement in the performance of daily activities such as reading, writing, and learning.

The following are common symptoms of vision problems that are treated with vision therapy. If you or your child frequently experience three or more of these symptoms, a vision evaluation is necessary to further explore the visual skills required for efficient visual performance.

Words run together while reading Headaches or tired eyes when reading Skips/repeats lines while reading Difficulty copying from the board Avoids near work/reading Misaligns columns/digits Poor reading comprehension Trouble keeping attention for near work Poor eye-hand coordination Letter/word reversals Says “I can’t” before trying

For questions or to make an appointment, contact Visions Therapy Center at 605-271-7100.

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