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Approach

"The deriving of meaning and direction of action."  Robert Kraskin, OD

Vision is learned and developed throughout life, and it's much more than eyesight, (the ability to clearly read an eye chart).  Vision leads, and is an integral part in our ability to make meaningful interpretation of what is seen.  Movement, balance, reading, and almost all forms of learning are processed through the visual pathways.  It is estimated by researchers in neurobiology that at least 80% of what we learn comes to us through vision.

Delays in visual development do not result in defective children and adults; they simply result in delayed visual skills and development, which can lead to poor visual coordination and visual perceptual problems.  In vision therapy, we design a program for remediation of the underperforming areas. 

Vision therapy, or rehabilitation, helps patients become aware of their visual processing. This awareness and feedback enables patients to intentionally alter their visual processing, which leads to increased visual efficiency, and ultimately optimum visual performance.  Our role is to plan appropriate programs for each patient to provide this feedback.  We do this through the use of lenses, prisms, and instruments.

Individuals who have good visual skills read faster with less effort, understand more of what they read, and retain it longer.  Athletes who use their vision effectively see things more quickly, evaluate relative position more accurately, tire less, and demonstrate enhanced overall performance.

Optometric Vision Therapy can help individuals overcome challenges with visual perception and visual information processing.  As a result, one can achieve their full potential.  One can acquire improved bilaterality, directionality, eye-hand coordination, from perception, and visualization abilities. The subsequent improvements in the processing of visual information will benefit all areas of life:  school sports, home, work, creativity, etc.

Vision Therapy

Here at Dakota Vision Center, our visual training is one-on-one and involves one session per week of individualized training, along with specific, home visual training, for reinforcement of the visual skills learned, or being learned, in the office.  These individualized sessions are designed to improve visual efficiency skills, as well as visual perceptual skills through the use of lenses, prisms, filters, visual thinking activities, and specialized instrumentation.

Vision Therapy Examination Process at Dakota Vision Center

After a comprehensive ocular health examination with one of our Optometrists, or a referring eye care provider, a series of three examinations are scheduled:

1. Visual Efficiency Examination (VEE)

• In this examination, we conduct a series of tests that give valuable information into how the eyes are working together.  These tests evaluate the eye’s binocularity (eye teaming), accommodation (eye focusing), fusion, stereopsis (depth perception/function of eye teaming), and oculomotor skills (eye tracking).

 2. Visual Information Processing Evaluation (VIP)

• In this examination, we conduct a series of standardized tests with the patient.  These tests focus on how the patient is storing, recalling, and perceiving information that they receive visually.  We’re evaluating the patient’s ability to recognize, interpret, understand, and visually process what they are seeing.  Some examples that are included are testing visual discrimination, visual memory, visual-motor integration, and laterality/directionality skills.

3.  Parent or Patient Consultation

• During this consultation, we discuss the findings of the VEE and VIP with the parents or patient.  If the patient is a child, the child is not to be present for this meeting.  The parents, or patient, will receive a Comprehensive Visual Evaluation Summary with Dr. Oakland’s recommendations at this meeting.  If vision therapy is prescribed, the number of sessions and schedule will be discussed, as well as insurance, and payment options.

Common signs/manifestations of visual efficiency and processing difficulties include:

• Skipping, re-reading or omitting words
• Poor reading comprehension
• Blurred vision after reading for a short period
• Words move, float, or appear to "swim" on page
• Headaches, eyestrain, or "pulling" feeling around eyes after near work
• Intermittent double vision
• Losing place while reading
• Closing, squinting, or covering an eye during near work
• Confusing letters and/or words while reading and writing
• Homework takes extreme time to finish
• Difficulty remembering what is learned before
• Short attention span in reading or copying

For more info on Vision Therapy visit www.pavevision.org,  www.covd.org,  www.oepf.org, www.childrensvision.com and http://www.fixingmygaze.com